Logo File Formats Explained: SVG, PNG, EPS, PDF — What Founders Need
The designer sends you a folder of cryptic files. Here's what each one is for — and the one email that makes sure you never get the wrong file again.
A logo isn't one file. It's a family of files, each built for a different job. Using the wrong one is how you end up with a blurry logo on a trade-show banner or a 4MB PNG slowing down your site. Here's the complete map.
The five formats that matter
- SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) — the website default. Scales infinitely, tiny file size, crisp on every screen. Use for: navbars, footers, favicons.
- PNG (Portable Network Graphics) — raster with transparency. Use for: social profile images, slide decks, email signatures. Always export at 2x the display size.
- EPS / AI (Encapsulated PostScript / Illustrator) — the master vector file. Printers, sign makers, and merch vendors ask for this. Never send it to a web developer; they can't use it directly.
- PDF (print-ready) — the universal handoff. A vector PDF works for almost every print job and opens anywhere. When in doubt, send the PDF.
- JPG — photos only, never the master. A JPG logo has no transparency and degrades every time it's re-saved. Acceptable for: a quick mockup, a Word doc footer. Nothing else.
RGB vs CMYK: the one distinction that costs money
Screens use RGB (light); printers use CMYK (ink). A logo designed in RGB and printed without conversion comes back with shifted colors — your signature orange prints brown. Demand both versions: RGB files for digital, CMYK files for print. A serious designer delivers this unprompted; if yours didn't, ask now — re-converting later is never as clean.
The email to send your designer: "Please send the final logo in: primary + monochrome + reversed versions; each as SVG, PNG at 2x with transparency (RGB), and PDF/EPS (CMYK); plus the font files or outlined type." One email, zero future file emergencies.
The folder you should have on day one
A proper identity handoff looks like this: 01_Primary, 02_Monochrome, 03_Reversed, 04_Social (profile crops, banners), 05_Print (CMYK), each with SVG, PNG, and PDF. If your "logo delivery" was a single PNG in a DM, you don't have a logo — you have a preview. The La Vi Coffee identity shipped with the full system; that's the standard.
Three mistakes that keep happening
- Stretching a PNG for a banner. Raster pixels don't grow. If you need it bigger than the file, you need the vector.
- White box on a dark background. That's a JPG being used where a transparent PNG or SVG belongs.
- Recoloring the logo in Canva. The moment you change the color, it's no longer your logo. Use the monochrome or reversed version from the folder.
FAQ
Which logo format should I use on my website?
SVG for the logo in the header and footer — it's crisp and tiny. PNG with transparency for anywhere SVG isn't supported (some email clients, older platforms). Export PNGs at 2x for retina screens.
What do I send a printer or a merch vendor?
Vector PDF or EPS in CMYK, at the exact size if possible. Ask the vendor which they prefer — most accept PDF. Never send a JPG for anything that will be printed larger than a business card.
My designer only sent a PNG. What do I do?
Ask for the vector source (AI/EPS) and the full export set — you paid for it. Without the vector file, every future use (signage, packaging, embroidery) starts with a rebuild, which costs more than getting it right now.
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