A logo is your business image. It\u2019s often the first impression you\u2019ll make on somebody unfamiliar with your brand.<\/p>\n
Choosing the right logo is important, but quality, color, and scalability can all be affected by the graphics format you choose.<\/p>\n
So which file format should you use for your logo?<\/p>\n
If you can\u2019t decide, here\u2019s a list of the best logo formats you should be using for a variety of purposes.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for an all-rounder, the PNG format is a particularly good first option to consider if you\u2019re not entirely sure what you plan on using your logo for.<\/p>\n
PNG files offer a richness in color, meaning any logos you print will look more realistic. You can also compress or enlarge the file size of a PNG file, which makes it a versatile option for any use you might have.<\/p>\n
PNG logos will look great as website graphics, in documents, or on social media posts.<\/p>\n
The biggest benefit of the Scalable Vector Graphic format is in the name \u2013 it\u2019s scalable. You can increase the size a thousand times and you won\u2019t get any pixelation. It\u2019s just not how SVG files work.<\/p>\n
That makes it the perfect option for images used on the web or on rich, color displays. It doesn\u2019t matter what your size requirements are, because SVG logos will look great big or small.<\/p>\n
The filesize of the SVG format isn\u2019t large either, making it a good option to provide to professional printers for merchandise, or to offer on a responsive website.<\/p>\n
The EPS format was developed by graphics behemoth Adobe, but despite its proprietary nature, it\u2019s still accessible in other software packages.<\/p>\n
EPS files allow you to regularly make changes and edits as required. It\u2019s a \u2018vector\u2019 file format, similar to the SVG, that can be scaled at will without pixelation.<\/p>\n
Because they can be edited, they\u2019re a good file to work from if you\u2019re in your design phase and can be used to satisfy any logo requirement you might have, from t-shirt printing to a letterhead.<\/p>\n
The most common graphics format you\u2019ll see on the web today is the JPEG or JPG format. This particular logo file format is popular for two reasons.<\/p>\n
First, logos you save in JPG format will still look pretty good, even if you have to compress them or lower their quality. The downside is that you will lose some quality when you do this, and the smaller the file, the lower the quality.<\/p>\n
The upside you get with JPG files is that they\u2019re universal. You won\u2019t find a computer, laptop or tech device that won\u2019t be able to display it. Any kind of printer should be able to print a JPG file with ease, too.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re the ultimate web image format because they\u2019ll still look great, even if you need to reduce the file size.<\/p>\n
This helpful guide<\/a> can help you decide whether to use a JPG or a PNG.<\/p>\n Like the EPS format, the Photoshop Document file format (or PSD for short) is another file you can save and work from. It\u2019s the ultimate editing file for Adobe Photoshop designers.<\/p>\n If you want to use the full range of Photoshop features, or you need your designer to do so, the PSD format is the format you\u2019ll need to choose.<\/p>\n The downside with PSD comes, as you might expect, in the name. It\u2019s proprietary but unlike the EPS format, it\u2019s not widely accessible outside of Photoshop or other Adobe products.<\/p>\n Unless you\u2019re working with Adobe products exclusively, you might find other formats better for your needs.<\/p>\n The GIF format would be a little unusual to choose as a logo file format but that might be your thing.<\/p>\n They\u2019re a format that is largely best used for moving images. If that\u2019s what you\u2019re looking for, then a GIF is all you need.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, you\u2019re not really going to get much in the way of quality from a GIF. You get 256 colors, so you won\u2019t find the richness you find with a PNG. Your best use of a GIF as a logo (if you can avoid making it look tacky) is on a website.<\/p>\n GIFs do offer something a little different compared to more traditional image formats, though. Here are 5 ways<\/a> you could use GIFs in a digital marketing strategy, for instance.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve mentioned graphics that are suited for the web so far, but you might be looking for a format that lends itself towards printing in the highest quality.<\/p>\n For that, the TIFF format is perfect.<\/p>\n Almost every photo-editing or viewing software can view a TIFF file, so you won\u2019t struggle to work with it. It doesn\u2019t do any trickery with the format to make it bigger or smaller, so the file size will become large if the quality is high.<\/p>\n That\u2019s can be beneficial, depending on your viewpoint. It isn\u2019t really a web format, so you don\u2019t need to worry about load times with large files. If you need to print in quality, you won\u2019t lose anything with a TIFF.<\/p>\n However, you may not notice much difference in quality between a high-quality JPG and a TIFF, so you should look to try out both file formats.<\/p>\n Planning on using your logo on your website or merchandise? Do you need it scaled up or reduced in size? As we\u2019ve discussed, different logo formats are needed for different purposes, so follow our guide and choose the right format for you.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to wait to get started, either. Begin designing your best logo with our online logo maker<\/a>.<\/p>\nPhotoshop Document (PSD)<\/h2>\n
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)<\/h2>\n
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)<\/h2>\n
The Right Logo Formats for the Right Purpose<\/h2>\n