You’ve been working with your friendly local designer on your new logo design and you’re ready to sign the design off and request the logo files but you’re not sure what you should be asking for. Do you need different file formats for different uses? What’s the difference between a .jpg and .eps?
When it comes to your logo, understanding and having the right file to use for a specific purpose is vital.
Let’s start by looking at the two main categories of logo design files: vector and raster.
Vector files
A vector file is made up of mathematically precise points and can be scaled to any size without any loss of quality. Vector files are the original source files that can be edited, usually created in an app like Adobe Illustrator and a file format you should always request from your designer.
Vector file types have a file extension of .ai, .eps, .pdf, or .svg
Raster files
A raster file is made up of pixels and is resolution dependant which means you will experience a loss of quality when the file is scaled up. A raster file needs to be exported at a specific size to fit the application. If your logo was created in an app like Photoshop it’s going to cause issues down the line as the file is not scalable without loss of resolution.
Raster file types have a file extension of .jpg or .png.
Ok, now we understand the difference between vector and raster files, now let’s look at the different file formats.
ai: Adobe Illustrator
The .ai file is the original, editable, working file and the most common type of vector image. You will need Adobe Illustrator to open and edit an .ai file.
eps: Encapsulated PostScript
The .eps file, also a vector file, is the file meant for print usage. These files have a transparent background and can be scaled to any size. They are perfect for large format printing. Always ensure your designer provides you with an .eps file.
pdf: Portable Document Format
The .pdf is a file format we are all familiar with and a format that can be universally viewed in any PDF viewer or web browser. If exporting a pdf file from Adobe Illustrator, editing capabilities can be preserved. However, be aware not all pdf’s are vector based as these can be exported from a number of programs like Powerpoint and Word.
svg: Scalable Vector Graphic
The .svg is a vector file format designed to be used online so perfect for use on your website. It too can be scaled without loss of resolution and has a transparent background.
jpg/jpeg: Joint Photographic Experts Group
A jpg or jpeg file is a compressed raster image that can be used for both web and print use. A jpg file does not support transparent background and must be created at the correct size and resolution for the end usage.
png: Portable Network Graphic
A png file is a raster image meant for web use only. If your website doesn’t support .svg files a .png optimized for the web and at the correct size is the next best option.
Get in touch if you need help with your new logo project.
