preserveAspectRatio

The preserveAspectRatio attribute indicates how an element with a viewBox providing a given aspect ratio must fit into a viewport with a different aspect ratio.

Because the aspect ratio of an SVG image is defined by the viewBox attribute, if this attribute isn't set, the preserveAspectRatio attribute has no effect (with one exception, the <image> element, as described below).

Example

meet (width > height)

This example shows the use of meet when the element's width is greater than its height. It presents three variations, with three different alignment values: xMidYMid, xMinYMid, and xMaxYMid.

html,
body,
svg {
  height: 100%;
}

/* place flex element on each iframe body for responsitivity at different screen sizes */
body {
  display: flex;
}

html

<svg viewBox="-1 -1 202 40" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <defs>
    <path
      id="smiley"
      d="M50,10 A40,40,1,1,1,50,90 A40,40,1,1,1,50,10 M30,40 Q36,35,42,40 M58,40 Q64,35,70,40 M30,60 Q50,75,70,60 Q50,75,30,60" />
  </defs>
</svg>

html

<rect x="0" y="0" width="60" height="30">
  <title>xMidYMid meet</title>
</rect>
<svg
  viewBox="0 0 100 100"
  width="60"
  height="30"
  preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet"
  x="0"
  y="0">
  <use href="#smiley" />
</svg>

html

<rect x="70" y="0" width="60" height="30">
  <title>xMinYMid meet</title>
</rect>
<svg
  viewBox="0 0 100 100"
  width="60"
  height="30"
  preserveAspectRatio="xMinYMid meet"
  x="70"
  y="0">
  <use href="#smiley" />
</svg>

html

  <rect x="140" y="0" width="60" height="30">
    <title>xMaxYMid meet</title>
  </rect>
  <svg
    viewBox="0 0 100 100"
    width="60"
    height="30"
    preserveAspectRatio="xMaxYMid meet"
    x="140"
    y="0">
    <use href="#smiley" />
  </svg>
</svg>

css

path {
  fill: yellow;
  stroke: black;
  stroke-width: 8px;
  stroke-linecap: round;
  stroke-linejoin: round;
  pointer-events: none;
}

rect:hover,
rect:active {
  outline: 1px solid red;
}

slice (width > height)

This example shows the use of slice when the element's width is greater than its height. It presents three variations, with three different alignment values: xMidYMin, xMidYMid, and xMidYMax.

html,
body,
svg {
  height: 100%;
}

/* place flex element on each iframe body for responsitivity at different screen sizes */
body {
  display: flex;
}

html

<svg viewBox="-1 -1 202 57" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <defs>
    <path
      id="smiley"
      d="M50,10 A40,40,1,1,1,50,90 A40,40,1,1,1,50,10 M30,40 Q36,35,42,40 M58,40 Q64,35,70,40 M30,60 Q50,75,70,60 Q50,75,30,60" />
  </defs>
</svg>

html

<rect x="0" y="15" width="60" height="30">
  <title>xMidYMin slice</title>
</rect>
<svg
  viewBox="0 0 100 100"
  width="60"
  height="30"
  preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMin slice"
  x="0"
  y="15">
  <use href="#smiley" />
</svg>

html

<rect x="70" y="15" width="60" height="30">
  <title>xMidYMid slice</title>
</rect>
<svg
  viewBox="0 0 100 100"
  width="60"
  height="30"
  preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid slice"
  x="70"
  y="15">
  <use href="#smiley" />
</svg>

html

  <rect x="140" y="15" width="60" height="30">
    <title>xMidYMax slice</title>
  </rect>
  <svg
    viewBox="0 0 100 100"
    width="60"
    height="30"
    preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMax slice"
    x="140"
    y="15">
    <use href="#smiley" />
  </svg>
</svg>

css

path {
  fill: yellow;
  stroke: black;
  stroke-width: 8px;
  stroke-linecap: round;
  stroke-linejoin: round;
  pointer-events: none;
}

rect:hover,
rect:active {
  outline: 1px solid red;
}

meet (height > width)

This example shows the use of meet when the element's height is greater than its width. It presents three variations, with three different alignment values: xMidYMin, xMidYMid, and xMidYMax.

