\usetikzlibrary{export}
TikZ to Image
Convert TikZ diagrams to high-resolution PNG, SVG, or PDF images directly in your browser. No TeX installation, no account, no dependencies. Paste your code, pick a format, and download the result in seconds.
Whether you are building flowcharts for a thesis, exporting circuit diagrams for documentation, or rendering geometric proofs for a textbook, FormaTeX handles the compilation on a full TeX Live server so you can focus on drawing.
What is TikZ?
TikZ is the standard graphics package for LaTeX. The name is a recursive German acronym for “TikZ ist kein Zeichenprogramm” (“TikZ is not a drawing program”), yet it is the most expressive drawing system available in the TeX ecosystem. Built on top of the lower-level PGF library, TikZ lets you describe graphics programmatically using coordinates, paths, node labels, and style options.
The output is always pixel-perfect vector graphics embedded directly in your PDF. Because TikZ runs inside the TeX engine, your diagrams inherit the same fonts, spacing, and typographic conventions as the rest of your document. That consistency is why TikZ is the first choice for academic papers, textbooks, theses, and technical reports.
The challenge is that TikZ diagrams live inside LaTeX, and extracting a single diagram as a standalone image file normally requires a local TeX installation, a compilation step, and a separate PDF-to-image conversion tool. The FormaTeX TikZ to Image tool eliminates all of that: paste your code, choose PNG, SVG, or PDF, and download.
Flowcharts and diagrams
Process flows, decision trees, and system architecture diagrams with named nodes and styled arrows.
Graphs and networks
Directed and undirected graphs, finite automata, Petri nets, and dependency trees for academic papers.
Circuit diagrams
Electrical and logic circuits using the circuitikz library with standard IEEE component symbols.
Geometric constructions
Triangles, circles, tangent lines, angles, and annotated proofs for mathematics and physics.
Step-by-step: Render TikZ with FormaTeX
Four steps take you from raw TikZ source to a downloadable image. The entire process runs in the browser and takes a few seconds.
Open the TikZ to Image tool
Go to the FormaTeX TikZ to Image tool. The editor loads instantly in your browser with no account required and no software to install. The interface is a split-pane layout: code on the left, rendered preview on the right.
Paste your TikZ code
Enter your TikZ source code in the editor panel. You can paste a standalone tikzpicture environment or a full LaTeX document with preamble. The tool recognises \usepackage{tikz} and any \usetikzlibrary declarations automatically. If you only paste the tikzpicture block, FormaTeX wraps it in a minimal document for you.
Choose your output format
Select the format that fits your workflow. PNG produces a raster image at configurable DPI, ideal for slides, documentation, and web pages. SVG gives you a scalable vector file that stays sharp at any zoom level, perfect for responsive websites and print. PDF output is useful when you need to embed the diagram in another LaTeX document or send a standalone proof.
Render and download
Click Render to compile the diagram on FormaTeX servers using a full TeX Live installation. The preview appears in seconds. Inspect the output visually, then download the file. If the compilation fails, the tool displays the TeX error log so you can fix the issue and re-render without leaving the page.
The rendering pipeline uses the same full TeX Live distribution that powers FormaTeX's project compiler. That means every TikZ library, every font, and every package available in a standard TeX Live installation works out of the box. There is nothing to configure and no reduced-functionality mode.
Why export TikZ as an image?
TikZ diagrams are beautiful inside a PDF, but many workflows need a standalone image file. Presentation software like PowerPoint and Google Slides cannot import LaTeX source. Web pages need PNG or SVG files. Documentation platforms like Confluence, Notion, and GitHub wikis accept images but not TeX. Even within LaTeX itself, you may want to pre-render a complex diagram to avoid recompiling a five-minute TikZ picture every time you build the document.
PNG is the right choice when the destination is a raster context: slides, Word documents, chat messages, or social media. FormaTeX renders at configurable DPI so you can export a 300 DPI image for print or a 150 DPI image for the web.
SVG is ideal for websites and responsive layouts. The vector format scales to any size without pixelation, loads fast, and can be styled with CSS. If you embed TikZ diagrams on a documentation site, SVG gives you crisp rendering on retina displays and low-DPI screens alike.
PDF output preserves the full vector fidelity of the original TikZ drawing. Use it when you want to include the diagram in another LaTeX project with \includegraphics, or when you need a print-ready standalone file.
TikZ libraries you can use
TikZ ships with dozens of optional libraries that add specialised shapes, arrow tips, layout algorithms, and drawing styles. Load them with \usetikzlibrary{name} in your preamble. Multiple libraries can be comma-separated in a single call. FormaTeX's rendering server includes the complete TeX Live library tree, so every TikZ library works without configuration.
Below is a reference of the most commonly used libraries. For a deep dive into TikZ drawing syntax, coordinates, and styles, see the full TikZ Guide.
| Library | Purpose |
|---|---|
| arrows.meta | Modern, configurable arrow tips. Replaces the legacy arrows library. Use -Stealth, -Latex, or define custom tips. |
| shapes.geometric | Diamond, ellipse, trapezium, star, regular polygon, and other geometric node shapes for flowcharts and diagrams. |
| positioning | Relative placement syntax: above=of nodeA, right=1cm of nodeB. Eliminates manual coordinate arithmetic for node layouts. |
| calc | Coordinate calculations with the ($...$) syntax. Compute midpoints, offsets, and intersections inline. |
| decorations.pathmorphing | Wavy, zigzag, and snake path decorations. Commonly used for spring symbols in physics and decorative borders. |
| circuits.ee.IEC | Full circuit drawing package built on TikZ. Resistors, capacitors, transistors, op-amps, and logic gates with IEC or American symbols. |
| automata | Finite state machines and automata. Provides state, accepting, and initial node styles plus edge labels for transitions. |
| fit | Fit a node tightly around a set of other nodes. Useful for grouping regions, drawing bounding boxes, and highlighting clusters. |
Beyond these core libraries, the TikZ ecosystem includes standalone packages like pgfplots for data plots, circuitikz for electrical circuits, and tikz-cd for commutative diagrams. All of these compile correctly in the FormaTeX rendering pipeline, so you can export any TikZ-based graphic as an image.
Tips for clean TikZ exports
A few practices ensure your exported images look sharp and professional in any context.
Use the standalone document class
The standalone class crops the output to the exact bounding box of your tikzpicture, eliminating page margins and whitespace. This gives you a tightly cropped image that fits cleanly in slides and web pages.
Set explicit colours
Avoid relying on the default black-on-white scheme if your diagram will appear on a dark background. Use \definecolor to set explicit fill and stroke colours that look good in both light and dark contexts.
Keep the preamble minimal
Only load the packages and libraries your diagram actually uses. A lean preamble compiles faster and reduces the chance of package conflicts during rendering.
Version control your source
Store your TikZ source files in git alongside the exported images. This lets you regenerate images at any resolution later and keeps the source of truth alongside the output.
Related guides and tools
Render your TikZ diagrams now
Open the tool, paste your TikZ code, and download a publication-quality PNG, SVG, or PDF. Free, instant, no account required.