Choose Lossless when your first priority is preserving the PNG’s exact appearance inside an SVG file. Choose True vector when you need artwork rebuilt from scalable paths that can be edited as shapes. The two modes create valid SVG files, but they solve different problems and should not be treated as interchangeable.
PNG2SVG opens in Lossless mode by default. You can switch to True vector before converting. If you change modes after completing files, the page returns those items to a pending state because it must create a different kind of output.
What Lossless mode creates
Lossless mode places the original PNG image data inside an SVG wrapper. The SVG supplies a responsive coordinate system and display dimensions, while the visible picture remains the original raster image.
This approach has a clear benefit: the result retains the PNG’s colors, transparency, texture, gradients, shadows, and photographic detail. It does not need to estimate where one shape ends and another begins. If the PNG looks correct before conversion, the lossless result should look effectively the same.
The tradeoff is that the picture is still made from a fixed grid of pixels. An application can display the SVG at a larger size, but enlarging it does not invent new detail. At extreme zoom, the embedded raster can still look soft or pixelated.
Lossless mode is useful when:
- exact visual fidelity matters more than shape editing;
- the source contains a photograph, texture, gradient, or soft shadow;
- a system requires an
.svgfile but accepts embedded raster content; - you want the original transparent edges preserved; or
- a traced version changes too many important details.
Before relying on this mode, confirm that the destination accepts SVG files containing embedded images. Some print, cutting, manufacturing, and upload workflows require paths rather than a raster placed inside an SVG container.
What True vector mode creates
True vector mode analyzes the PNG and traces visible color regions into SVG paths. Curves, corners, fills, and transparent areas are reconstructed from the final pixels. The result is made from geometry rather than from the original pixel grid.
Those paths can remain sharp across a wide range of display sizes. A compatible vector editor can also select and modify their nodes and fills. This makes True vector mode the stronger choice for simple logos, icons, signatures, flat illustrations, and line art.
Tracing is an interpretation, not a recovery of the original design file. The converter cannot know which font, layers, masks, or exact curves created the PNG. Small letters, soft effects, noisy edges, and subtle color changes may be simplified or divided into many shapes.
True vector mode is useful when:
- the artwork is built from clear shapes and a manageable palette;
- it must stay crisp at very different sizes;
- paths or flat colors need to be edited later;
- a production provider explicitly asks for vector outlines; or
- avoiding an embedded bitmap is a requirement.
Quality, scaling, editing, and size
| Question | Lossless | True vector |
|---|---|---|
| Does it match the PNG closely? | Yes, because it keeps the original image data | Usually for simple artwork, but tracing may change details |
| Does it become resolution-independent? | The SVG canvas scales, but the embedded picture still has fixed pixels | The traced paths are resolution-independent |
| Can shapes be edited individually? | No; the picture is one embedded raster image | Usually yes in a compatible vector editor |
| Is it suitable for photographs? | Yes, when an SVG container is genuinely needed | Usually not; photographs can create excessive paths |
| Is it always smaller? | No | No; complex traces can be very large |
File size depends on the source. A lossless SVG must encode the PNG data inside text-based markup, so it can be larger than the original PNG. A simple true-vector icon may be compact, while a detailed trace containing thousands of paths can be much larger than either version. Compare the actual files instead of assuming that the .svg extension guarantees a smaller result.
A practical decision process
First ask what the receiving software actually needs. If an upload form merely lists SVG as an accepted format, test a lossless file. If a printer, cutter, or designer asks for editable paths, choose True vector and inspect the geometry.
Next consider the artwork. Flat graphics with strong boundaries are good tracing candidates. Photographs, paintings, screenshots, glows, and detailed textures generally favor Lossless mode or an ordinary raster format.
Finally, compare both results at the real destination size. Check appearance, file size, loading behavior, transparency, and editability. A file that looks impressive at high zoom may still fail as a tiny icon, while a technically scalable trace may be unnecessarily complicated for a website.
Does Lossless mode convert the PNG into vector paths?
No. It creates an SVG that contains the original PNG. The outer file is SVG, but its picture remains raster. Use True vector mode when paths are required.
Is True vector automatically better?
No. It is better for shape-based artwork that benefits from scaling or editing. Lossless mode is more faithful for images whose appearance depends on pixels, texture, or smooth tonal detail.
Can you keep both versions?
Yes. Convert the PNG in one mode, download the result, switch modes, and convert it again. Give the files clear names so collaborators understand which one contains the raster and which one contains paths.
For a broader explanation of the two image types, read PNG vs SVG. If True vector is your goal, prepare the PNG carefully before tracing it. When you are ready, open PNG2SVG and compare both modes with the same source.