SVG - How to avoid large file sizes using gradients/shadows

[andersius]

Hi

Using Gradients, or shadow effects dramatically increases the exported SVG file size. Do anyone have any tips/tricks for how to use gradients in a way that does not affect the file size? This is important for use on webdesign etc.

By example, a file was 4kb, without gradient. Introducing 1 gradient and 1 shadow effect resulted in a 60kb SVG file.

Anders

[stokerg]

Hi andersius,

Could you post the afdesign file?  I suspect some elements are being rasterised, like a layer Fx, which would explain for the increase in size

[andersius]

Here is an example. By exporting this as SVG (Digital small size), without any effects gives a 9kb file.

By adding some "Outer shadow" to some of the elements, the SVG = 102kb.

I am not sure how I can control how whether or not these effects are being rasterized.

AD Test.afdesign

[David in Яuislip]

Yes, the shadows are being rasterised. I had the same issue in Photo and the only way I could produce a vector blurred shadow (feGaussianBlur) was to replicate the shape, colour it black, offset a few pixels and apply a Gaussian blur from Fx.

Then export to svg with Rasterise set to Nothing. If it's left on Unsupported Properties then the svg has an embedded png. The rasterised blur is slightly larger but the unrasterised version is acceptable

Gradient_Shadow.afphoto

[andersius]

OK. Thanks. That worked. Will do it that way.

[Palatino]

No changes. No problems. 10 KB.

AD Test.svg

[Mint]

I have a kind of similar problem with an inner shadow. When I don't do an inner shadow within the curve, the curve look sharp when I export the document to PDF. When I do an inner shadow, I guess the curve is being rasterized and the final PDF will have a curve with very unsharp edges. I cannot save the PDF with nothing rasterized, because then a lot of other things go wrong. Any solution to this?