Ever wondered what file types you should get from your designer?
Have you ever eagerly sent your logo off for printing,
only to have it rejected due to the wrong file format?
Have you ever eagerly sent your logo off for printing, only to have it rejected due to the wrong file format? Or maybe you've tried to make your logo bigger, only for it to turn into a pixelated mess?
Issues like these can be avoided with some foundational design education!
In this blog, we’ll break down what file types are and what they’re best used for, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. We’ve sprinkled in some pro tips too so read carefully to get the most out of your design work.
But first, let’s define some designy terms!
Raster vs. Vector
A raster image is made up of a grid of pixels, where each pixel contains a specific colour and contributes to the overall appearance of the image. When a raster image is resized, the image can become blurry or pixelated.
A vector image, on the other hand, is made up of points, lines, and curves that are defined proportionally. As a result, vector images can be resized without losing their quality or clarity.
Hi-Res vs. Low-Res
Hi-res refers to high-resolution images with a large number of PPI and DPI (300 DPI or greater), ideal for print design because they can be printed without losing quality.
Lo-res refers to low-resolution images with smaller PPI and DPI (72 DPI standard), used for digital design because their smaller file size is ideal for fast uploading and downloading times.
Pro Tip
Need to convert or resize images but don’t have any Adobe software? Both TinyPNG and Squoosh are free, convenient and intuitive to use.
When you are sending files, use Dropbox or a similar cloud-based service, rather than social media or email, so that your files are not compressed.
Lossless vs. Lossy
Lossless or lossy are terms used to describe the compression of digital files and how it affects data and quality.
Lossless files can be compressed without any impact on original data or quality. The original file can be reconstructed exactly from the compressed file. PNG files are examples of lossless files.
Lossy files will lose some of the original data and quality when compressed. JPG files are examples of lossy files.
What are the different file types for logos and what are they best for?
JPG (Pronounced ‘jay-peg’)
A lossy raster image file format. JPGs are best used for logos and images that are used digitally on websites and social media.
Pro Tips
Save your JPGs are the actual size that you want to use them at.
We dive into colour types later in this blog but for now, ensure you get your JPGs in both RGB and CMYK colour.
But better yet, because JPGs are so lossy and aren’t editable, ensure you get EPS files from your designer too.
PNG (Pronounced ‘ping’)
A lossless raster file format. Best used for digital design including logos and images that need transparency to be placed over other images.
Pro tips
In our professional opinion, PNG files are really the only way to go when it comes to your logo.
SVG
A lossless vector image file format. Best file type to share with designers for web-based design.
Pro tip
Creating a website or app that needs to be responsive on different devices? Because SVG files are web-friendly vector files, they can be scaled up or down to fit any screen size without losing quality, making them perfect for responsive design.
A document file format that can be lossless or lossy, depending on the compression settings. Best file type for sharing and printing documents where you need to preserve layout and formatting.
Pro tip
Make sure your PDF is set up with the correct resolution (usually 300DPI) for your printing method, communicate your colour expectations with your printer so they can advise on colour conversions and include bleed marks (typically 1/8 inch on all sides) for a clean, finished edge.
EPS
A vector image file format that can be lossless or lossy, depending on the compression settings. Best file type to share with designers for print-based design.
Pro tip
Printing some apparel? It’s exciting to see your branding take shape in the real world! So make sure the typeface in your EPS files are outlined — otherwise, your garments might not come out exactly how you want...
Outlining the typeface converts the text to vector shapes for accurate printing even without the original font. But once outlined, the text will no longer be editable as text, so save a copy of the original EPS file for future changes.
AI
Short for “Adobe Illustrator Artwork file”, this file is a single-page, lossless vector-based graphic file. Typically used — and created — by designers. It’s important to note that when a designer creates an AI file, they typically own the intellectual property rights to that design.
Pro tip
AI files are typically complex and time-consuming to create so our pro tip here is to simply leave it up to the pros ;)
TIFF
A lossless raster file format. Best used when preparing high-resolution photos for print.
Pro tips
Need to send a TIFF file off? The file sizes can be quite large so check it first before sending or uploading (or trying to) and consider using a compression tool (like the aforementioned TinyPNG and Squoosh) to reduce the size.
Other design questions you’re burning to know
What about colour types?
We’re glad you asked because colour types are also an important consideration when it comes to design and file types!
There are 2 main colour types:
RGB and CMYK.
RGB stands for red, green and blue and is used for digital media such as websites, videos and social media graphics. Using RGB for print means your colours might come out completely wrong, like a neon green wedding dress.
CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black and is used for print media. Using CMYK for web could dilute your colours and leave people looking like the Walking Dead — not ideal!
But wait, there’s also Pantone! This is an industry-standard colour system that is commonly used in printing, including for packaging, publications and apparel. The greatest advantage about Pantone is that it is widely recognised and used, making it easy to reproduce specific colours accurately; this is especially important for brand identity and consistency!
If you’re wondering why you wouldn’t always use Pantone, it’s because its usage usually comes with additional costs, the spectrum of Pantone colours is limited compared to RGB and CMYK and Pantone colours might not be compatible with some printing methods, like printing on textured paper.
Pro tip
Loving those neon colours? We’re big fans too but, hate to break it to you, they may look different when printed due to their inaccuracy in CMYK. So, it's best to inform your designer and work with a professional printer to achieve the desired effect.
Always print out your document to see what the true colours are as print, but keep in mind that computer screens and printers can differ in colour representation. Ask for a print proof and provide a Pantone colour if you want a specific colour match.
Do I need different file types for print and digital?
You might have gleaned the answer to this already – yes!
Print and web have different requirements and constraints. Using the wrong file type for a specific medium can result in seriously wonky-looking images.
Print media, like business cards and apparel, typically require high-resolution files with a specific colour profile.
🏆File types like EPS and PDF are best for print.
Web media, like websites, social media and digital advertising, need to be smaller in file size so that they’re optimised for fast loading times and may require a transparent background.
🏆File types like PNG and SVG are best for web.
And there you have it! You have laid down your foundational knowledge of file and colour types. With this understanding down pat, you can keep your branding looking schmick and consistent across all platforms and mediums.
View below to see how we have summarised everything, a bit of a cheat sheet aka an overview of what we discussed to equip you in your business.
So to summarise everything:
🏆JPGs are best used for logos and images that are used digitally on websites and social media. They are the file type that is only lossy!
🏆PNGs are best used for logos and images that need transparency to be placed over other images
🏆SVG is the best file type to share with designers for web-based design
🏆EPS is the best file type to share with designers for print-based design
🏆PDFs are great for sharing and printing documents where you need to preserve layout and formatting
🏆RGB is used for web-based media
🏆CMYK is used for print media
🏆Pantone can allow for more accurate colour representation
And there you have it! You have laid down your foundational knowledge of file and colour types. With this understanding down pat, you can keep your branding looking schmick and consistent across all platforms and mediums.
Head to our freebies page for more resources that can help equip you daily for your business.
When we work with you, we make sure you receive the whole shebang of file types so you’re never caught with your pixels down or your vectors in a twist! Whether it’s web or print, you’ll have the right files for the job.
Got a design brief for us? Book a complimentary 15-minute enquiry chat with us today and let’s get started.
As always, stay classy! ✌🏻
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