Your Graphic File Formats: What Do You Use Where?

Should you use your PNG or JPG file formats?
Do you need your graphic designer to give you your logo as a PDF or SVG?
​Learn the common file formats and where to use them right here.

You’ve hired a graphic designer to create some amazing images for your business and you need to decide which file formats you require. The good news is that most designers will give you a variety of formats as part of their branding packages. The bad news is, you may not know the differences between them or where to use them. Today is the day you are going to find out what each file type is and the situations that they are best suited for.

Raster Vs Vector File Formats
Image file formats can be broken down into two key groups: raster images and vector images. Raster images are those which are pixel based, where each image contains different coloured dots called pixels. These images are resolution dependent, meaning that they only exist at one size. When the size of a raster image is changed, the result is a blurry or pixelated image. Examples of raster images are photographs, web and social media graphics.

Vector files are like giant maths equations, with lines, curves and points assigned a specific characteristics. This makes them resolution independent, which lets you enlarge or shrink their size and they’ll remain looking the same. Examples of vector images include logos, digital illustrations and icons.

From these two distinct types of file formats comes the individual ones you will receive from your graphic designer.

Understanding Common File Formats & Where to Use Them
The common file types you’ll receive from your graphic designer include:
Vector Images

• PDF – these files will display graphics correctly regardless of where they are seen. This makes it suitable for printing documents and displaying them on a website.
• EPS – used for high quality graphics such as illustrations, allowing them to be scalable. Good for printing on flyers or cards.

Raster Images

• JPG or JPEG – the most widely used format and suitable for photos, large web images and email graphics. Suitable for printing photos, sending a preview image to clients (as they can be made very small in file size) or on a website.
• PNG – another common file format, they can include transparent aspects and are often used for logos. Great for images with limited colours and when you need a small file, such as on the internet.

There are others that your graphic designer may also be able to provide including GIF, TIFF, RAW, PSD, SVG and AI. Take a look at my branding packages for details on the file types I regularly provide and if you need others, let me know so I can advise further.