DON'T PANIC WHEN THE PRINTER ASKS FOR THE FILES THEY NEED.

Everyone hates being embarrassed, especially when you want to look professional. Understanding what files designers use can save you a whole lot of heartache and ultimately your wallet when the printer doesn't have to do another print run because the file you supplied was wrong.

1: Vector VS Raster.

Plain and simple, Vector is math and Raster isn't. It's also the main file type that gets used by designers when creating logos and other collateral for your business. Why? Well vector files will scale infinitely with no loss of detail, Raster will not. Want that logo the size of a billboard? Done, Vector is your man (or woman). 

Your logo should always be a vector file. If a designer gives you a .JPG for your logo, they didn't give you a logo, they gave you a picture of one.

One little caveat on that point, it's pretty rare for designers to hand over their source files (.Ai) as part of the design contract unless explicitly agreed upon and this is because these are considered IP (intellectual property). 

2: Here's what files you can expect when working with a designer. 

• .Ai - The master file. This is where the designer would have built your logo or brand. This isn't a deliverable its the working file.

• .EPS - This is a deliverable vector of your logo. This is the file type most printers and sign writers will ask for when they need to create something for you.

• .SVG - Web and screen vector. Tiny file size and stays sharp on the site or display. No pixelation.

• .PDF - Everyone knows what these are but there are different types. PDF logos are good because virtually any computer will open them and they are good to send to suppliers who aren't designers.

• .PNG - These are raster images and will pixelate but they support transparency, meaning they can be placed anywhere and the background will show through/sit behind it.

• .JPG - Raster, will pixelate and their quality is defined by the size of the file. Fine for images, not so great for logos. They also don't support transparency.

  
  

3: Colour Mode.

There are three main colour modes in design, CMYK - cyan, magenta, yellow and Key (black), RGB - Red, Green and Blue and Pantone. CMYK is a standard printing colour system, One thing to note with CMYK is that the colour may change slightly depending on what it's printed on. RGB is for screens and Pantone is used where the colour MUST be 100% accurate no matter what it's printed on. Handy tip for Brands that have signature colours, If your brand uses a trademarked colour, kinda like Ferrari and Mc Donalds does, id recommend asking your designer to use the Pantone colour system when creating your brand.

4: PPI

PPI or Pixels Per Inch, refers to the amount of detail per substrate. The universal standard is 

300PPI for printed material and 72 PPI for images viewed on screen. Images and graphics that are created by your designer will usually fall into one of these two categories and usually directly refers to the images quality.

5: File Versions.

Woah, Isaac, slow down,why do I need so many different files? Well that's because they all have different uses. Its not the designer trying to bulk out your package, it's so the logo will work where you need it to, ordering dark uniforms for the boys and light ones for the girls? Good thing you have a black and a white version of the logo. Need a dark and light version on your website? The designer has you covered. 

6: How to know if your hand-off was any good?

Well it should include all the files listed in this blog post plus a little document so you know what to do with them, if you didn't get all of that, then you didn't get a package you got a logo, and unfortunately that's usually what happens. 

Giving someone a JPG of their logo is like handing someone a picture of a key, looks ok but it doesn't open anything.