Styling SVGs with CSS

SVGs are a versatile and powerful format for creating high-quality graphics on the web. However, by default, SVGs can appear plain and unstyled, which can make them feel out of place in a modern web design.That's where CSS comes in. By using CSS to style SVGs, you can add color, gradients, shadows, animations, and other visual effects that make them more dynamic and engaging.

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Table of Contents

1. What is SVG?
2. Inline vs External SVGs
3. Basic Styling Techniques
4. Advanced Styling Techniques
5. Animation
6. Demo

•What is SVG?

SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. It is a vector graphics format that uses XML to define two-dimensional graphics. Unlike raster graphics, such as JPEGs or PNGs, SVGs can be scaled without losing quality, making them ideal for use on websites and other digital media.

•Inline vs External SVGs

SVGs can be included in an HTML document in two ways: as an inline SVG or as an external SVG file. Inline SVGs are defined directly in the HTML document using the <code><svg></code> element. External SVGs are stored in a separate file and included in the HTML document using the <code><object></code> or <code><img></code> element.

•Basic Styling Techniques

SVGs can be styled using CSS, just like any other HTML element. Basic styling techniques include changing the color, stroke, and fill of SVG shapes using CSS properties like <code>fill</code>, <code>stroke</code>, and <code>stroke-width</code>.

•Advanced Styling Techniques

Advanced styling techniques for SVGs include using CSS filters to apply effects like blur and drop shadow, and using CSS gradients to create complex fills. Another advanced technique is using CSS masking to selectively hide parts of an SVG.

•Animation

SVGs can be animated using CSS animations and transitions, just like any other HTML element. Common animation techniques for SVGs include animating the path of a shape, animating the fill or stroke color, and creating complex animations using keyframes.

•Demo

Here's an example of a code snippet that demonstrates how to style an SVG graphic using CSS:

This code includes an SVG graphic consisting of a single circle element, and a <style> block that defines some CSS rules to style the circle. The CSS rules use the fill property to set the fill color of the circle to hot pink (#ff69b4), the stroke property to set the outline color to indigo (#4b0082), and the stroke-width property to set the thickness of the outline to 5 pixels.