Logo File Types - Which Version Should I Use?
You have your brand ready to go, and you've downloaded your Zip file of logos. The trouble is, you have multiple folders containing several different file formats. Which one do you use?
The answer to that comes from another question: how will you be using your logo? Will you use it on your website or have it printed on a banner?
The image files that we provide you with can be divided into categories of file: Raster and Vector.
Raster image files are images that are made up of a grid of tiny squares called pixels. When you zoom into the image, you can make out the individual pixels that make up the image. While this won't cause you any issues if you use your logo online, it's not recommended to print anything using this format. The bigger the print, the lower the image quality.
Vector image files are graphics created directly from geometric shapes - they can be scaled infinitely with no loss of quality.
In the example below, the differences aren't obvious:
| Raster | Vector |
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When we zoom in further, then the image degradation is more apparent:
| Raster | Vector |
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The raster image file types available to you are PNG and WebP, while the vector file types are AI, SVG, and EPS. The PNG and WebP files are easier to open using free software, while the EPS and AI files typically require Adobe Illustrator or a similar vector graphics editing program.
The PNG file should fit the bill most of the time, but if you wanted to print your logo, business cards, or letterhead, we'd recommend sending the SVG, EPS or AI files to your printer instead.
A deep-dive into image file types (as well as a whole lot more) can be found on the LOGO.com blog!