How to Convert PDF to SVG in C#

Minimal Workflow (3 Steps)

1. Install IronPDF via NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
2. Open a PDF with PdfDocument.Open() from the PdfToSvg namespace
3. Call SaveAsSvg() on any page to write the SVG file

How to Convert a Single PDF Page to SVG?

The PdfPage class provides four conversion methods:

• SaveAsSvg(): writes the page to a file path or Stream.
• SaveAsSvgAsync(): the non-blocking variant of SaveAsSvg().
• ToSvgString(): returns the SVG markup as a string, useful when the output feeds a template engine, an HTTP response, or a downstream pipeline.
• ToSvgStringAsync(): the non-blocking variant of ToSvgString().

All four accept an optional SvgConversionOptions argument and a CancellationToken.

The example below saves the first page to a file, gets the same page back as a string, and writes it to a stream. It shows all three output targets.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-svg-single-page.cs

using PdfToSvg;

using var pdf = PdfDocument.Open("invoice.pdf");

// Save to a file
pdf.Pages[0].SaveAsSvg("invoice-page1.svg");

// Get SVG as a string
string svgMarkup = pdf.Pages[0].ToSvgString();
Console.WriteLine($"SVG length: {svgMarkup.Length} characters");

// Save to a stream
using var stream = new FileStream("invoice-page1-stream.svg", FileMode.Create);
pdf.Pages[0].SaveAsSvg(stream);

Imports PdfToSvg
Imports System.IO

Using pdf = PdfDocument.Open("invoice.pdf")
    ' Save to a file
    pdf.Pages(0).SaveAsSvg("invoice-page1.svg")

    ' Get SVG as a string
    Dim svgMarkup As String = pdf.Pages(0).ToSvgString()
    Console.WriteLine($"SVG length: {svgMarkup.Length} characters")

    ' Save to a stream
    Using stream As New FileStream("invoice-page1-stream.svg", FileMode.Create)
        pdf.Pages(0).SaveAsSvg(stream)
    End Using
End Using

PdfDocument implements IDisposable, so wrapping it in a using statement releases native resources when the conversion is finished. The Pages collection is zero-indexed, so Pages[0] is the first page.

How to Convert All Pages in a PDF to SVG?

Iterating the Pages collection converts every page. The PageNumber property (which is not the same as the collection index) provides a human-readable label for naming output files.

The code snippet loops over every page in the PDF and writes a separate SVG file for each one.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-svg-all-pages.cs

using PdfToSvg;

using var pdf = PdfDocument.Open("multi-page-report.pdf");

Console.WriteLine($"Total pages: {pdf.Pages.Count}");

foreach (var page in pdf.Pages)
{
    string outputPath = $"page_{page.PageNumber}.svg";
    page.SaveAsSvg(outputPath);
    Console.WriteLine($"Saved: {outputPath}");
}

Imports PdfToSvg

Using pdf = PdfDocument.Open("multi-page-report.pdf")
    Console.WriteLine($"Total pages: {pdf.Pages.Count}")

    For Each page In pdf.Pages
        Dim outputPath As String = $"page_{page.PageNumber}.svg"
        page.SaveAsSvg(outputPath)
        Console.WriteLine($"Saved: {outputPath}")
    Next
End Using

For large documents, the async approach described in the next section avoids blocking the application thread during conversion.

이 종류의 라이브러리 중 가장 좋아하는 것은 IronPDF입니다. PDF 파일을 빠르고 효율적으로 조작할 수 있습니다. 또한 PDF/A 형식으로 내보내기 및 PDF 문서의 디지털 서명과 같은 많은 유용한 기능을 가지고 있습니다.

Milan Jovanovic

마이크로소프트 MVP

사례 연구 보기

IronOCR 덕분에 연간 $40,000를 수동 프로세싱에서 절약하고 생산성을 높이며 고부가가치 작업에 자원을 활용할 수 있습니다. 강력히 추천합니다.

