svgtopam

Convert an SVG file to Netpbm format

$ svgtopam [path/to/file.svg] > [path/to/output.pam]

$ svgtopam [[-t|-trace]] [path/to/file.svg]

svgtopam [options] [svgfile]

-width integer
    Specifies the width of the output PAM image in pixels. If not specified, the width is taken from the SVG file.

-height integer
    Specifies the height of the output PAM image in pixels. If not specified, the height is taken from the SVG file.

-aa
    Enables antialiasing for smoother image rendering.

-noaa
    Disables antialiasing for sharper image rendering. This is the default.

-background color
    Specifies the background color for the image. The color is defined as a string, which can be any recognized CSS color format (e.g., 'red', '#FF0000', 'rgb(255,0,0)'). If not specified, the background will be transparent (if supported by the SVG) or white.

svgfile
    The input SVG file to convert. If not specified, svgtopam reads from standard input.

The svgtopam command is a utility that converts Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files into Portable Arbitrary Map (PAM) image format. It leverages the librsvg library to render the SVG content into a raster image, which is then encoded into the PAM format. PAM is a versatile image format that can represent various image types, including grayscale, color, and transparency. This conversion enables further processing of SVG graphics using image manipulation tools compatible with PAM, such as those found in the Netpbm suite.

The command provides options for controlling the output image dimensions, antialiasing and background color to customize the conversion process. It is a valuable tool for integrating vector graphics into workflows that primarily utilize raster-based image formats, especially for environments where Netpbm tools are prevalent. The core functionality depends on having librsvg installed on the system. The conversion happens based on the specified parameters or default values if none are provided.

Requires librsvg to be installed for SVG rendering. The quality of the converted image depends on the rendering capabilities of librsvg. Complex SVG files might not be perfectly rendered. Background color option might not work as expected with complex SVG with its own explicit background specified.

The program exits 0 on a normal exit, and non-zero to indicate some kind of error.

svgtopam can take input from standard input if an svgfile is not specified. The output is always written to standard output in PAM format.

svgtopam is part of the Netpbm suite. The Netpbm project has evolved from the early 1980s, when Jef Poskanzer created the Portable Bitmap Toolkit and continued by others. The command's development is intertwined with the need to process various image formats. The svgtopam command addresses the conversion from SVG format, which became popular due to its scalability and vector-based nature, to PAM, an interchangeable format within the Netpbm suite. The command's release and usage grew along with the increased adoption of SVG in web graphics and other applications.

pnmtopng(1), pamtopnm(1), pngtopam(1), rsvg-convert(1)