html,
body,
svg {
  height: 100%;
}

/* place flex element on each iframe body for responsitivity at different screen sizes */
body {
  display: flex;
}

html

<svg viewBox="-1 -1 202 80" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <defs>
    <path
      id="smiley"
      d="M50,10 A40,40,1,1,1,50,90 A40,40,1,1,1,50,10 M30,40 Q36,35,42,40 M58,40 Q64,35,70,40 M30,60 Q50,75,70,60 Q50,75,30,60" />
  </defs>
</svg>

html

  <rect x=0" y="0" width="30" height="75">
    <title>xMidYMin meet</title>
  </rect>
  <svg
    viewBox="0 0 100 100"
    width="30"
    height="75"
    preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMin meet"
    x="0"
    y="0">
    <use href="#smiley" />
  </svg>

html

<rect x="35" y="0" width="30" height="75">
  <title>xMidYMid meet</title>
</rect>
<svg
  viewBox="0 0 100 100"
  width="30"
  height="75"
  preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet"
  x="35"
  y="0">
  <use href="#smiley" />
</svg>

html

  <rect x="70" y="0" width="30" height="75">
    <title>xMidYMax meet</title>
  </rect>
  <svg
    viewBox="0 0 100 100"
    width="30"
    height="75"
    preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMax meet"
    x="70"
    y="0">
    <use href="#smiley" />
  </svg>
</svg>

css

path {
  fill: yellow;
  stroke: black;
  stroke-width: 8px;
  stroke-linecap: round;
  stroke-linejoin: round;
  pointer-events: none;
}

rect:hover,
rect:active {
  outline: 1px solid red;
}

slice (height > width)

This example shows the use of slice when the element's height is greater than its width. It presents three variations, with three different alignment values: xMinYMid, xMidYMid, and xMaxYMid.

html,
body,
svg {
  height: 100%;
}

/* place flex element on each iframe body for responsitivity at different screen sizes */
body {
  display: flex;
}

html

<svg viewBox="-1 -1 202 80" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <defs>
    <path
      id="smiley"
      d="M50,10 A40,40,1,1,1,50,90 A40,40,1,1,1,50,10 M30,40 Q36,35,42,40 M58,40 Q64,35,70,40 M30,60 Q50,75,70,60 Q50,75,30,60" />
  </defs>
</svg>

html

<rect x="0" y="0" width="30" height="75">
  <title>xMinYMid slice</title>
</rect>
<svg
  viewBox="0 0 100 100"
  width="30"
  height="75"
  preserveAspectRatio="xMinYMid slice"
  x="0"
  y="0">
  <use href="#smiley" />
</svg>

html

<rect x="35" y="0" width="30" height="75">
  <title>xMidYMid slice</title>
</rect>
<svg
  viewBox="0 0 100 100"
  width="30"
  height="75"
  preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid slice"
  x="35"
  y="0">
  <use href="#smiley" />
</svg>

html

  <rect x="70" y="0" width="30" height="75">
    <title>xMaxYMid slice</title>
  </rect>
  <svg
    viewBox="0 0 100 100"
    width="30"
    height="75"
    preserveAspectRatio="xMaxYMid slice"
    x="70"
    y="0">
    <use href="#smiley" />
  </svg>
</svg>

css

path {
  fill: yellow;
  stroke: black;
  stroke-width: 8px;
  stroke-linecap: round;
  stroke-linejoin: round;
  pointer-events: none;
}

rect:hover,
rect:active {
  outline: 1px solid red;
}

none

This example shows an element with the alignment value set to none.

html,
body,
svg {
  height: 100%;
}

/* place flex element on each iframe body for responsitivity at different screen sizes */
body {
  display: flex;
}

html

<svg viewBox="-1 -1 192 62" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <defs>
    <path
      id="smiley"
      d="M50,10 A40,40,1,1,1,50,90 A40,40,1,1,1,50,10 M30,40 Q36,35,42,40 M58,40 Q64,35,70,40 M30,60 Q50,75,70,60 Q50,75,30,60" />
  </defs>
</svg>

html

  <!-- none -->
  <rect x="0" y="0" width="160" height="60">
    <title>none</title>
  </rect>
  <svg
    viewBox="0 0 100 100"
    width="160"
    height="60"
    preserveAspectRatio="none"
    x="0"
    y="0">
    <use href="#smiley" />
  </svg>
</svg>

css

path {
  fill: yellow;
  stroke: black;
  stroke-width: 8px;
  stroke-linecap: round;
  stroke-linejoin: round;
  pointer-events: none;
}

rect:hover,
rect:active {
  outline: 1px solid red;
}

Syntax

preserveAspectRatio="<align> [<meetOrSlice>]"

Its value is made of one or two keywords: A required alignment value and an optional "meet or slice" reference as described below:

