AntV Infographic: The Infographic Generation & Rendering Framework That Brings Words to Life

Abstract

AntV Infographic is AntV’s next-generation declarative infographic visualization engine. With its carefully designed syntax, it enables fast and flexible rendering of high-quality infographics, supporting AI generation, over 200 built-in templates, theme customization, and SVG output—making information presentation more efficient than ever.

I. Introducing AntV Infographic: What Is This “Word-to-Life” Tool?

Have you ever struggled to turn chunks of text into intuitive, visually appealing infographics? Or felt overwhelmed by complex configurations when trying to generate infographics with code? If so, AntV Infographic might be the solution you’ve been looking for.

AntV Infographic is a next-generation declarative infographic visualization engine developed by the AntV team. In simple terms, it acts as an “infographic translator”: you only need to describe the content you want to present using its concise, dedicated syntax, and it automatically converts that text into dynamic infographics. Whether you’re visualizing processes, data comparisons, or hierarchical relationships, this tool streamlines the entire visualization process.

As its tagline “bring words to life” suggests, AntV Infographic’s core mission is to transform abstract textual information into tangible visual elements. By doing so, it makes information transmission more efficient and data storytelling simpler and more engaging.

II. Core Advantages of AntV Infographic: Why Choose It?

1. AI-Friendly Design for Seamless Smart Generation

In the AI era, a tool’s ability to collaborate with AI is crucial—and AntV Infographic delivers on this front. Its configuration and syntax are specifically optimized for AI generation, featuring concise prompts that align with how AI models process requests. This means you can directly ask an AI to generate configurations in AntV’s syntax, and even leverage AI streaming output: the AI generates content in chunks, and AntV Infographic renders the infographic in real time—no need to wait for the full output to see results.

Imagine telling an AI, “I need an infographic for a product launch workflow,” and watching as the infographic takes shape incrementally. This seamless integration with AI cuts down the time from concept to final visualization dramatically.

2. Ready-to-Use with 200+ Templates (No Design Skills Required)

The biggest hurdle in creating infographics is often starting from scratch—but AntV Infographic eliminates this pain point. It comes with over 200 built-in infographic templates, data components, and layouts, covering sequences, comparisons, lists, charts, and more. Whether you’re creating process steps, SWOT analyses, bar charts, or pie graphs, there’s a pre-built template to match your needs.

For example:

  • Use sequence-zigzag-steps-underline-text for process workflows.
  • Choose compare-binary-horizontal-simple-fold for side-by-side comparisons (e.g., Product A vs. Product B).
  • Opt for chart-pie-donut-pill-badge for percentage breakdowns.

All templates are professionally designed to ensure a polished, professional look, allowing you to create high-quality infographics in minutes—no graphic design experience needed.

3. Flexible Theme System for Customized Styling

Different scenarios demand different visual styles: a formal report might call for a sleek, business-oriented design, while a creative presentation could benefit from hand-drawn or gradient aesthetics. AntV Infographic’s theme system caters to all these needs.

It offers multiple preset themes (including hand-drawn, gradients, and patterns) and supports deep customization. You can modify the color palette (palette), font (font), and other visual elements to align the infographic with your brand identity or use case. For instance, use a blue-based palette for a tech-focused infographic, or vibrant oranges and yellows for a more energetic vibe.

4. Built-in Editor for Post-Generation Tweaks

AI-generated content or template-based designs might not always be perfect—and that’s where AntV Infographic’s built-in editor shines. The tool includes an intuitive editor that lets you refine your infographic after generation. You can adjust text, swap icons, modify colors, or reorder elements—ensuring the final product matches your exact vision.

This eliminates the “one-and-done” limitation of many visualization tools, balancing efficiency with flexibility.

5. High-Quality SVG Output (Scalable & Editable)

The output format of an infographic matters: low-resolution images blur when scaled, and proprietary formats make secondary editing difficult. AntV Infographic solves this by rendering in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) by default. SVG is a vector format, meaning it retains crispness at any size—from a small webpage element to a large printed poster.

Additionally, SVG files are compatible with popular design tools like Adobe Illustrator and Figma. If you need to further customize your infographic (e.g., add logos, adjust layouts), simply export the SVG and edit it in your preferred design software.

III. Quick Start: Install & Use AntV Infographic in 5 Minutes

1. Installation: One Command to Get Started

AntV Infographic is available as an npm package, making installation straightforward. If you have Node.js (v14+ recommended) installed, open your terminal and run:

npm install @antv/infographic

Once the installation is complete, you’re ready to integrate the tool into your project.

