EPS to SVG Conversion: Why It's Harder Than You'd Think

What EPS and SVG Are

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) is Adobe's vector graphics format from 1985. It's a subset of the PostScript page description language, designed for embedding in documents. EPS dominated print and design workflows for decades.

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is W3C's vector graphics format from 1999. XML-based, designed for the web, supported natively by browsers.

Both store vector graphics (paths, shapes, text). The conversion isn't trivial because:

• EPS is PostScript (a programming language)
• SVG is declarative XML
• EPS uses CMYK color; SVG uses RGB
• EPS has print-specific features SVG can't represent
• SVG has interactive features EPS doesn't have

This post covers the practical EPS to SVG conversion workflow. For broader vector context, see our image converter.

What Survives the Conversion

For most graphics: paths, shapes, text, and basic colors transfer cleanly. Print-specific features (CMYK, spot, separations) don't survive.

Conversion Tools

For most workflows: Inkscape or Illustrator. Both produce clean SVG from typical EPS source.

Inkscape Workflow

For free conversion:

1. Install Inkscape
2. File > Open > select EPS file
3. Inkscape converts via Ghostscript (must be installed)
4. File > Save As > SVG (Inkscape format) or Plain SVG
5. Inspect; clean up if needed

Inkscape format includes Inkscape-specific metadata. Plain SVG strips this for maximum compatibility.

For batch conversion:

for f in *.eps; do
  inkscape --export-type=svg --export-filename="${f%.eps}.svg" "$f"
done

For batch processing patterns, see Batch Processing Files Guide.

Adobe Illustrator Workflow

For Illustrator users:

1. File > Open > EPS file
2. Object > Document Color Mode > RGB Color (if EPS is CMYK)
3. File > Export > Export As > SVG
4. Choose SVG settings:
   • SVG Profile: SVG 1.1
   • Subsetting: All Glyphs (preserves text)
   • Image Location: Embed (or Link to keep file separate)
   • Decimal Places: 2 (small file size)
5. Click OK

Illustrator's SVG export is high-quality. Text remains as text (not converted to paths) which keeps file size down and allows search engines to index content.

Command-Line Conversion via Ghostscript

For automation:

# EPS → PDF first
gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -o intermediate.pdf -dEPSCrop input.eps

# PDF → SVG via pdf2svg
pdf2svg intermediate.pdf output.svg

# Or directly via Ghostscript
gs -sDEVICE=svg -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dQUIET -o output.svg input.eps

Quality varies by EPS complexity. Simple line art: excellent. Complex with patterns/gradients: may need cleanup.

CMYK to RGB Color Conversion

For EPS files in CMYK (most print-oriented EPS):

# Inkscape converts CMYK to RGB automatically
# Manual conversion in Illustrator: File > Document Color Mode > RGB
# Verify with View > Proof Setup

The conversion is approximate. Pure CMYK colors don't have exact RGB equivalents. Slight color shift is unavoidable.

For print-specific color, see CMYK vs RGB Printing.

Text Handling

EPS files may have:

• Text as text: best, converts cleanly
• Text as outlines: pre-rasterized, file size larger but font-independent

For SVG with searchable text: source must have text as text. If outlined: SVG output will have outlined paths instead of text elements.

In Illustrator: Type > Create Outlines (one-way). The "Convert Text to Outlines" option in Save dialog does this for SVG export, often unwanted.

File Size

For typical small graphic (logo or icon):

SVG is dramatically smaller than EPS for the same graphic. The XML format is text and compresses well.

For SVG optimization:

# Install svgo (npm)
npm install -g svgo

# Optimize an SVG
svgo input.svg -o output.svg

svgo removes unnecessary metadata, simplifies paths, and reduces decimal precision. Typically 30-50% size reduction.

Common Conversion Issues

Text appears as paths: source EPS had outlined text. Can't reverse this without OCR.

Color shift on conversion: CMYK → RGB approximation. For exact color: use ICC profile-aware conversion in Illustrator.

Missing fonts: text in EPS uses fonts not installed. Substitute fonts shift the layout. Embed fonts or convert to outlines before conversion.

Patterns simplified or lost: PostScript pattern not representable in SVG. Inkscape often produces simplified version.

Embedded raster huge: EPS contained raster (JPG/TIFF). SVG embeds as data URL. File size bloats. Extract raster separately if size matters.

For broader image format issues, see our image converter.

Browser Support

SVG support in 2026:

For web embed: SVG works in <img src="logo.svg"> or inline <svg>...</svg>. For email: use PNG fallback.

For browser-rendering context, see WebM vs MP4.

Animation in SVG

SVG supports animation:

<svg>
  <circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40">
    <animate attributeName="r" from="40" to="50" dur="1s" repeatCount="indefinite"/>
  </circle>
</svg>

EPS doesn't have animation. Conversion to animated SVG requires manual addition.

For Lottie-style animations: see Lottie JSON to MP4.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I convert EPS to SVG or keep EPS?

For web use: convert to SVG. For print: keep EPS (CMYK, spot colors). For both: maintain both versions.

Can I edit SVG in Illustrator after conversion?

Yes. Illustrator opens SVG natively. The conversion preserves editable paths and groups.

What about EPS to PDF then PDF to SVG?

This pipeline often produces cleaner SVG than direct EPS to SVG. PDF is a more constrained intermediate.

Does Inkscape handle Adobe Illustrator EPS?

Yes. Modern Inkscape versions read AI EPS reasonably. Some Illustrator-specific features (gradient meshes, certain effects) may not survive.

Can I batch-convert hundreds of EPS files?

Yes. Inkscape command-line, or shell script with Ghostscript. Plan for 1-5 seconds per file on modern hardware.

Should I optimize SVG output?

Yes for web. svgo (npm package) reduces file size 30-50%. Doesn't affect rendering.

Related Reading

• CMYK vs RGB Printing
• Best Image Format for Web SEO
• Lottie JSON to MP4 and GIF

Bottom Line

For EPS to SVG conversion: Inkscape for free, Illustrator for paid. Convert CMYK to RGB before save. Keep text as text (not outlined). Optimize with svgo for web. Print-specific features (CMYK, spot colors) don't survive; maintain EPS originals for print. Our image converter handles related vector format conversions.