Convert LaTeX Equations, TikZ Diagrams, and Tables to SVG Online

If you work with LaTeX, you've probably needed to use an equation or diagram outside a LaTeX document at some point.

Maybe you're adding equations to a GitHub README, preparing presentation slides, or creating technical diagrams in Figma.

The usual options aren't particularly convenient. You can take a screenshot, which often looks blurry when resized, or compile a LaTeX document and convert the resulting PDF into an image.

I built LaTeX2SVG to make this process simpler. It's an online LaTeX renderer that converts equations, TikZ diagrams, tables, and other technical content into SVG, PNG, or PDF.

1. Convert LaTeX Equations to SVG

Let's start with a simple example:

\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2}\,dx = \sqrt{\pi} 

Open LaTeX2SVG, paste the code into the editor, and click Render (or press Ctrl/Cmd + Enter).

You can preview the rendered equation and download it as SVG, PNG, or PDF.

SVG is especially useful here because it's vector-based. Unlike screenshots, the equation stays sharp when resized, making it suitable for websites, presentations, and documentation.

You can also render more complex expressions, such as matrices:

\begin{bmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{bmatrix} 

2. Render TikZ Diagrams

LaTeX isn't limited to equations. TikZ is widely used for creating diagrams in academic papers and technical documents.

For example, here's a simple flowchart:

\begin{tikzpicture}[ node distance=2cm, every node/.style={draw, rounded corners} ] \node (input) {Input}; \node (process) [right of=input, xshift=1cm] {Process}; \node (output) [right of=process, xshift=1cm] {Output}; \draw[->] (input) -- (process); \draw[->] (process) -- (output); \end{tikzpicture} 

You can render this using the TikZ preset and export the result as SVG.

This is useful when you've already created a diagram for a paper and want to reuse it on a website or in a presentation without redrawing it.

3. Export LaTeX Tables

Tables can be frustrating to move between LaTeX and other applications, particularly when they use booktabs or more complex formatting.

For example:

\begin{tabular}{lcc} \toprule Method & Accuracy & F1 Score \\ \midrule Model A & 91.2\% & 0.89 \\ Model B & 94.5\% & 0.93 \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} 

Select the Table preset, paste the code, and render it.

The preset includes common packages such as booktabs, so you don't need to configure a complete document just to export the table.

The resulting graphic can be inserted into a slide, README, or technical report.

4. How Does It Work?

Unlike browser-based math renderers that only support a subset of LaTeX, LaTeX2SVG uses a real TeX compilation backend.

The rendering process is roughly:

1. Your LaTeX snippet is wrapped in a minimal document.
2. A TeX engine compiles the document on the server.
3. The output is cropped to the rendered content.
4. The PDF is converted to SVG and PNG.
5. You download the format you need.

This approach makes it possible to support more than mathematical expressions, including TikZ, algorithms, tables, and technical text.

You can also configure additional packages and macros in the full editor.

5. Which Export Format Should You Use?

LaTeX2SVG supports three output formats:

I generally prefer SVG for websites and design tools because it scales without losing quality.

For example, after exporting equation.svg, you can embed it directly in an HTML page:

<img src="equation.svg" alt="Mathematical equation"> 

Or reference it in Markdown:

![Equation](equation.svg) 

PNG is a useful alternative when your destination doesn't support SVG.

6. Using LaTeX in Figma

If you work with Figma, there's also a LaTeX2SVG Figma plugin.

It lets you work with rendered LaTeX expressions directly in your design workflow, without having to take screenshots or recreate equations manually.

This is particularly useful for technical illustrations, educational materials, and UI mockups that contain mathematical notation.

Try It Out

You can try LaTeX2SVG here:

https://latex2svg.com

There's a free trial without registration, so you can test it with your own LaTeX snippets.

I originally built this to simplify moving LaTeX content into other applications. If you work with LaTeX regularly, I'd be interested to know which types of content you find most difficult to export.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome!

Tags: #latex #webdev #productivity #tools