브렌트 마첼

최고 기술 책임자, OPYN

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IronSuite는 우리의 운영에서 중요한 역할을 합니다. 이것들은 사업 전반에 걸쳐 효율성을 높이는 도구로, 평면도 생성 및 재고 관리 개선을 포함합니다.

데이비드 존스

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How to Use Async Methods for PDF-to-SVG Conversion?

The async variants, SaveAsSvgAsync() and ToSvgStringAsync(), keep I/O off the main thread. PdfDocument.OpenAsync() loads the PDF asynchronously as well. These methods are the right choice in ASP.NET Core handlers, background services, or any application with a responsive UI.

The example below opens the PDF and converts every page asynchronously, so the calling thread stays free while the work runs.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-svg-async.cs

using PdfToSvg;

await using var pdf = await PdfDocument.OpenAsync("dashboard.pdf");

foreach (var page in pdf.Pages)
{
    await page.SaveAsSvgAsync($"dashboard_page_{page.PageNumber}.svg");
}

// Or get the SVG markup as a string
string firstPageSvg = await pdf.Pages[0].ToSvgStringAsync();

Imports PdfToSvg

Await Using pdf = Await PdfDocument.OpenAsync("dashboard.pdf")

    For Each page In pdf.Pages
        Await page.SaveAsSvgAsync($"dashboard_page_{page.PageNumber}.svg")
    Next

End Using

' Or get the SVG markup as a string
Dim firstPageSvg As String = Await pdf.Pages(0).ToSvgStringAsync()

How to Configure SVG Conversion Options?

SvgConversionOptions controls how the SVG output is generated. The most commonly used properties are:

• IncludeAnnotations: set to true to render PDF annotation layers in the SVG output
• IncludeLinks: set to true to carry PDF hyperlinks through as <a> elements in the SVG, keeping the output navigable in a browser
• IncludeHiddenText: surfaces text that exists in the PDF content stream but is not visible, useful for accessibility or text-extraction pipelines
• MinStrokeWidth: sets a floor (in SVG user units) for rendered strokes, preventing hairline paths from disappearing at normal viewing scales

The code below switches on annotations and links, sets a minimum stroke width, then exports every page using those options.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-svg-options.cs

using PdfToSvg;

var options = new SvgConversionOptions
{
    IncludeAnnotations = true,
    IncludeLinks = true,
    IncludeHiddenText = false,
    MinStrokeWidth = 0.5
};

using var pdf = PdfDocument.Open("annotated-report.pdf");

foreach (var page in pdf.Pages)
{
    page.SaveAsSvg($"page_{page.PageNumber}.svg", options);
}

Imports PdfToSvg

Dim options As New SvgConversionOptions With {
    .IncludeAnnotations = True,
    .IncludeLinks = True,
    .IncludeHiddenText = False,
    .MinStrokeWidth = 0.5
}

Using pdf = PdfDocument.Open("annotated-report.pdf")
    For Each page In pdf.Pages
        page.SaveAsSvg($"page_{page.PageNumber}.svg", options)
    Next
End Using

Two additional properties control how text spacing is handled. CollapseSpaceEmbeddedFont and CollapseSpaceLocalFont set thresholds (as fractions of the font size) below which gaps between adjacent characters are collapsed into a single text run. Tighter values preserve more spacing fidelity; looser values produce smaller SVG files.

For advanced use cases, the FontResolver property accepts a custom resolver that maps PDF font references to local font resources, essential when the source document references fonts that are not embedded. The ImageResolver property controls how raster images within the PDF are handled in the SVG output: inline encoding produces a self-contained SVG file, while external path resolution keeps the SVG compact. The SvgConversionOptions API reference documents every configurable property.

How to Control PDF Layer Visibility in SVG Output?

A layered PDF exposes its layers through the OptionalContentGroups collection on PdfDocument. Each entry is an OptionalContentGroup that pairs a read-only Name (the layer label from the source document) with a get/set Visible flag. Setting Visible controls whether that layer is rendered during the SVG conversion, so a single PDF can produce different SVG variants without editing the file.

