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How to Convert SVG to PDF

Export SVG as a true vector PDF, not a rasterized image embedded in a PDF wrapper.

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Quick answer

Open the SVG in SVGSketch, open the Export panel, select PDF as the format (a Pro feature), set page size, orientation, and margins in the PDF settings, and click Download. The PDF preserves vector paths so it stays sharp at any zoom level and prints cleanly.

Steps at a glance

  1. Open the SVG

    Drag the .svg onto SVGSketch or use File > Open... (Ctrl+O).

  2. Set page size

    Pick A4, Letter, Legal, or a custom millimeter size in the PDF export settings.

  3. Choose PDF format

    In the Export panel, select PDF (Pro).

  4. Decide on text outlines

    Run Shape > Convert to Path on text if the recipient lacks the fonts.

  5. Export

    Click Download and validate by zooming the PDF to 800%.

Step 1: Open the SVG

Drag the .svg onto app.svgsketch.com. If the file references external fonts, the editor offers to load them from Google Fonts (click "Load Resources" in the banner); if a font is not available, switch it from the Text panel before exporting so the PDF renders glyphs that exist.

Step 2: Set page size and orientation

Open the PDF settings from the Export panel and choose a page size (A4, Letter, Legal, or a custom size in millimeters), Portrait or Landscape orientation, and a margin. Enable "Fit content to page" to scale the artwork into the printable area automatically.

Step 3: Pick PDF as the export format

In the Export panel, switch the format dropdown to PDF (PDF export requires SVGSketch Pro). SVGSketch writes a vector PDF - paths stay as paths and gradients, opacity, and clip paths are preserved in the vector output rather than being rasterized.

Step 4: Decide on text-as-text vs text-as-paths

For exact typographic fidelity anywhere, select the text and run Shape > Convert to Path (Ctrl+Shift+O) before exporting - the glyphs become vector outlines that render identically without the font. Keep a copy of the editable document first.

Leave text as text when the document needs to stay searchable and selectable in the PDF viewer.

Step 5: Export and validate

Click Download. Open the resulting PDF and zoom to 800% - if the geometry stays crisp, you got a true vector export. If it pixelates, something in the source (an embedded raster image, an SVG <image> element) is responsible, not the export.

FAQ

Is the PDF a real vector PDF?

Yes. SVGSketch writes vector path data into the PDF rather than rasterizing the page, so the file stays sharp at any zoom level.

How do I make text render identically everywhere?

Run Shape > Convert to Path (Ctrl+Shift+O) on the text before exporting. The glyphs become vector outlines, so the PDF renders the same whether or not the viewer has the font.

Can I export multiple SVG pages into one PDF?

Yes. The PDF export item has a Pages list - each page can source the whole document, a View region, or the current selection, and pages can be reordered by dragging. PDF export requires SVGSketch Pro.

Does PDF export support transparency and gradients?

Yes. Gradients, opacity, and clip paths are preserved in the vector output so the export matches the canvas.

Is PDF export private?

Yes. The PDF is generated locally in your browser; the source SVG is never uploaded.

Open your SVG in SVGSketch

Start with a blank canvas, import an SVG, or use the editor as a conversion and cleanup step.

Open SVGSketch