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PNG or SVG for HMI symbols — which should I export from the builder?

Symbol Builder @pauserranoAdvanced4636 viewsEnglish
The Symbol Builder lets me export either PNG or SVG (/catalogo/?builder=1). I always just grab PNGs out of habit, but a colleague on an Ignition project insists I should be using SVG. I don't fully understand the trade-off for HMI work.

When does each format actually make sense on a real panel?

1 answer

It comes down to whether your target platform renders vectors, and whether you need to rescale or recolor.

SVG is vector: it stays razor-sharp at any zoom, the file is tiny, and you can restyle colors by editing the markup or via the platform's binding. Use SVG when the platform supports it — Ignition (Perspective and Vision) handles SVG natively, and WinCC can consume vector graphics too. It's the better master format and the one to version-control.

PNG is raster: fixed pixels, so it looks crisp only at the size you exported. Use PNG when the platform's graphics engine only accepts bitmaps — the Weintek EasyBuilder picture library and multi-state lamps are raster, so there you export PNG. When you do, export at the native target size (256x128 or 512x256) with a transparent background and avoid letting the panel rescale it, which causes blurring.

Practical rule: keep the SVG as your source of truth, export PNG only for raster-only panels, and export at 2x if the display is high-DPI. You can generate both from the same symbol in /catalogo/?builder=1
@pauserranoAdvanced463 Accepted answer

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