A Guide to Design File Formats

Our Handy Guide Will Help with Design Handoffs

This guide is a quick reference to explain file formats and their purposes for branded materials.

Logo Naming

• 1C = 1 color
• 2C = 2 colors
• Lockup = Multiple logos used together as a group
• Rev = Reversed logo, which appears blank when previewed or on a white background

Logo Formats

AI = Design Files 

AI file extension represents Adobe Illustrator artwork files. This file format contains vector-based graphics that are completely scalable and editable in the program. 

• Vector
• Print format
• Editable in Adobe Illustrator 

EPS = Print Files

EPS is a file extension for a graphics file format used as vector images in Adobe Illustrator. EPS stands for “Encapsulated PostScript.” It also usually contains a bitmap version of the image.

• Vector
• Print format
• Transparent background

PDF = Universal Files

PDF or “Portable Document Format” is a file format that captures all the elements of a printed document. It’s an electronic image that you can view, navigate, print, or forward to someone else.

• Vector
• Print format
• Solid fill background

JPEG = Picture Files

JPEG stands for “Joint Photogenic Experts Group.” It’s a standard image format for containing lossy and compressed image data. These contain high-quality image data with lossless compression.

• Raster
• Web format – print not ideal 
• Solid fill background

PNG Files = Web Files

PNG stands for “Portable Graphics Format.” It’s the most frequently used uncompressed raster image format on the internet. This lossless data compression format was created to replace the GIF.

• Raster
• Web format only
• Transparent background