♛Branding
Logo File Formats Explained: Which File to Use, Where and Why
Short answer: Keep your logo master in a vector format (AI, SVG, EPS or PDF) so it scales to any size without losing quality. Use SVG on websites, PNG with a transparent background for documents and social media, PDF or EPS for printers, and JPG only where transparency is not needed. Get each in full colour, black and white.
Every business eventually gets the email: "Can you send your logo in a higher resolution?" If all you have is a small JPG pulled from your website, that simple request turns into a problem, and the logo ends up blurry on a banner or boxed in white on a coloured background.
This guide explains each logo file format in plain English, which one to use for each job, and what a complete logo package should contain. It is the same handover we give clients at the end of a brand identity design project.
Vector vs raster: the difference that matters
Every logo file is one of two types, and knowing which is which solves most logo problems.
- Vector files describe the logo as mathematical shapes: points, lines and curves. You can scale them from a favicon to a building sign and they stay perfectly sharp. AI, SVG, EPS and most logo PDFs are vector.
- Raster files are made of a fixed grid of pixels. They look fine at the size they were made, but enlarge them and the edges turn soft and jagged. PNG, JPG and WebP are raster.
The rule is simple: your designer should create and keep the logo in vector, then export raster versions from it for everyday use. You can always make a sharp PNG from a vector file. You cannot turn a small JPG back into a clean vector without redrawing it.
Logo file formats explained, one by one
| Format | Type | Best for | Avoid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI | Vector | The editable master file in Adobe Illustrator | Sending to people without Illustrator |
| SVG | Vector | Websites, apps, online stores, animation | Most print workflows and many email signatures |
| EPS | Vector | Printers, sign makers, embroidery and promotional merchandise suppliers | Websites |
| Vector (when exported from vector) | Sending print-ready logos; opens on almost any computer | Placing directly on web pages | |
| PNG | Raster | Documents, slides, social media, email signatures; supports transparency | Large print or anything that must scale |
| JPG | Raster | Photos with a logo on them, quick previews | Logos on coloured backgrounds (no transparency) |
AI (Adobe Illustrator)
The working file your designer edits. It keeps layers, artboards and colour swatches. You need it if the logo will ever be adjusted, so ask for it even if you never open it yourself.
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
The best format for logos on websites. SVG files are code, so they are small, stay sharp on any screen and can be styled or animated. Adobe notes that SVG suits logos and icons that must stay sharp at any size but is not compatible with enough devices for everyday printing.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
An older vector format that print suppliers still request because it works with a wide range of equipment, including legacy systems. It is not well suited to the web. If a supplier asks for "vector artwork", an EPS or PDF is usually what they mean.
A PDF exported from Illustrator keeps the logo as vector, and anyone can open it. It is a good default when you are unsure what a printer needs. Our print-ready files checklist covers PDF settings for print jobs.
PNG
Your everyday logo file. PNG supports transparent backgrounds, so the logo sits cleanly on coloured slides, photos and documents. Export PNGs at a generous size, for example 2000 px wide, so they stay sharp when someone resizes them.
JPG
JPG has no transparency, so a logo saved as JPG always sits on a solid rectangle, usually white. Use it only where a background is expected, such as a logo already placed on a photo.
Which logo file should you use where?
| Where | File | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Website header | SVG (PNG as fallback) | RGB or HEX |
| Favicon | Square icon as PNG or ICO, larger than 48 x 48 px | RGB |
| Social profile picture | Square PNG of the icon or mark | RGB |
| Email signature | PNG, displayed small | RGB |
| Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs | Transparent PNG | RGB |
| Business cards and brochures | PDF or EPS | CMYK or Pantone |
| Packaging and labels | AI, PDF or EPS | CMYK and/or Pantone |
| Signage, embroidery, vinyl | EPS, PDF or AI | Pantone or supplier’s colour system |
Two details people miss
- Favicons must be square. Google Search requires a 1:1 favicon and recommends one larger than 48 x 48 px. A wide wordmark will not work, so you need an icon or monogram version.
