What are the best SVG conversion tools and guides for BIMI logo creation?

Summary

Creating a BIMI-compliant SVG logo involves adhering to the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile, ensuring it's a vector graphic, publicly accessible via HTTPS, and devoid of animation/interactivity. While existing BIMI SVG conversion tools remain unchanged and aim to fix the SVG format, the starting SVG must be mostly correct. Common validation failures include incorrect profiles, unsupported features, and improper XML structure. Guidance suggests using simple vector shapes, avoiding gradients, and validating/cleaning the code with tools and text editors. Software like Inkscape and Illustrator are recommended, but profile understanding and clean code generation are crucial. There are guides/videos that provide walkthroughs as well.

Key findings

  • SVG Tiny Profile: BIMI logos must adhere to the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile.
  • HTTPS Accessibility: SVG logo must be publicly accessible via HTTPS.
  • Vector Graphic Requirement: BIMI logos need to be vector graphic files.
  • No Animation: SVG logo must not contain any animation or interactivity.
  • Tools Not Updated: BIMI SVG conversion tools have not been recently updated.
  • Validation Crucial: SVG validation is critical due to discrepancies with standard tools.
  • Clean Code: Clean SVG code with vector graphics software. Simple and valid.
  • Guides Available: There are guides and videos available on how to create SVG Tiny logo files.

Key considerations

  • Initial SVG Quality: Start with a relatively correct SVG file before conversion.
  • Profile Compatibility: Verify compatibility with the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile.
  • XML Structure: Check and correct XML structure for accurate presentation.
  • Software Selection: Select software that allows to generate compliant, clean-coded SVG.
  • Simplify the graphic: When generating a BIMI-compliant graphic, the simpler, the better.
  • Validate your work: Validate your graphic using SVG validation tools before deployment.
  • Validation tools: Validation tools are available that make it easier to identify issues.

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

Creating a BIMI-compliant SVG logo involves several key steps and considerations. It's essential to use vector graphics software (like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape) and ensure the SVG adheres to the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile. Optimization is crucial, involving simplifying shapes, avoiding gradients and complex effects, and removing unnecessary markup that can cause validation issues. Multiple sources stress the importance of thorough validation using online tools and manual code cleanup. Making the SVG accessible via HTTPS is another critical requirement. Furthermore, understanding and addressing common validation failures related to incorrect profiles, unsupported features, and structural errors is vital for successful BIMI implementation.

Key opinions

  • SVG Profile: The SVG must conform to the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile.
  • Vector Graphics: Use vector graphics software like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape.
  • Validation: Thoroughly validate the SVG file using online tools and manual code review.
  • HTTPS Accessibility: The SVG logo must be accessible via HTTPS.
  • Common Issues: Be aware of common validation failures: incorrect SVG profile, unsupported features, and structural errors.
  • Optimization: Optimize by simplifying shapes, avoiding gradients, and removing unnecessary markup.
  • Implementation Guides: Step by step process for BIMI implementation including SVG logo preparation.

Key considerations

  • Software Choice: Choose vector software that handles SVG profiles and clean code generation effectively.
  • Validation Tools: Use online validators to identify and fix SVG errors.
  • Manual Cleanup: Manually clean up the SVG code using a text editor to remove unnecessary markup.
  • HTTPS Setup: Ensure the webserver is properly configured to serve the SVG file over HTTPS.
  • BIMI Benefits: Understanding the benefits of BIMI for brand visibility and email security.
  • Complexity: SVG Complexity can lead to validation problems. Simpler is better.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares another video his company put out about creating a BIMI-supported SVG logo file: <https://blog.redsift.com/bimi/how-to-create-a-bimi-supported-svg-logo-file/>

August 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow explains the common issues that cause BIMI SVG validation failures, such as incorrect SVG profile, presence of unsupported features (like filters or scripts), or incorrect XML structure. It also suggests using online validators to identify specific errors.

September 2022 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains there is likely a discrepancy between the SVG rendered and the exact standard, especially as tools like Illustrator love putting supplemental markup that causes validation issues. He provides an example SVG structure.

November 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Sender details the step-by-step process for BIMI implementation, including SVG logo preparation and provides best practices to ensure that email senders meet the requirements for a successful BIMI setup.

February 2025 - Email Sender
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit suggests using simple vector shapes, avoiding gradients and complex effects, and thoroughly validating the SVG file before deploying it for BIMI. They also recommend using a text editor to manually clean up the SVG code.