Alignment value

The alignment value indicates whether to force uniform scaling and, if so, the alignment method to use in case the aspect ratio of the viewBox doesn't match the aspect ratio of the viewport. The alignment value must be one of the following keywords:

none Do not force uniform scaling. Scale the graphic content of the given element non-uniformly if necessary such that the element's bounding box exactly matches the viewport rectangle. Note that if <align> is none, then the optional <meetOrSlice> value is ignored.
xMinYMin - Force uniform scaling. Align the <min-x> of the element's viewBox with the smallest X value of the viewport. Align the <min-y> of the element's viewBox with the smallest Y value of the viewport.
xMidYMin - Force uniform scaling. Align the midpoint X value of the element's viewBox with the midpoint X value of the viewport. Align the <min-y> of the element's viewBox with the smallest Y value of the viewport.
xMaxYMin - Force uniform scaling. Align the <min-x>+<width> of the element's viewBox with the maximum X value of the viewport. Align the <min-y> of the element's viewBox with the smallest Y value of the viewport.
xMinYMid - Force uniform scaling. Align the <min-x> of the element's viewBox with the smallest X value of the viewport. Align the midpoint Y value of the element's viewBox with the midpoint Y value of the viewport.
xMidYMid (the default) - Force uniform scaling. Align the midpoint X value of the element's viewBox with the midpoint X value of the viewport. Align the midpoint Y value of the element's viewBox with the midpoint Y value of the viewport.
xMaxYMid - Force uniform scaling. Align the <min-x>+<width> of the element's viewBox with the maximum X value of the viewport. Align the midpoint Y value of the element's viewBox with the midpoint Y value of the viewport.
xMinYMax - Force uniform scaling. Align the <min-x> of the element's viewBox with the smallest X value of the viewport. Align the <min-y>+<height> of the element's viewBox with the maximum Y value of the viewport.
xMidYMax - Force uniform scaling. Align the midpoint X value of the element's viewBox with the midpoint X value of the viewport. Align the <min-y>+<height> of the element's viewBox with the maximum Y value of the viewport.
xMaxYMax - Force uniform scaling. Align the <min-x>+<width> of the element's viewBox with the maximum X value of the viewport. Align the <min-y>+<height> of the element's viewBox with the maximum Y value of the viewport.

Meet or slice reference

The meet or slice reference is optional and, if provided, must be one of the following keywords:

meet (the default) - Scale the graphic such that:
- aspect ratio is preserved
- the entire viewBox is visible within the viewport
- the viewBox is scaled up as much as possible, while still meeting the other criteria
In this case, if the aspect ratio of the graphic does not match the viewport, some of the viewport will extend beyond the bounds of the viewBox (i.e., the area into which the viewBox will draw will be smaller than the viewport).
slice - Scale the graphic such that:
- aspect ratio is preserved
- the entire viewport is covered by the viewBox
- the viewBox is scaled down as much as possible, while still meeting the other criteria
In this case, if the aspect ratio of the viewBox does not match the viewport, some of the viewBox will extend beyond the bounds of the viewport (i.e., the area into which the viewBox will draw is larger than the viewport).

Elements

You can use this attribute with the following SVG elements:

feImage

For <feImage>, preserveAspectRatio defines how the referenced image should fit in the rectangle define by the <feImage> element.

Value	<align> <meetOrSlice>?
Default value	`xMidYMid` `meet`
Animatable	Yes

image

For <image>, preserveAspectRatio defines how the referenced image should fit in the rectangle define by the <image> element.

Value	<align> <meetOrSlice>?
Default value	`xMidYMid` `meet`
Animatable	Yes

marker

For <marker>, preserveAspectRatio indicates if a uniform scaling must be performed to fit the element viewport.

Value	<align> <meetOrSlice>?
Default value	`xMidYMid` `meet`
Animatable	Yes

pattern

For <pattern>, preserveAspectRatio indicates if a uniform scaling must be performed to fit the element viewport.

Value	<align> <meetOrSlice>?
Default value	`xMidYMid` `meet`
Animatable	Yes

svg

For <svg>, preserveAspectRatio indicates if a uniform scaling must be performed to fit the element viewport.

Value	<align> <meetOrSlice>?
Default value	`xMidYMid` `meet`
Animatable	Yes

symbol

For <symbol>, preserveAspectRatio indicates if a uniform scaling must be performed to fit the element viewport.

Value	<align> <meetOrSlice>?
Default value	`xMidYMid` `meet`
Animatable	Yes

view

For <view>, preserveAspectRatio indicates if a uniform scaling must be performed to fit the element viewport.

Value	<align> <meetOrSlice>?
Default value	`xMidYMid` `meet`
Animatable	Yes

Specifications

Specification
Filter Effects Module Level 1 # element-attrdef-feimage-preserveaspectratio
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 2 # PreserveAspectRatioAttribute