How SVG-to-PNG Conversion Actually Works in the Browser

If you've ever tried to convert an SVG to a PNG entirely in the browser (no server round-trip, no ImageMagick, just JavaScript), you've probably hit a point where the output looked almost right and you couldn't figure out why it wasn't quite right. The mechanics are simple in outline and full of small traps in practice. This is a walkthrough of how the conversion actually works, and where it usually breaks.

The basic pipeline

There's no native "SVG to PNG" API. The browser gives you two lower-level primitives and expects you to combine them:

Load the SVG as an Image object (or draw it via a data URL / object URL).

Draw that image onto a <canvas> element.