2. Your First Infographic: From Code to Visualization

Let’s create a simple step-by-step infographic to demonstrate how it works. We’ll visualize a “3-Step Project Workflow” using the list-row-simple-horizontal-arrow template:

import { Infographic } from '@antv/infographic';

// Initialize the infographic instance
const infographic = new Infographic({
  container: '#container', // DOM element ID where the infographic will be mounted
  width: '100%', // Responsive width
  height: '100%', // Responsive height
  editable: true, // Enable edit mode for in-browser tweaks
});

// Render the infographic
infographic.render(`
infographic list-row-simple-horizontal-arrow
data
  items:
    - label: Step 1
      desc: Start
    - label: Step 2
      desc: In Progress
    - label: Step 3
      desc: Complete
`);

Here’s a breakdown of what this code does:

  1. Imports the Infographic class from the package.
  2. Creates an instance, specifying the target DOM container, responsive dimensions, and enabling edit mode.
  3. Uses the render method to define the infographic:

    • list-row-simple-horizontal-arrow: The template for a horizontal list with arrows.
    • data.items: The content to display (three steps with labels and descriptions).

When you run this code, you’ll see a horizontal infographic with arrows connecting the steps “Start → In Progress → Complete.” The result looks like this:

AntV Infographic Step List Example

IV. Streaming Rendering: Watch AI-Generated Infographics Take Shape in Real Time

AI tools often generate content in “streams”—sending chunks of text incrementally rather than all at once. AntV Infographic’s robust (fault-tolerant) syntax supports streaming rendering: as the AI outputs each chunk of configuration, the tool updates the infographic in real time. This means you can watch your infographic evolve as the AI generates it.

Implementing streaming rendering is simple. The core idea is to accumulate the AI’s output and re-render after each chunk:

let buffer = ''; // Store accumulated AI output
// Assume `chunks` is an array of streaming content from the AI
for (const chunk of chunks) {
  buffer += chunk; // Add the latest chunk to the buffer
  infographic.render(buffer); // Re-render with the updated buffer
}

For example, if you ask an AI to generate an infographic about “The Evolution of Internet Technology,” the AI might first output the first two milestones. AntV Infographic will render those immediately, then update the infographic as the AI adds more milestones. This process feels like “watching the infographic grow”—a game-changer for efficiency and user experience.

Here’s what streaming rendering looks like in action:

AntV Infographic Streaming Rendering Demo

V. AntV Infographic Syntax: Describe Complex Infographics with Simple Code

To master AntV Infographic, you’ll need to learn its core syntax—AntV Infographic Syntax. This declarative syntax uses indentation to define hierarchy, making it intuitive and easy to read, even for beginners.

1. Core Syntax Structure

The syntax has three key components:

  • Template: Defines the infographic’s type and layout (e.g., list, sequence, chart).
  • Data: Contains the content to visualize (e.g., titles, descriptions, items).
  • Theme: Controls visual styling (e.g., colors, fonts).

2. Key Syntax Rules to Remember

  • Mandatory Start: The first line must begin with infographic <template-name> (e.g., infographic list-row-horizontal-icon-arrow).
  • Indentation for Hierarchy: Use two spaces to indent child elements under data and theme.
  • Key-Value Pairs: Use the format key value (e.g., title The Evolution of Internet Technology).
  • Arrays with “-“: Use - to denote list items (e.g., entries under items).
  • Icon Names: Specify icons using keywords or names (e.g., mdi/rocket-launch for a rocket icon, mdi/web for a web icon).
  • Optional Fields: Omit title, desc, or other fields if they’re not needed for your infographic.
  • Comparison Templates: For templates starting with compare-, create two root nodes, and nest comparison items under their children (e.g., left vs. right sections).

3. Template Library: 30+ Templates for Every Use Case

AntV Infographic offers over 30 templates, covering sequences, comparisons, lists, quadrants, hierarchies, and charts. Below are some commonly used templates and their use cases:

Template Name Use Case
sequence-zigzag-steps-underline-text Zigzag-layout process workflows (e.g., project phases).
compare-binary-horizontal-simple-fold Side-by-side binary comparisons (e.g., Product X vs. Product Y).
list-grid-badge-card Grid-layout lists with badge styling (e.g., category-based information).
quadrant-quarter-simple-card Four-quadrant layouts (e.g., importance-urgency matrices).
hierarchy-tree-tech-style-capsule-item Technical-style tree hierarchies (e.g., organizational charts, tech stacks).
chart-column-simple Bar charts for data comparison (e.g., monthly sales).
chart-pie-plain-text Pie charts for percentage breakdowns (e.g., market share).

