Category:SVG simplification by gradienting

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This pseudo-category is in fact a document explaining a technique to optimize and―in a sense―simplify SVG files. The files in this category merely constitute a collection of examples illustrating that technique. These hidden categories are only intended for Wikimedia contributors who want to add or optimize SVG files, but the documented techniques are in no way specific to Wikimedia. Besides being scalable, the images represented by the files in this category have nothing in common (only the files have historical implementation details in common).

Most of these documents are in a poor state, as of October 2024, and the effect of some of these so-called simplification techniques would be considered as complexification by most.

To address these issues, see discussion about an action plan.

Gradients are often coded much too elaborate.

  • Gradient definition works fine without the <defs> ... </defs> clamping.
  • As always, x="0" and "y="0" are the defaults and can be avoided
  • Even offset="0" is the default and the drawings display fine without (but W3C marks an error if missing)
  • As usual, Inkscape creates huge amounts of crap for the simplest gradients.


Most of the files in this category are examples of simple gradient codings. In some cases, the Gaussian blurring as another possibility.


Opinion of User:Sarang (Dieter):

It can clearly be seen that the makers of Inkscape lost the overview, or they never really understood the principles of gradienting (ok, it is a bit complicated).
For the simplest gradienting, tools create a flood of unreadable gradient code, which normally can easily be replaced by one (or a few) very simple instruction(s).
As an example, Inkscape always accompanies radial gradients by useless linear gradients.

Media in category "SVG simplification by gradienting"

The following 32 files are in this category, out of 32 total.

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