---
id: napari-svg
version: "0.2.1"
license: BSD-3
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# napari-svg — A plugin for writing svg files with napari

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 190.5K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Napari-svg is a napari plugin that adds SVG export capability to the napari image viewer. It allows users to save their visualizations—including image data and annotations—as scalable vector graphics files, which is useful for publication-quality output, further editing in vector graphics software, or integration into documents.

The plugin depends on imageio, numpy, and vispy (napari's visualization backend) and is designed to integrate seamlessly into napari's file export workflow. It is actively maintained, supports Python 3.9 through 3.12, and carries no known security vulnerabilities.

Use it for:

- Export annotated microscopy images from napari as vector graphics for publication in scientific papers
- Save napari visualizations with overlaid shapes or points as SVG for further editing in design software
- Generate scalable diagrams from napari's layer-based visualizations without rasterization artifacts
- Preserve annotation data in a portable, editable format when sharing napari analysis results

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Napari-svg is a plugin that exports image data and annotations from napari visualizations as SVG files, enabling vector-based output from the napari image viewer.

Yes, if you use napari and need SVG export. The plugin has low install friction, is actively maintained, carries no security issues, and integrates directly into napari's export workflow. It is worth installing for any napari user who regularly needs vector output or publication-ready graphics from their visualizations.

## Install

pip install napari-svg
uv add napari-svg
poetry add napari-svg

## Installing napari-svg

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure Python wheel and only three runtime dependencies (imageio, numpy, vispy). The package is actively maintained with a recent commit on 2026-07-01 and receives regular updates.

License in practice: Distributed under the permissive BSD-3 license, allowing free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install napari-svg

import napari
from napari_svg import svg_writer

# napari-svg integrates as a plugin; use napari's File > Export as SVG menu or call the writer directly

Requires napari to be installed separately; napari-svg functions as a plugin within the napari ecosystem.

Verify before relying:

- What specific napari layer types (image, shapes, points, etc.) are supported for SVG export
- Whether the plugin preserves layer properties like opacity, blending modes, or color maps in the SVG output
- Performance characteristics when exporting large or complex multi-layer visualizations

## Package facts

- License: BSD-3 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 190.5K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

napari svg export, image to svg converter, napari plugin export, vector graphics from images, napari file format plugin, svg writer for napari, image annotation export, napari-plugin, svg-export, scientific-visualization

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/napari-svg) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/napari-svg/)