Why vectors need a scale before export
An SVG is not a grid of pixels but a set of drawing instructions: put a circle here, a path there, fill it with this colour. That is why it stays perfectly sharp at any size, and also why converting it to PNG forces a decision. A PNG is nothing but pixels, so before the browser can rasterise your file it has to know how many pixels to use. This tool takes the SVG's own declared size (or its viewBox if no size is declared) and multiplies it by the scale you choose.
The export happens on a transparent canvas, so anywhere your SVG leaves unpainted stays see-through in the PNG. Logos and icons drop straight onto any background without a white box around them.
Worked examples
When to use 1x, 2x and 4x
Screens no longer agree on what a pixel is. A modern phone or laptop display packs two or three physical pixels into every CSS pixel, so an image exported at its nominal size can look slightly soft there. The convention that grew up around this is simple: export at 2x for high density screens, and at 4x when you want headroom for print, presentations or further editing. Use 1x when file size matters more than crispness, for example an email signature or a favicon fallback.
Because the source is a vector, every scale is rendered fresh from the drawing instructions rather than stretched from a smaller bitmap. A 4x export is genuinely four times the resolution, not an upscale, which is the whole advantage of starting from SVG. If you need a size the presets do not cover, export at the next scale up and shrink the result with the image resizer; downscaling a clean render loses nothing you will notice.
External references, and where your file goes
One honest caveat: SVGs that reference things outside themselves, such as linked image files, remote fonts or external stylesheets, may not convert faithfully. When a browser rasterises an SVG this way it will not fetch those outside resources, so linked images go missing, text set in a remote font falls back to a default, and in some cases the export is blocked entirely. The fix is to make the SVG self-contained in your design tool: embed images as data URIs and convert text to outlines, then convert again.
As for privacy, your file goes nowhere. It is read, rendered and encoded entirely by your own browser; no upload, no server, no storage. You can convert brand assets, client logos and unreleased designs with nothing to worry about, and it works offline once the page has loaded.
Frequently asked questions
Is my SVG uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and rendered by JavaScript in your own browser, and the PNG is generated on your device. Nothing is transmitted, logged or stored, and closing the tab removes everything.
Why does my SVG come out blank or fail to convert?
The most common cause is external references: SVGs that link to separate image files, remote fonts or stylesheets cannot fetch those resources when rendered this way, so the linked parts are missing or the export is blocked. Embed images as data URIs and convert text to paths in your design tool, then try again.
What size will the PNG be?
The SVG's own width and height, multiplied by the scale you pick. If the file declares no size, the viewBox dimensions are used instead, and failing that a default of 512 pixels. So a 24 by 24 icon at 4x becomes a 96 by 96 PNG.
Why would I export at 2x or 4x?
High density screens pack more physical pixels into the same space, so a PNG exported at 1x can look soft on them. Exporting at 2x or 4x keeps icons and logos crisp on retina class displays, at the cost of a larger file.
Does the PNG keep transparency?
Yes. The canvas starts fully transparent and the PNG format preserves it, so anywhere your SVG has no fill stays see-through. That makes the output ready to drop onto any background colour.