Support

Everything you need to get the most out of Symbolsmith. Can't find your answer? Email [email protected].

Getting started

Add an icon: drag an SVG into the window, paste one from the clipboard, or use Import SVG.
Symbolsmith reads the vector artwork and shows a live preview with cap-height and baseline guides.
Adjust the weight, rendering mode, strokes, and sizing in the inspector.
Export the result as a template, a symbol set, an asset catalog, or a PNG.

Supported formats

Input

SVG. Outline any live text to paths in your design tool first, since text and embedded raster images cannot be represented in a vector symbol.

Output

Template (.svg): the SF Symbols custom-symbol template, ready to open in the SF Symbols app.
Symbol Set (.symbolset): drop it straight into an Xcode asset catalog.
Asset Catalog (.xcassets): export a whole library or project at once.
Preview image (.png): a rendered preview for docs or review.

Settings guide

Weight

Every symbol exports all nine weights from Ultralight to Black. Pick a stroke ramp to derive them from a single drawing, or switch to Masters and attach your own Ultralight and Black SVGs to interpolate the in-betweens. Masters must be point-compatible (drawn from the same path skeleton, with the same node count and order); when they are not, the affected weights fall back to Regular.

Rendering mode

Choose Monochrome, Hierarchical, Palette, Multicolor, or Variable. The color modes let you assign each layer a level, and the preview shows the result faithfully. Layer annotations are best-effort, so it is worth a final check in the SF Symbols app.

Fills and strokes

Fills: keep filled shapes, drop large background shapes, or remove all fills to keep only outlined strokes.
Outline filled shapes: convert solid shapes into clean line art, with a choice of inner, center, or outer alignment.
Uniform stroke width: normalize every stroke to a single line weight. Apple's reference is about 5 pt at Regular.

Transform and sizing

Flip horizontally or vertically, rotate, and nudge the artwork optically. Fit within bounds fits the larger side to the cap height instead of the height only, which keeps wide or rotated icons compact next to text. The cap-height fill slider scales the overall size.

Template version

Current (v7.0) matches today's SF Symbols export and needs a recent Xcode or SF Symbols app. Legacy (v3.0) maximizes compatibility, including older Xcode, with the same geometry.

FAQ

Is the output safe to ship in a paid app?

Yes. Symbolsmith writes its own clean-room template and does not bundle any Apple template files into your output, so the symbols you create are safe to use in commercial and paid apps.

Do I need to provide an Apple template?

No. Symbolsmith uses its own template by default. If you prefer, you can export a template from the SF Symbols app yourself and load it as a base template, and Symbolsmith will inject your artwork into your file. It never bundles Apple assets on your behalf.

Why does my rotated icon look very wide?

By default the artwork's height is fit to the cap height, so a rotated shape can become wide. Turn on Fit within bounds to fit the larger side instead, which keeps the glyph compact.

My SVG has text and nothing converts. Why?

Live text and embedded raster images cannot be represented as vector symbol paths. Outline the text to paths in your design tool, then import again.

Does my library sync across devices?

Yes, through your own private iCloud when you are signed in. The data stays in your iCloud account; nothing goes to our servers. See the privacy policy for details.

Is it the same app on Mac, iPhone, and iPad?

Yes. Symbolsmith is one universal app. Your symbols and projects are available on every device you use.

Still stuck?

Email [email protected] with a description of the issue and, if you can, the SVG you were working with. Every message is read.