If you’ve had a logo designed by Raewell Graphics you might be wondering what to do with all the various file types you’ve received. You will see that some files are better suited for “on-screen” tasks like your web site or an email attachment. Others are better suited for commercial printing or fabrication (signs, silk screening, embroidery etc). Some types are actually good for multiple purposes.

Please take a look at the following may guide. It should lead you to the answer. Still confused or is your situation out of the ordinary? Contact us and we’ll give you the answer.

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)

The GIF file is a standard and recognized format used in online and Web applications. They tend to be smaller in file size. They are well suited for on-screen applications but they do have limitations.

GIF files are used primarily in web applications. They are limited to 256 colors. This may sound like a lot but in reality a human eye can see over 16 million colors. GIF files support transparency (see example) as well. GIF files can be animated in a frame-by-frame fashion. It is effective but can appear a bit like a flip book cartoon.

Use GIF files for website applications when file size is a major consideration. They can be used for casual printing but not for commercial output.

JPEG of JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

JPG is probably the most familiar format. They are very versatile. They are suited for web and print applications. If you are going to use the JPG file for a website, your web designer would resample the image to fit your layout. Resampling would involve resizing the image’s height and width but also adjusting the dpi to an optimum level for visual quality and file size. JPG files do not support transparency.

JPG will give you great results for on screen applications and can be suitable for casual or commercial printing. *Commercial printing is dependent on the resolution of the image so if you are having the image printed at a large size, jpeg my not retain enough resolution for a quality output. There are other options available for this instance, read on.

PNG (Portable Network Graphic)

PNG could be described as a superior combination of GIF and JPG. They support transparency beautifully and can display millions of colors. But just like in life, there’s no free lunch. They support transparency like a GIF file, but they do not support animation. They look just as good (if not better) as a JPG but the file size can be larger.

You would want to use the PNG file for web instances when you need either a high-quality image or if you need to place the image on a non-white background. PNG files are suitable for casual printing but not recommended for commercial printing due to the fact that it does not support the CMYK color space.

TIFF or TIF (Tagged Image File Format)

This is the file you want to use for commercial printing. It retains the most information about the image and is usually one of the largest files (outside of the source files –more on that later). TIF files are not suitable for web applications. They can be displayed in some web browsers but the file size makes them a poor choice.

TIF files do not support transparency.

EPS (Encapsulated Post Script)

These files could be "placed' or "imported" into publishing software like InDesign, Quark, Pagemaker, Word,  etc. The vector based EPS can be almost infinitely scaled in size without degrading the output. A raster based EPS (usually a “Full Color” logo with shading applied) has a set resolution. It can be opened in PhotoShop or other image editing programs, also placed or imported into other applications, but it will be significantly degraded if scaled beyond the set resolution (We set the resolution or our work very high so this is not usually an issue). Your commercial printer may request an EPS file if your image is to be placed into another document.

They are obviously not intended for web use.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

Nearly everyone knows what this is. The PDF files you receive from us are suitable for commercial printing unless otherwise stated. We sometimes create “web ready” PDF files which are very small in file size and are suited for display on screen.

Source files

We use Adobe applications to create our designs. In some instances, you may receive a source file. Source file just means that it is the actual file used to create the art. All other files are derived from this source file. In many cases, you will have no use for this file since you would need the correct application and version to even open the file. A source file would have an extension on AI (Adobe Illustrator) or PSD (Adobe PhotoShop).

The main reason you may receive a file like these would be simply for security. Having an additional copy of the original artwork is always a good policy.

If you didn’t find your answer here, contact us and we’ll find the answer.