Your Logo Cheat Sheet: How To Use Logo File Formats

Imagine. You've been working with your creative partner for weeks or even months, to develop a new brand identity or refresh an existing one for your business or organisation, and the day has finally arrived.

It's all done. It's all finalised.

The entire team is buzzing with excitement to launch the new brand, and you're utterly thrilled with the results.

It's been a labour of love. You might be doing happy dances around your office.

Now, your magical design team is hitting send any minute and delivering a suite of logo file formats, your brand guidelines and if you've been super thorough, everything else you need to launch your brand.

(Not forgetting those all-important social profile images in the correct size.)

But wait…

There's a folder here called logo files and within that folder, you find lots of other folders containing lots of different logo file formats. Eeeek!

What's an SVG? Why can't I open this EPS? What even is an EPS? Which one do you use for what?

Breathe. Let's unravel the mysteries together with our logo cheat sheet.

Why are there so many file formats?

You have your digital files in front of you, and there are JUST. SO. MANY.

It may seem like overkill, but actually, when it comes to designing and launching your brand, using the right logo file format for a specific purpose is important.

Your creative team will have worked hard to make sure your logo has been delivered in every variation of file format.

Not for sh*ts and giggles or to clock up some extra hours.

Really, it's so you can be secure in the knowledge that you've got what you need to launch your brand, EVERYWHERE, for always. Yep. Always.

Right now, you may only need to be updating your social media or your website, so you may just need files that are suitable for online viewing.

But in a week, a month or even a year from now, you may be working with a signage company, a stationery printer, or even an exhibition company and will need a completely different file type that's suitable for print.

That's what all these files are for. They're for now and for the future.

All the files that have magically arrived in your inbox can be identified by their extension. Here's a guide on exactly what each of the most common ones is, where they should be used, and how to open them.

What is an AI file?

Don't panic, but unless you have access to Adobe Creative Suite and know your way around Adobe Illustrator, you probably won't be able to open this file. That doesn't mean it's broken.

Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard design software. A vector-based software which allows you to scale artwork using mathematical formulas (don't worry, that's automatic) without losing quality. This is what your designers have used to create your brand identity.

If you're a marketing manager or CEO, you won't necessarily need to be able to open this file yourself. If you're working with designers or printers in the future, those are the files they'll need to reproduce or create marketing materials for the brand.

Keep them safe.

What is an EPS file?

Similar to AI files, EPS is used primarily as a vector format, which, as we touched on, means the resolution stays high (not blurry) even when stretched or blown up to larger scales.

For example, it will work well on a business card but can be blown up to appear on a massive roadside billboard and still look epic.

AI files are becoming increasingly more popular than EPS. While creative agencies will usually still supply an EPS file, designers and illustrators can just as easily create the same image types in AI files. But better safe than sorry, so same story. Keep them safe, just in case.

And again, unless you know your way around Adobe Illustrator, you won't be able to just click and open this format. That's what designers are for.

What is a PDF file?

Now, you're probably thinking, "Well, which bloomin' file types can I open then?" Fair point. Let's start with the PDF.

You probably know your way around a PDF. They basically run the world now. In case you didn't know, PDF stands for Portable Document Format.

It means that these file types can be shared and opened easily and reliably on any machine, anywhere. Pretty snazzy, right?

In the context of logos and brand guidelines, a PDF is a format used to display documents and graphics correctly, no matter the device, application, operating system or web browser.

So this will come in handy when you need to send your brand guidelines to a colleague somewhere else in the world, to printers, designers or anyone who has anything to do with re-creating your brand for other materials.

Warning though because you can open this file and you know your way around a PDF, you must resist the urge to make any edits to a design when it's in this format. PDFs are great containers, but make sure any design edits are done within the AI files (by a professional) and they can then be exported as a new version of a PDF.

What is a JPG file?

Ah, the humble jpg. You've probably seen these file formats knockin' around quite a bit. It might even be your go-to file type because you can open it easily.

JPG is one of the most widely used formats online, typically for photos, graphics and large web images like banner ads.

These files have a sliding scale of compression that decreases file size fabulously but increases pixelation (it gets blurry, basically) the more the image is compressed. As long as you keep the quality at a certain point, their compact file sizes are perfect for uploading images to your website.

But JPGs are definitely not suitable for high-quality print jobs, such as business stationery, brochures, roller banners or exhibition graphics. So don't send them to your designer or printing company. They won't be able to scale them without losing quality, and you'll end up with a blurry logo on a humongous banner at your next exhibition or conference.

Imagine the horror.

JPGs also don't support transparency, unlike the legendary PNG format. Let's go visit that one next.

What is a PNG file?

Have you seen those awful designs where a glorious logo on a white background has been plonked on a coloured background? It doesn't look that great, does it?

It's probably because a JPG file (which doesn't have a transparent background) has been sent to whoever designed this "masterpiece" and they've had no choice but to use it like this.

If only there was a better option. Yep, you guessed it.

The PNG file comes to the rescue. They can be used for almost any digital purpose (note: we said digital, definitely not print) and can be exported from the AI file with transparency.

That makes it super handy to drop onto PowerPoint presentations, social posts with coloured backgrounds, and on top of photographs.

If you've chosen your creative partner well, they will have supplied you with versions of the logo that can be used on any colour background.

Note: if you've been supplied a white version of your logo as a transparent PNG, you probably won't be able to actually see it when you open it. Don't worry, it's definitely there. Plonk it on to a colour background and you'll see what we mean.

What is an SVG file?

SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. It's an XML-based vector image format for defining two-dimensional graphics.

Eh? I know, right?

We could go into the ins and outs of all the technical mumbo jumbo here, but here's what you need to know.

Just like the AI files, it's a scalable file. So the logo, graphic or whatever it might be can be resized up and down as many times as needed and won't lose quality.

But the difference is that this file is a bit of a game changer for web design, interactivity and animation. It means that even with the most complex graphics, you never need to worry about blurry images online again.

These are files that your in-house design team, web designers, animation and design agencies will know what to do with. Don't sweat it just keep it safe.

Quick recap

When it comes to launching a brand or creating marketing materials, having the right logo file type for a specific purpose is really, really important. Remember those blurry images and square white logos plonked on a colour background? Not a great advertisement for your business.

The rules of thumb:

- If you're using your logo for digital marketing materials like PowerPoint, choose PNG files.
- The best logo file types for printing business cards, brochures, clothing, swag and more are vector files. Use SVGs if they're accepted by the printer you're using; if not, send an EPS or PDF.
- The best file format for a transparent background is PNG (these should be your favourite asset).
- Never edit a design as a PDF file; ask your designer to make changes to the AI file first, before exporting as a new PDF.

Share this with anyone on your team who has ever had Carol from conveyancing ring them, asking why the PDF logo keeps crashing in Word.

Need a brand that earns the file formats?

A well-built brand identity is only as useful as the files it ships with but you've got to build the brand first. If you're scaling and the existing identity isn't keeping up, book a discovery call. We'll talk through where you're at and whether the Brand Strategy Workshop is the right next step.