HDR to SVG Converter
Convert HDR to SVG in your browser. The HDR's pixels are traced into vector paths, so the result scales cleanly and can be edited in a vector app. You get an SVG traced into vector paths (or, if you prefer, the pixels embedded in an SVG wrapper). Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
HDR expected · other image formats also work
How to use HDR to SVG
- 1
Add your HDR files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Choose how many colours to trace; fewer colours give simpler paths.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .svg files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for hdr to svg
Where the SVG goes next
SVG opens in every browser, Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma and most design tools.
SVG next to HDR
A traced SVG describes every patch of colour as a path: logos and flat art stay compact, while photographs turn into very large markup.
The first lossy pass
The HDR holds an 8-bit mantissa per channel sharing an 8-bit exponent (RGBE), 32 bits per pixel with nothing discarded yet. This conversion is the first lossy encode these pixels see, and hard edges and flat colour show it first.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
HDR vs SVG
What changes from HDR to SVG
Encoding: the HDR uses run-length encoded RGBE scanlines; SVG uses XML text describing paths, shapes and text, sometimes gzipped as .svgz, and the download is an SVG traced into vector paths (or, if you prefer, the pixels embedded in an SVG wrapper).
Bit depth: an 8-bit mantissa per channel sharing an 8-bit exponent (RGBE), 32 bits per pixel in the HDR; SVG allows not fixed: coordinates and colours are continuous values, and the SVG written here has vector paths with flat colours. The high dynamic range is mapped to 8 bits per channel, and values above white clip.
Colour: linear RGB (or XYZ in the XYZE variant) in the HDR; SVG supports sRGB by default, other spaces through CSS colour functions, written here as flat colour regions.
Metadata: the HDR can carry a text header with FORMAT, EXPOSURE and optional comments; SVG can carry title, description and RDF metadata elements, but nothing is copied across.
About HDR
Radiance .hdr stores high dynamic range light values, widely used for 3D environment maps and HDRI lighting.
A Radiance file starts with '#?RADIANCE' (or '#?RGBE'), text lines such as FORMAT=32-bit_rle_rgbe and EXPOSURE, a blank line, a resolution line like '-Y 2048 +X 4096', then the scanlines.
HDR files usually come from HDRI environment maps, 360° panoramas and lighting simulation.
About SVG
SVG describes shapes, paths and text as XML instead of pixels, so it stays crisp at any size. It is the standard for logos, icons and illustrations on the web.
An SVG is an XML document: a root <svg> element with a viewBox, then paths, shapes, text, gradients and filters. It can also embed raster images and, dangerously, scripts, which is why untrusted SVG is sanitized before rendering here.
When converting HDR to SVG makes sense
SVG is the better choice for logos, icons and illustrations, while HDR suits 3D lighting and environment maps.
SVG strengths: Infinitely scalable and sharp; Tiny files for logos and icons; Editable as text and styleable with CSS. Drawbacks to weigh: Not suitable for photographs; Can contain scripts, so untrusted SVG must be sanitized; Many apps and social sites will not accept it.
Limitations
- Light values above 1.0 are clipped rather than tone-mapped, so the sun and bright sky turn flat white.
- Environment maps are 2:1 equirectangular panoramas, so the picture looks stretched near the top and bottom, as it should.
- Files in the XYZE variant cannot be read here; RGBE files, the common kind, can.
- Tracing approximates the image with flat-colour shapes, so photographs become poster-like art rather than exact copies.
- Logos, icons and line art with clear edges trace best; raise the colour count for more detail.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting HDR to SVG lose quality?
SVG is lossy, so detail the eye barely notices is discarded to save space. The high dynamic range is mapped to 8 bits per channel, and values above white clip.
Is the SVG a real vector or just embedded pixels?
By default the image is traced into true vector paths, so it scales without pixelation and can be edited in Illustrator, Figma or Inkscape. You can switch to embedding the pixels inside an SVG wrapper if you need an exact copy.
Which apps open SVG files?
Every browser, Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma and most design tools.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.