svg-to-raster

SVG to Raster

Rasterize SVG files to PNG / PDF / PS via CairoSVG. Runs from the plugin's uv venv — no system Python pollution.

When to use

• Convert logo / icon / diagram SVGs to PNG for use in slides, social, or pipelines that don't accept SVG.
• Render an SVG at multiple resolutions (e.g. 1×, 2×, 3× for app assets).
• Bake an SVG into a PDF for print or archival.

Do not use this skill when:

• Source is already raster — wrong direction; use vectorize instead.
• You need to edit the SVG — CairoSVG is render-only.
• The SVG uses advanced filters / unsupported CSS — CairoSVG covers SVG 1.1 well but newer features may not render. Inspect output and warn the user.

Inputs

1. Input — SVG file or directory. Required.
2. Format — png (default), pdf, ps.
3. Output dir — default: <input-dir>/<format>/. Never overwrites originals.
4. Scale — multiplier on the SVG's intrinsic size. Default 1.0. Use 2.0, 3.0 for hi-DPI.
5. Width / Height — explicit pixel dimensions (overrides scale). Pass one to preserve aspect; both to force.
6. DPI — for PDF/PS output. Default 96.
7. Background — default transparent. Pass a CSS colour (#ffffff, white) for solid fill.
8. Recursive — --recursive for directory descent.

Procedure

1. Resolve venv: VENV_DIR="${CLAUDE_USER_DATA:-${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/claude-plugins}/image-production/venv".

2. Verify cairosvg is importable in the venv:

   "$VENV_DIR/bin/python" -c "import cairosvg" 2>&1
   

   If missing → point at install-deps. If it imports but raises a libcairo error, surface the system-lib install command (sudo apt install libcairo2 / brew install cairo).

3. Enumerate *.svg inputs (case-insensitive). Skip non-SVG with note.

4. For each file, call CairoSVG via Python one-liner (keeps the skill self-contained — no helper script needed):

   "$VENV_DIR/bin/python" -c "
   import cairosvg, sys
   kwargs = {'url': sys.argv[1], 'write_to': sys.argv[2]}
   # Inject scale / dimensions / dpi / background as appropriate
   cairosvg.svg2png(**kwargs)  # or svg2pdf / svg2ps
   " "<input.svg>" "<output.png>"