Logo files explained
What is a vector logo, and which logo files do you need?
Someone asked you for a vector file, or your logo looks wrong somewhere, and the letters PNG, SVG and EPS mean little to you. Here is the short, plain version.
Have only a JPG or PNG? Upload it and see the vector version for free.
The two kinds of logo file
Every logo file is one of two kinds.
| Picture files (PNG, JPG) | Vector files (SVG, PDF, EPS) |
|---|---|
| Made of tiny colored squares | Made of shapes and curves |
| Have one fixed size | Have no size, they fit any size |
| Turn blurry when enlarged | Stay sharp from a pen to a billboard |
| Open everywhere, easy to use | Needed for print, signs and embroidery |
A vector logo is the master copy. Any picture file you need can be made from it at any size. It does not work the other way around: a small picture cannot simply be saved as a vector, it has to be traced.
Which file to use where
| Where | Use this |
|---|---|
| Website | SVG, or a large PNG |
| Email signature, Word, Google Docs, slides | PNG |
| Social media profile and posts | PNG or JPG |
| Business cards, flyers, brochures | |
| Signs, banners, vehicle wraps | PDF or EPS |
| Shirts, embroidery, engraving, stamps | EPS or PDF, often in one color |
| Browser tab icon | Favicon (ICO, SVG or a small PNG) |
| Giving your logo to a designer | SVG, PDF or EPS |
Each file type in one line
- PNG: a picture that can have a see-through background. The everyday file for screens.
- JPG: a picture with a solid background and a small file size. For places that do not accept PNG.
- SVG: a vector made for websites and modern design tools.
- PDF: a vector that opens on any computer. The safest file to send a print shop.
- EPS: an older vector format that sign makers, embroiderers and some printers still ask for by name.
- AI: the working file of Adobe Illustrator. If someone asks for an AI file, a PDF or EPS almost always does the job, because Illustrator opens both.
The versions of a logo you should have
Formats are only half of it. A complete logo also comes in a few versions, because one version cannot work on every background.
- For light backgrounds: your normal logo, for white paper and light websites.
- For dark backgrounds: with light lettering, for black, dark photos and dark websites.
- One color: all black and all white, for stamps, engraving, embroidery and cheap printing.
- The mark on its own: the symbol or key letter without the name, for profile pictures and small spaces.
- A favicon and app icons.
What to send a print shop
Send the PDF. If they ask for something else by name, send the EPS. Tell them the size you need and whether the background is light or dark, so they pick the right version.
If they ask for CMYK colors: most logo files, including ours, are saved in RGB, the color system of screens. A print shop converts RGB to CMYK as part of its normal work.
If they say your file is low resolution, they received a picture file where they need a vector. Send the PDF or EPS instead.
If you only have a JPG or PNG
Renaming the file or saving it again with a different ending does not make it a vector. The logo has to be redrawn as shapes. You can ask a designer to redraw it by hand, or trace it automatically.
Our logo vectorizer traces a JPG, PNG or screenshot in your browser and gives you every file on this page. You see the result before paying.
Questions
Have only a JPG or PNG? Upload it and see the vector version for free.