An SVG that looks flattened is not necessarily a bitmap. A design app may merge separate layers into one vector object, convert text into vector paths, or rasterize particular artwork or effects. Those changes have different consequences: merged vectors still scale cleanly, outlined text keeps its shape but stops behaving like text, and rasterized content can lose vector sharpness when enlarged.
To find out what happened, check whether objects remain separately selectable, whether text is still text, and whether the artwork stays sharp at high zoom. Then inspect the export settings and open the file in the browser or application where it will actually be used.
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What “flattened” means in an SVG
The word “flattening” describes more than one change. It may refer to a document’s layer structure, text editability, or the conversion of artwork to pixels. Only the last of these is rasterization.
| What changed | What you may notice | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Layers merged | Several objects are no longer separately selectable. | The artwork can still be vector-based and scale cleanly. Figma describes its Flatten command as merging selected layers into a single vector layer. |
| Text outlined | Letters look the same, but you cannot edit their wording or typography as text. | The text has become vector paths. Its visual shape can remain sharp at different sizes, but text editing is gone. |
| Artwork rasterized | Some content behaves like an image and may become visibly pixelated when enlarged. | That content is pixel-based rather than vector geometry. Rasterization can affect specific objects or effects, not necessarily the entire SVG. |
Figma’s Flatten layers guidance says flattening an object merges its layers into a single vector layer. Its text-to-vector-paths guidance explains that converting text to paths is destructive to text content and typography editing. Neither operation, by itself, means the result is a bitmap.
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How to check what changed in your exported file
Use these checks to distinguish loss of editability from loss of vector content. They are diagnostic steps, not a claim that a particular file has been tested.
- Try selecting separate objects. If the export opens in an editor, click individual shapes or components. If they select as one object, layers may have been merged; that alone does not show rasterization.
- Try selecting text as text. If you can place a text cursor and edit the wording, the file retains text. If you can select only letter-shaped paths, the text was outlined or converted to paths.
- Zoom in substantially. Vector paths should remain clean at high zoom. Pixelation is a sign that the affected content may be rasterized, though inspecting the file in a second viewer can help rule out a display or rendering issue.
- Check the export controls in the source app. For Figma, inspect the SVG export option called Outline text. For Illustrator, check whether mesh objects or particular SVG-effect arrangements are involved.
- Open the SVG in its destination. Compare it with the source design in the browser or application where it will be used. A preview in the source app does not guarantee identical rendering elsewhere.
Figma: distinguish flattening from SVG export settings
Flattening layers on the canvas
Figma’s Flatten command merges a selection into one vector layer. That can reduce the number of independently editable layers, but a merged vector can still scale without pixelation. Figma describes flattening as destructive and points to undo or version history as recovery options; keep an editable source before flattening a design you may need to change.
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Choosing whether to outline text on export
Figma enables Outline text by default when text is selected for SVG export. With this option enabled, the letters are exported as vector shapes: their appearance is less dependent on the recipient having the same font, but the words and typography are no longer editable as text. To preserve text elements, disable Outline text in the SVG export settings. Figma notes that SVG <text> rendering depends on browser and operating-system engines, so the text may appear differently across environments. See Figma’s export guidance and text-to-path guidance.
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Check stroke behavior
Figma says strokes export as fills and provides a Simplify stroke option for inside and outside strokes. If a stroke looks different in the SVG, inspect this setting alongside the text option rather than assuming the whole design was rasterized. The available export behavior may change, so check the current controls in your Figma interface.
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Illustrator: look for objects and effects that rasterize
Adobe documents specific cases in which Illustrator’s SVG output includes rasterized content. Mesh objects rasterize when saved as SVG. Adobe also warns that if other effects follow an SVG effect, the SVG output consists of a raster object. These cases can affect parts of a design rather than turn every element in the document into pixels. Check Adobe’s SVG options and export guidance for the relevant behavior.
If a design includes a mesh or a chain of effects, inspect that artwork in the exported file at high zoom and in its intended viewer. Do not infer that all Illustrator SVG exports, or all flattened vector artwork, are rasterized.
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Choose the right trade-off for the file’s purpose
| Choice | Useful when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Keep text editable | The recipient may need to search, select, or revise the wording. | Text appearance can vary with fonts and browser or operating-system rendering. |
| Outline text | Preserving the letterforms’ visual shape matters more than editing the words. | Text content and typography can no longer be edited as text. |
| Keep separate layers | Another designer needs to work on individual elements. | The file retains a more complex layer structure. |
| Merge vector layers | A simpler single vector layer is sufficient. | Separate layer editing is lost, but the merged artwork can remain vector-based. |
| Retain vector artwork | The graphic must stay sharp at different sizes and the content supports vector output. | Some objects or effects may not export as vectors in a given application. |
Protect the editable original and verify the destination
Keep a native, editable source file before flattening layers or converting text to paths. Use a separate export copy for destructive changes; in Figma, undo or version history may help recover a flattened design, but preserving the original avoids relying on recovery.
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