Vecta

Make your first SVG

1. Open Vecta. If an earlier local project appears, choose New drawing to start separately. Vecta saves the current drawing before switching; if saving fails, export it first.
2. Choose Add rectangle on the empty canvas to insert a selected object without dragging. To draw a custom-sized shape, choose Rectangle in the labelled tool strip and drag.
3. Choose Select or press V, then select the shape. Use the inspector to change fill, stroke and dimensions.
4. Try Undo and Redo to recover or repeat the change.
5. Name the project in the top bar. Wait for Saved locally, then choose Export SVG to download an SVG copy.

A downloaded SVG is your portable backup. Browser storage alone is not a backup.

Find your way around

The top bar contains project naming, Projects and New drawing. The toolbar contains drawing labelled tools and Undo/Redo. Open View for Grid, Snap and zoom. The canvas is your working area. Switch between Properties and Layers using the panel tabs; properties depend on your selection. Arrow keys move between the tabs.

Use Select to move and resize objects. Rectangle, Ellipse, Line, Pen and Text create artwork. Pan moves the view rather than the artwork. Frames describe exportable regions. Choose a layer in the layers panel when objects overlap.

Open an existing SVG

1. Choose Open in the toolbar, or Open an SVG on the empty canvas. You can also drop an SVG file onto the editor.
2. Choose the SVG file from your device. Vecta validates and sanitizes imported content; unsafe markup is not executed.
3. If asked to choose a light or dark appearance, select the version you intend to edit. This imports a static appearance.
4. Check the artwork before changing it. Some SVG features may not be editable or may be simplified. Export a separate copy and keep the original.

If a file is rejected or too large, read the warning and simplify a copy in the original application. Importing is not a promise of lossless support for every SVG feature.

Select, style and organise

Select an object before changing its inspector settings. Fill controls the inside colour; stroke controls the outline. A transparent or absent fill can make a shape appear empty. Use Undo if a change is unexpected.

Use Group for related selected objects and Ungroup to edit them separately. Reorder objects to control which one appears in front. Arrow keys nudge the selection; Shift increases the nudge distance. Pen paths finish with Enter; Escape cancels the current editing action before clearing selection.

Gradient editing is not available in this build. Keep the original SVG when working with gradients or other complex imported artwork.

Save, reopen and back up

Vecta saves edits locally in this browser after a short delay. Wait for the saved status before closing. Use Projects to reopen a local drawing. Projects on one browser or device do not automatically appear on another.

Private browsing, clearing site data, browser storage limits or storage failures can remove or prevent local saves. If you see a storage warning, export an SVG immediately. Download regular backups even when autosave works.

Export and share safely

Choose Export SVG to download the current drawing as SVG. Open the exported file in its intended application to check the result.

Copy share link puts artwork into the link itself. Anyone who receives that link can read the drawing. Treat it as a copy of the artwork, avoid confidential content, and use an exported file when a drawing is too large for a link.

Local editing does not require sign-in. Account, cloud-sync and paid-service controls depend on separately configured services; they are not required to make or export a local drawing.

Keyboard shortcuts

Use Ctrl on Windows/Linux or Command on macOS for the modifier shortcuts below. Shortcuts do not take over when you are typing in a field.

Recover from common problems

I cannot find the drawing.

Use the fit-drawing zoom action or Modifier + 0, then inspect the layers panel.

A property control is unavailable.

Select the relevant object first. Some controls require a particular object type or multiple selected objects.

My drawing did not reopen.

Check that you are using the same browser profile and site address. Use Projects. If browser storage was cleared, reopen an exported backup.

The imported file looks different.

Keep the source file, check any appearance choice and import warnings, and compare a separate exported copy. Avoid repeatedly overwriting the original.

I cannot sign in.

You can continue local editing and export. Account-service availability does not prevent those workflows.