tools-only Article Cover SVG Generation
Generate professional, visually striking article cover images in SVG format for technical blogs, documentation, and articles.
Critical Rules
ViewBox Standard: Use
viewBox="0 0 1200 630"(social media friendly 1.91:1 ratio)Text Readability (MUST follow):
- Main title: 44-48px, bold, high contrast
- Subtitle: 28-32px, white or light color
- Labels/tags: 14-16px
- Never use fonts smaller than 11px
Background Design:
- Always use gradient backgrounds (avoid flat solid colors)
- Dark tech themes:
#0d1117→#161b22(GitHub dark style) - Add subtle grid patterns or decorative elements for depth
Visual Hierarchy:
- Title area: bottom 1/3 of the image (y: 420-540)
- Diagram/illustration area: top 2/3 (y: 80-400)
- Tags/labels: bottom edge (y: 550-600)
Color Contrast: Ensure text is readable against backgrounds
- Light text on dark backgrounds
- Use gradients for emphasis (orange/yellow for tech, blue/cyan for data)
Design Patterns
Tech Article Cover (Comparison Layout)
Best for: Performance comparisons, version upgrades, before/after scenarios
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Logo] [Badge: 100x+]│
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ VS ┌─────────┐ ┌────────┐│
│ │ Before │ ────► │ Middle │ ► │ After ││
│ │ ❌ │ │ ⚠ │ │ ✓ ││
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └────────┘│
│ │
│ Main Title (Large, Gradient) │
│ Subtitle (Medium, White) │
│ │
│ [Tag1] [Tag2] [Tag3] [Tag4] [Tag5] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Tech Article Cover (Flow Layout)
Best for: Process explanations, architecture overviews
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Logo] │
│ │
│ [Input] ──► [Process Box] ──► [Output] │
│ │ │ │ │
│ └────────────┴────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Main Title (Large, Gradient) │
│ Subtitle (Medium, White) │
│ │
│ [Tag1] [Tag2] [Tag3] [Tag4] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Color System
| Purpose | Background | Stroke/Text | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative/Before | #1c2128 |
#dc3545 |
Problems, old version |
| Warning/Transition | #1c2128 |
#ffcc02 |
Partial solution, v1 |
| Positive/After | #1c2128 |
#00f2fe |
Solution, new version |
| Success | #22863a |
#22863a |
Checkmarks, improvements |
| Accent | #ff6b35 → #ffcc02 |
gradient | Titles, highlights |
SVG Template
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1200 630">
<defs>
<!-- Background gradient -->
<linearGradient id="bgGradient" x1="0%" y1="0%" x2="100%" y2="100%">
<stop offset="0%" style="stop-color:#0d1117"/>
<stop offset="100%" style="stop-color:#161b22"/>
</linearGradient>
<!-- Title gradient (orange/yellow for tech) -->
<linearGradient id="titleGradient" x1="0%" y1="0%" x2="100%" y2="0%">
<stop offset="0%" style="stop-color:#ff6b35"/>
<stop offset="100%" style="stop-color:#ffcc02"/>
</linearGradient>
<!-- Glow effect for emphasis -->
<filter id="glow">
<feGaussianBlur stdDeviation="2" result="coloredBlur"/>
<feMerge>
<feMergeNode in="coloredBlur"/>
<feMergeNode in="SourceGraphic"/>
</feMerge>
</filter>
</defs>
<!-- Background -->
<rect width="1200" height="630" fill="url(#bgGradient)"/>
<!-- Top accent bar -->
<rect x="0" y="0" width="1200" height="5" fill="url(#titleGradient)"/>
<!-- Logo area (top-left) -->
<g transform="translate(50, 30)">
<!-- Logo elements here -->
</g>
<!-- Main illustration area (center) -->
<g transform="translate(600, 220)">
<!-- Diagram/comparison elements here -->
</g>
<!-- Main title -->
<text x="600" y="450" fill="url(#titleGradient)"
font-family="Arial, sans-serif" font-size="46"
text-anchor="middle" font-weight="bold">
Article Title Here
</text>
<!-- Subtitle -->
<text x="600" y="510" fill="#fff"
font-family="Arial, sans-serif" font-size="28"
text-anchor="middle">
Subtitle or Description
</text>
<!-- Bottom tags -->
<g transform="translate(600, 580)">
<!-- Tag pills here -->
</g>
</svg>
Element Templates
Comparison Box (with status icon)
<g transform="translate(X, Y)">
<rect x="0" y="0" width="300" height="180" rx="10"
fill="#1c2128" stroke="#COLOR" stroke-width="2"/>
<text x="150" y="30" fill="#COLOR" font-size="17"
text-anchor="middle" font-weight="bold">ICON Title</text>
<!-- Content here -->
</g>
Status icons: ❌ (negative), ⚠ (warning), ✓ (positive)
Performance Badge
<g transform="translate(X, Y)">
<rect x="-60" y="-25" width="140" height="50" rx="25"
fill="#00f2fe" opacity="0.15" stroke="#00f2fe" stroke-width="2"/>
<text x="10" y="8" fill="#00f2fe" font-size="28"
text-anchor="middle" font-weight="bold">100x+</text>
</g>
Tag Pill
<rect x="X" y="-22" width="100" height="36" rx="18"
fill="transparent" stroke="#COLOR" stroke-width="2"/>
<text x="X+50" y="4" fill="#COLOR" font-size="14"
text-anchor="middle" font-weight="bold">TagName</text>
Arrow (with label)
<g transform="translate(X, Y)">
<path d="M 0 0 L 35 0" stroke="#COLOR" stroke-width="3" fill="none"/>
<polygon points="35,0 25,-6 25,6" fill="#COLOR"/>
</g>
Data Bar (for showing proportions)
<rect x="X" y="Y" width="WIDTH" height="12" rx="2"
fill="#COLOR" opacity="0.8"/>
Workflow
Understand the article: What's the main topic? Is it a comparison, tutorial, or overview?
Choose layout pattern:
- Comparison → Use 2-3 column comparison layout
- Process/Flow → Use flow diagram layout
- Single concept → Use centered illustration
Extract key elements:
- Main title (keep concise, 10-15 Chinese chars or 5-8 English words)
- Subtitle (descriptive, can be longer)
- Key metrics (performance numbers, version info)
- Tags (3-5 relevant keywords)
Design the illustration:
- Use simple shapes (rectangles, arrows)
- Show the core concept visually
- Use color to differentiate states/versions
Generate SVG: Follow the template, ensure all text is readable
Output
- Filename:
{article-slug}-cover.svg - Location: Same directory as the article or
assets/folder - Tell user: Can be opened in browser, converted to PNG via Inkscape/browser screenshot
Tips
- Chinese text: Use
font-family="Arial, sans-serif"which has good CJK support - Emphasis: Use
filter="url(#glow)"sparingly on key elements - Spacing: Keep 20-40px padding around text elements
- Testing: Open SVG in browser to verify rendering before finalizing