For example, use compare-swot to create a SWOT analysis infographic, or sequence-roadmap-vertical-simple for a vertical timeline.

4. Full Example: The Evolution of Internet Technology

Below is a complete syntax example for an infographic about the evolution of internet technology. It uses the list-row-horizontal-icon-arrow template, includes a title, description, time-stamped items with icons, and a custom color palette:

infographic list-row-horizontal-icon-arrow
data
  title The Evolution of Internet Technology
  desc Key Milestones from Web 1.0 to the AI Era
  items
    - time 1991
      label Birth of the World Wide Web
      desc Tim Berners-Lee launched the first website, ushering in the internet age
      icon mdi/web
    - time 2004
      label Rise of Web 2.0
      desc Social media and user-generated content became mainstream
      icon mdi/account-multiple
    - time 2007
      label Mobile Internet
      desc The iPhone launch transformed the world with smartphones
      icon mdi/cellphone
    - time 2015
      label Cloud-Native Era
      desc Containerization and microservices architectures gained widespread adoption
      icon mdi/cloud
    - time 2020
      label Low-Code Platforms
      desc Visual development lowered technical barriers for non-developers
      icon mdi/application-brackets
    - time 2023
      label AI Large Models
      desc ChatGPT sparked the generative AI revolution
      icon mdi/brain
theme
  palette #3b82f6 #8b5cf6 #f97316

This syntax generates a horizontal infographic that displays key internet technology milestones in chronological order. Each milestone includes an icon, and the theme uses three colors (#3b82f6, #8b5cf6, #f97316) for a cohesive, professional look.

VI. Community & Support: What to Do If You Need Help

If you encounter issues or have suggestions while using AntV Infographic, there are several support channels available:

  • GitHub Issues: Submit bugs, feature requests, or questions on the project’s Issue Tracker. The development team regularly reviews and responds to submissions.
  • GitHub Discussions: Join GitHub Discussions to connect with other users, share tips, and discuss use cases.
  • Contribute Code: If you have ideas for improvements or new features, submit a Pull Request (PR) to the GitHub repository. The community welcomes contributions to make AntV Infographic even better.

The official website also provides a wealth of learning resources:

  • Official Website: Stay updated on the latest project news and releases.
  • Documentation Center: Access detailed tutorials, syntax guides, and getting-started guides.
  • Example Gallery: Browse hundreds of pre-built infographic examples for inspiration or direct reuse.

VII. License Information: Can You Use It for Commercial Projects?

AntV Infographic is open-source under the MIT License, which means you can:

  • Use, copy, and modify the software freely.
  • Distribute copies or modified versions (even for commercial purposes).
  • Integrate the software into commercial products or enterprise applications.

The only requirement is to retain the original license notice in any copies or modified versions of the software. This license is highly permissive, making AntV Infographic suitable for personal projects, startup tools, and large-scale commercial applications alike—no copyright concerns.

VIII. FAQ: Answers to Common Questions

1. Is AntV Infographic suitable for beginners with no coding experience?

Absolutely. Its syntax is simple and intuitive, and it comes with hundreds of templates and examples. Even without coding skills, you can generate infographics by modifying template data. For users with basic JavaScript knowledge, customization becomes even more flexible.

2. Can I use AntV Infographic outside of web applications?

Currently, AntV Infographic is primarily designed for web environments (browser-based) due to its SVG rendering. However, you can export generated infographics as images (e.g., PNG, JPG) and use them in non-web contexts like PowerPoint presentations, reports, or printed materials.

3. Can I extend or customize the built-in templates?

Yes. If the built-in templates don’t meet your needs, you can create custom templates using AntV Infographic’s underlying framework. Refer to the “Custom Templates” section in the official documentation for step-by-step guidance.

4. Does streaming rendering work with all AI tools?

Streaming rendering works with any AI tool that supports streaming output (i.e., incremental content delivery). Most modern AI APIs (e.g., OpenAI’s API, Anthropic’s Claude API) support streaming, so compatibility is excellent.

5. Are the infographics responsive for mobile devices?

Yes. By setting width: '100%' and height: '100%' when initializing the Infographic instance, the infographic will automatically adapt to the container size. This ensures it displays correctly on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.

AntV Infographic simplifies infographic creation with its intuitive syntax, rich template library, and AI-friendly design. Whether you’re creating a report for work, a presentation for school, or a visual for your business, it turns text into compelling visuals in minutes. With its flexible customization options, scalable SVG output, and permissive MIT license, it’s a tool that grows with your needs—from simple lists to complex data visualizations. Try it today and see how it brings your words to life!