You do not need to know the layer names in advance. The collection reflects the layers actually present in the document, so you can enumerate it, read each Name, and switch off the ones you want to hide. ToString() returns the same value as Name, which is convenient for logging.

The example below lists every layer in the PDF, hides the one named Watermark, and exports the first page with that layer suppressed.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-svg-layers.cs

using PdfToSvg;

using var pdf = PdfDocument.Open("technical-drawing.pdf");

// List the layers that actually exist in this PDF
foreach (var layer in pdf.OptionalContentGroups)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{layer.Name} visible: {layer.Visible}");
}

// Hide the watermark layer; every other layer stays visible
foreach (var layer in pdf.OptionalContentGroups)
{
    if (layer.Name == "Watermark")
    {
        layer.Visible = false;
    }
}

// Visibility set on OptionalContentGroups is applied during conversion
pdf.Pages[0].SaveAsSvg("drawing-no-watermark.svg");

Imports PdfToSvg

Using pdf = PdfDocument.Open("technical-drawing.pdf")

    ' List the layers that actually exist in this PDF
    For Each layer In pdf.OptionalContentGroups
        Console.WriteLine($"{layer.Name} visible: {layer.Visible}")
    Next

    ' Hide the watermark layer; every other layer stays visible
    For Each layer In pdf.OptionalContentGroups
        If layer.Name = "Watermark" Then
            layer.Visible = False
        End If
    Next

    ' Visibility set on OptionalContentGroups is applied during conversion
    pdf.Pages(0).SaveAsSvg("drawing-no-watermark.svg")

End Using

A typical use case is a technical drawing, where annotation, dimension, or watermark layers need to be toggled independently. Because visibility is set per conversion, the same source PDF can produce several SVG variants with no changes to the file.

How to Open PDFs from Streams and with Passwords?

PdfDocument.Open() accepts a Stream in addition to a file path. The leaveOpen parameter (default false) controls whether the stream is closed when the document is disposed. Both path and stream overloads accept an OpenOptions object for configuration such as providing a password for encrypted documents, and a CancellationToken for cooperative cancellation in long-running workflows.

The snippet opens a PDF from a stream, saves its first page as SVG, then prints whether the file is encrypted, its title, and its page count.

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-svg-stream-and-password.cs

using PdfToSvg;

// Open from a stream (e.g., downloaded from a web API)
using var fileStream = File.OpenRead("document.pdf");
using var pdf = PdfDocument.Open(fileStream, leaveOpen: false);
pdf.Pages[0].SaveAsSvg("from-stream.svg");

// Check if a PDF is encrypted
Console.WriteLine($"Encrypted: {pdf.IsEncrypted}");

// Access document metadata
Console.WriteLine($"Title: {pdf.Info.Title}");
Console.WriteLine($"Pages: {pdf.Pages.Count}");

Imports PdfToSvg

' Open from a stream (e.g., downloaded from a web API)
Using fileStream = File.OpenRead("document.pdf")
    Using pdf = PdfDocument.Open(fileStream, leaveOpen:=False)
        pdf.Pages(0).SaveAsSvg("from-stream.svg")

        ' Check if a PDF is encrypted
        Console.WriteLine($"Encrypted: {pdf.IsEncrypted}")

        ' Access document metadata
        Console.WriteLine($"Title: {pdf.Info.Title}")
        Console.WriteLine($"Pages: {pdf.Pages.Count}")
    End Using
End Using

The Info property exposes document metadata including title, author, and creation date. The Permissions property reports what operations the PDF allows (printing, copying), and IsEncrypted indicates whether the file requires a password to open.

Next Steps

The PdfToSvg namespace converts PDF pages to SVG files, streams, or strings. It works per-page, with full control over annotations, links, text visibility, stroke width, and layer toggling. All methods have async variants for non-blocking workflows.

Explore the PdfPage API reference for the complete conversion method surface, the SvgConversionOptions reference for every configurable property, and the PdfDocument reference for open and load options. For the reverse direction (embedding SVG into a PDF), see the SVG to PDF how-to.

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