How can I prepare a logo for BIMI/VMC without using Adobe Illustrator?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Digicert shares that Inkscape can be used as a free alternative to Adobe Illustrator for creating and editing SVG files for BIMI. This involves ensuring the logo meets the specific BIMI SVG requirements, such as being a vector graphic and having a square aspect ratio.
Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that using SVG optimization tools like SVGO can help clean up and reduce the file size of SVG logos, which can be beneficial for BIMI compliance by removing unnecessary elements and code.
Email marketer from alphr.com shares the steps for saving SVG files from GIMP. Explaining that you can export as SVG, advising it takes a few extra steps.
Email marketer from VMC Authority explains that Affinity Designer and Sketch are viable alternatives to Adobe Illustrator for creating BIMI-compliant SVG logos. These tools offer vector editing capabilities suitable for meeting the technical specifications required for BIMI logos.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that The BIMI Group offers a standalone conversion tool for SVG files.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that it’s essential to test the BIMI logo across various email clients to ensure it displays correctly. Different email clients may render SVGs differently, so testing helps identify and resolve any display issues.
Marketer from Email Geeks mentions that you can save files as SVG from GIMP, advising that it requires a few extra steps and provides a link to instructions.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that the difficulty of editing an SVG for VMC/BIMI depends on the logo's features, noting that gradients can make it more complex, and offers help if needed.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that online SVG editors like Vectr or Boxy SVG can be used to prepare logos for BIMI without needing Adobe Illustrator. These tools provide a user-friendly interface for creating and modifying SVG files.
Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that when preparing a logo for BIMI, it’s important to ensure brand consistency by using the official brand colors and maintaining the logo's aspect ratio. This helps reinforce brand recognition in email inboxes.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if the logo is already in SVG format, it can be opened in Notepad for edits, offering assistance if needed.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that it's possible to do most of the work with the SVG conversion tool and suggests opening the SVG file in a text editor to make edits, change colors, or clean up the graphic.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the BIMI logo needs to be a scalable vector graphic (SVG) and recommends using tools like Inkscape as a free alternative to Adobe Illustrator for creating and editing these files. Emphasis is placed on ensuring the SVG is properly formatted to meet BIMI specifications.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from Mozilla Developer Network explains that SVG files are XML-based, meaning they can be edited directly in a text editor. This allows for manual adjustments to the code to ensure the logo meets BIMI requirements, such as specific dimensions or the removal of unnecessary metadata.
Documentation from World Wide Web Consortium details SVG specifications that are critical to understanding how to properly format an SVG logo for BIMI, including the required elements and attributes for rendering the logo correctly.
Documentation from BIMI Group explains that to use a logo for BIMI, it needs to be a properly formatted SVG. It also recommends using their SVG conversion tools.