Why do Svg Files Show as HTML?
A fun little quirk about SVG files is that your computer might be listing them as html documents in your folders. And then next to the file name will be a web browser icon. If you double click that file, it will likely open as the image it is... in a web browser window.
What the heck is that right?
Many an unsuspecting user has therefore assumed that the SVG file they
just downloaded simply isn't in the folder where it should be and the HTML item is just something else.
This happens because SVG files are in fact, html code. Unlike other file types, SVG is made up purely from strings of code. So your computer is actually reading it correctly.
Windows comes with all sorts of default settings, including which
program should open what type of file. So if it reads a file as being
made up of web code... then it likely thinks the 'appropriate' program
is a web browser, and that's what will be selected by default to open
it. Hence the switcheroo, Windows thinks it's being very clever.
Here's an important thing to remember - just because Windows renamed the
file, doesn't mean the file has been changed or will work any
differently. You can still go ahead and use that file exactly as you intended,
even if it does say html. But if it bothers you, there are a couple
things you can do to fix this
Here's an example of the problem to show you exactly what I'm referring to:
As you can see, this folder contains an html file... or does it?
By simply making one tiny change to how the folder is viewed, suddenly that information becomes just a little clearer. Click the 'View' tab in your folder screen, as below, and then tick the 'File Extension' box. By adding the file extensions to the file names in the folder list you get a more accurate view of the actual file types you are looking at.
You don't necessarily need to do anything further. As I already
mentioned, the integrity of the file itself is not affected at all and
will work exactly as expected in whatever program you are using it in.
If however, you don't like that, and maybe you'd like to be able to
double click the SVG file and have it open in a specific software
program, you just need to change your computer's default settings.
Something that is really not too difficult at all to do.
Right click on the SVG file name in your folder. A menu will appear with
an option to 'Open With'. Choosing this creates another menu pop up
which will have a list of a few possible programs you can select as the
new default.
If the program you want isn't on that short list select 'Choose Another
App'. You'll be presented with a longer list of options to choose from.
Ensure that the box 'always use this app to open .svg files' is ticked
and select the program you want as your default, for example, Inkscape or Illustrator.
At this time, you can't choose your cutting machine software as a default program, because files need to be uploaded into that system in a different way.
But, your SVG files should now show up correctly on your PC, and will open nicely when clicked!
Happy computing!
Shawnna
Shawnna