June 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Red Sift provides a detailed walkthrough on creating a BIMI-supported SVG logo file, covering aspects such as using vector graphics software, ensuring the file uses the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile, optimizing the file size, and making it accessible via HTTPS.

February 2024 - Red Sift Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from OnlyMyEmail provides an overview of BIMI, including its benefits for brand visibility and email security. It advises users to utilize tools that convert images, with the tool creating a correct vector format.

August 2022 - OnlyMyEmail
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailGeeks forums recommends using vector graphics software like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape to create BIMI-compliant SVGs. They stress the importance of understanding how the software handles SVG profiles and clean code generation.

June 2023 - EmailGeeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from BIMI Group provides a list of SVG conversion tools, and provides details on how to use these tools to generate the correct vector format.

May 2021 - BIMI Group

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

BIMI logo SVG conversion tools, while not recently updated, primarily aim to convert SVGs to the Tiny Portable/Secure profile required for BIMI, a process often necessary as standard SVG tools don't natively export in this format. These tools perform basic corrections, but the SVG must be mostly correct initially. Validation is crucial, checking for compliance with the Tiny Portable/Secure profile and addressing issues like unsupported features or incorrect XML structure. A video resource exists demonstrating how to use these conversion tools.

Key opinions

  • Tool Purpose: BIMI conversion tools fix SVG format to Tiny Portable/Secure profile.
  • Tool Limitations: Tools perform basic fixes; SVG must be mostly correct to start.
  • Validation Importance: Check for compliance with Tiny Portable/Secure profile and address XML structure issues.
  • No recent changes: The tools provided by BIMI group have not changed since being published

Key considerations

  • Initial SVG Quality: Ensure the starting SVG is mostly correct before using conversion tools.
  • Profile Compliance: Verify compliance with the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile.
  • Validation Steps: Use validators to identify and correct unsupported features or XML structure issues.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise discusses BIMI SVG validation issues, recommending checking for compliance with the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile and using validators to identify problems like unsupported features or incorrect XML structure.

November 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that nothing has changed with the BIMI logo SVG conversion tools or required software since they (the BIMI group) published them.

April 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that the BIMI logo SVG conversion tools are designed to fix the format to tiny-ps as no SVG tool exports in the proper format. The conversion tools perform the basic work but the SVG has to be mostly correct to start.

December 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares a video he made using the BIMI SVG conversion tools to demonstrate how they should work: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mANDP_lSaK8>

September 2024 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Creating a BIMI logo requires adherence to the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile, necessitating vector graphics, HTTPS accessibility, and the removal of animation/interactivity. The SVG Tiny profile is designed for resource-constrained devices, omitting features like filters to reduce file size and processing overhead. Specifications for SVG Tiny 1.2 detail supported features and syntax, ensuring consistent rendering. Inkscape offers a direct save-as option to generate SVG Tiny compliant files.

Key findings

  • SVG Tiny Requirement: BIMI logos must conform to the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile.
  • Resource Efficiency: SVG Tiny is designed for devices with limited resources, omitting complex features.
  • Specification Adherence: Following SVG Tiny 1.2 specifications ensures interoperability and consistent rendering.
  • Inkscape Support: Inkscape allows direct saving to SVG Tiny format.

Key considerations

  • Profile Awareness: Be aware of the specific features and limitations of the SVG Tiny profile.
  • Accessibility: Ensure the logo is accessible via HTTPS.
  • Animation Removal: Remove any animation or interactivity from the SVG.
  • Software Configuration: Configure software like Inkscape to correctly output SVG Tiny files.
Technical article

Documentation from W3C outlines the SVG Tiny 1.2 profile specifications, detailing the supported features, syntax, and rendering requirements. It emphasizes adherence to these specifications for interoperability and consistent display across different platforms and devices, crucial for BIMI compliance.

June 2024 - W3C
Technical article

Documentation from Inkscape shows how to save as SVG Tiny. When saving your work, select `Optimized SVG` as the output format in the save dialog. In the dialog window that pops up, on the `Options` tab, there is an `SVG version` option. Select `SVG 1.1` in the dropdown.

January 2022 - Inkscape
Technical article

Documentation from MDN Web Docs explains that SVG Tiny is a profile of SVG intended for devices with limited resources. It omits features like filters and some animation capabilities to reduce processing and file size, making it suitable for BIMI logos.

August 2022 - MDN Web Docs
Technical article

Documentation from BIMI Group details the specific SVG requirements for BIMI logos, emphasizing that the SVG must be a vector graphic, be publicly accessible via HTTPS, and conform to the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile. It also notes the necessity of removing any animation or interactivity.

May 2021 - BIMI Group