- Most social platforms crop profile pictures into a circle. Use the icon version with breathing room around it, not the full horizontal logo.
Colour versions: RGB, HEX, CMYK and Pantone
The same logo needs different colour settings for screens and print.
- RGB is for screens. Colours are mixed from red, green and blue light.
- HEX is the web code for an RGB colour, such as #1F3A5F, used by developers and in website builders.
- CMYK is for standard full-colour printing, mixing cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks.
- Pantone (spot colour) is a premixed ink with a standard number and name, so printers can match it exactly. Adobe explains that spot colours suit bold graphic work with few colours, but each one typically adds a printing plate in offset printing.
Bright screen colours do not always have an exact CMYK match. That is why a good brand palette lists RGB, HEX, CMYK and Pantone values that have been checked together, ideally recorded in your brand guidelines.
Colour variants you should have
- Full colour: the primary version.
- One colour: for single-ink print, engraving or embossing.
- Black: for forms, newspapers, single-colour stamps and partner logo walls.
- White (reversed): for dark backgrounds and photos.
What a complete logo package includes
A logo is rarely one file. Most brands need a few layouts, each in several colours and formats. A typical professional handover looks like this:
- Layouts: primary logo, horizontal version, stacked version and an icon or monogram.
- Colours: full colour, one colour, black and white for each layout.
- Formats: AI or EPS and PDF for print, SVG for web, PNG for everyday use, with RGB and CMYK versions separated into folders.
- Fonts: the names of the typefaces used, and confirmation that text in the logo files has been converted to outlines so it displays correctly without the font installed.
- A one-page usage sheet: clear space, minimum size and colour values.
If you are unsure whether you need just a logo or a fuller system, our post on brand identity vs a logo explains the difference.
From our projects: we name every file with brand, layout, colour and format, for example brandname-horizontal-white-rgb.png. When someone in your team needs a logo in a hurry, they can find the right one without opening ten files.
Common logo file mistakes
- Using a JPG on a coloured background, which leaves a white box around the logo.
- Enlarging a small PNG for a banner or sign, which makes it blurry.
- Sending RGB files to a printer, which can shift colours when converted.
- Screenshots of the logo instead of real exported files.
- Live text in the logo file, which changes font on a computer without that typeface.
- Stretching the logo to fit a space instead of using a different layout.
Checklist: logo files you should have
- Editable master file (AI) stored safely
- Vector files for print (PDF and EPS) in CMYK, plus Pantone if used
- SVG for the website
- Transparent PNGs exported large, in RGB
- Primary, horizontal, stacked and icon layouts
- Full colour, one colour, black and white versions
- Square icon for favicon and social profiles
- Text converted to outlines in all logo files
- Colour values listed in RGB, HEX, CMYK and Pantone
- Clear space and minimum size documented
- Files named clearly and sorted into print and digital folders
Questions
What is the best file format for a logo?
There is no single best format. Keep the master in a vector format such as AI, SVG, EPS or PDF so it can scale to any size. For daily use, SVG works best on websites, transparent PNG for documents and social media, and PDF or EPS for printers.
Is PNG or SVG better for a logo on a website?
SVG is usually better. It is a vector format, so it stays sharp on every screen size and is often a smaller file than a PNG. Use a large transparent PNG as a fallback where a platform, app or email client does not accept SVG.
What does a printer mean by vector logo?
They want a file built from shapes rather than pixels, so it can be printed at any size without blurring. Send an EPS or a PDF exported from the original vector artwork, ideally in CMYK or with Pantone colours set up correctly.
Why does my logo have a white box around it?
Your logo is probably saved as a JPG, which does not support transparency, or as a PNG exported with a white background. Ask your designer for a PNG with a transparent background, or an SVG, so the logo sits cleanly on any colour.
Can I convert a JPG logo to a vector?
Automatic tracing tools can convert simple shapes, but results are often uneven, with wobbly curves and wrong fonts. For a logo you will use for years, it is better to have a designer redraw it properly as vector, then export all the other formats from that.