What this tool does
An SVG describes shapes with colours written in the file – fill="#1e3a8a", stroke="white" and so on. This recolor SVG tool reads all of them, shows each distinct colour as a swatch with a count of shapes, and lets you change, merge or separate them without opening a vector editor. It is designed for crafters and print shops who need to:
- change a design’s colours to match vinyl, thread or ink they actually have;
- reduce a traced image to a manageable number of colours;
- split an SVG by colour into separate files for layered vinyl, screen-printing separations or multi-pass laser engraving.
Merging similar colours
Images traced from PNG or JPG often end up with dozens of shades that look identical – #1E3A8A, #1F3B8B, #1D3989 – because edge pixels are blends. Each one would become its own layer when you cut, which is a nightmare. The Merge similar colours slider combines colours closer than the chosen distance into one. Start at off, move it right until the swatch list matches the colours you can see, and watch the preview to make sure distinct colours (for example two different blues) do not merge.
Changing colours
Click a swatch to open the colour picker and choose a new colour. Every fill and stroke that used it changes together. Useful tricks:
- One-colour version of a logo: set every swatch to black for a stamp, engraving or single-colour vinyl.
- Reversed logo: set the main colour to white for dark backgrounds.
- Match your materials: pick colours close to your vinyl so the on-screen preview in Design Space looks like the finished piece.
Splitting an SVG into layers
Download one SVG per colour (ZIP) creates a separate file for each remaining colour. Every file keeps the full canvas size and the shapes’ original positions, so when you stack them they line up exactly.
Where this helps:
- Layered heat-transfer vinyl: cut each colour from its own vinyl, then press them in order.
- Screen printing: each layer becomes one screen/separation.
- Laser engraving with different power settings: engrave one colour as a light pass and another as a deep pass.
- Embroidery digitising: start each thread colour from its own outline.
Recolouring traced artwork
The workflow many crafters use:
- Trace a PNG with Image to SVG or Image to SVG for Cricut.
- Load the SVG here and merge stray shades.
- Recolour to your material colours.
- Download the layered ZIP and import the files into Cricut Design Space or Silhouette Studio.
For logos, Logo to Vector can snap shapes to brand hex codes during tracing, which often removes the need for merging.
Screen-printing separations
Each file in the ZIP is a solid single-colour layer, which is exactly what a screen printer needs for film positives. Print each layer in black on transparency film, or send the files to your print shop with a note of the Pantone colour for each. Merge colours aggressively first: most garment prints use between one and four screens.
Exporting other formats
Need a PNG preview, a print-ready PDF or a DXF for a laser? Take the recoloured SVG to the SVG Converter.
Limits
The tool reads each shape’s computed colour, so colours set as attributes, inline styles or in an embedded stylesheet are all detected, and the new colours are written back as inline styles. Gradients, patterns, embedded bitmaps and filters are left as they are, and shapes inside <defs> are skipped. If a design relies on a gradient, convert it to flat colours in your editor first.
Tips for layered vinyl
- Fewer layers, fewer problems. Every extra colour is another cut, another weed and another press. Merge colours that are hard to tell apart on fabric.
- Order matters. Press the largest, lowest layer first and the small details last. Name layers by colour so you do not mix them up on the mat.
- Leave registration. With Stacked layers from the Cricut tool, colours overlap slightly so small misalignments do not show gaps.
- Check white. A white background shape is often part of a traced SVG; delete or hide that layer if your garment is already white.
Privacy
The SVG is processed entirely in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the colours of an SVG?
Add the SVG, click a colour swatch, choose the new colour and download the recoloured SVG. Every shape that used the old colour changes at once.
How do I split an SVG into layers by colour?
Press Download one SVG per colour (ZIP). You get one SVG per colour, each keeping the original size and position so the layers line up.
Why does my traced SVG have so many colours?
Tracing often creates many almost-identical shades from anti-aliased edges. Raise Merge similar colours until the swatches match the colours you really want.
Will the layers line up in Cricut Design Space?
Yes. Every layer file uses the same canvas size and coordinates. Import them together, keep them aligned and use Attach if needed.
Does it work with gradients?
Solid fills and strokes are recoloured. Gradients and patterns are left unchanged.
Is my SVG uploaded?
No. The file is parsed and rewritten in your browser.