Introduction to CairoSVG

CairoSVG is a powerful library in Python that allows you to convert SVG files into PNG, PDF, PS, and even other SVG files.
It’s an invaluable tool for web developers and graphic designers who need to work with SVG files programmatically.
This article will introduce you to the library, walk you through dozens of useful API methods, and provide practical examples.

Installing CairoSVG

To get started with CairoSVG, you first need to install the library. You can do this using pip:

  pip install cairosvg

Convert SVG to PNG

CairoSVG makes it easy to convert SVG files to PNG. Here’s a basic example:

  import cairosvg

  cairosvg.svg2png(url='image.svg', write_to='image.png')

Convert SVG to PDF

Converting an SVG file to a PDF is just as straightforward:

  import cairosvg

  cairosvg.svg2pdf(url='image.svg', write_to='image.pdf')

Convert SVG to PS

Similarly, you can convert SVG files to PostScript (PS) format:

  import cairosvg

  cairosvg.svg2ps(url='image.svg', write_to='image.ps')

Convert and Resize an SVG

You can also resize an SVG while converting it:

  import cairosvg

  cairosvg.svg2png(url='image.svg', write_to='resized_image.png', output_width=500, output_height=500)

App Example Using CairoSVG

Let’s create a simple web application that converts SVG files to PNG using Flask.

  from flask import Flask, request, send_file, render_template_string
  import cairosvg

  app = Flask(__name__)

  @app.route('/')
  def upload_file():
      return '''
      <form method="post" action="/" enctype="multipart/form-data">
          <input type="file" name="file">
          <input type="submit">
      </form>
      '''

  @app.route('/', methods=['POST'])
  def convert_file():
      file = request.files['file']
      cairosvg.svg2png(file_obj=file, write_to='output.png')
      return send_file('output.png', mimetype='image/png')

  if __name__ == '__main__':
      app.run(debug=True)

This Flask application provides a simple form for uploading SVG files and converts them to PNG files using the CairoSVG library. The `svg2png` API is utilized to handle the conversion, making it a straightforward yet powerful tool for your web projects.

Conclusion

CairoSVG is a versatile library that allows for easy conversion between SVG and various formats.
Its seamless integration with Python makes it an excellent tool for web developers and designers alike.
By following this guide and utilizing the provided code snippets, you can efficiently work with SVG files in your Python projects.

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