You have your logo saved as a jpg and that should do all jobs right?
Wrong.
There’s not a lot of time for you to make a first impression on your potential clients, so please don’t waste it with a one size fits all jpg.
There is a file for every occasion and if you had your logo designed by a professional. You’ve probably already got them. If you DIY’d your own logo, then you might be missing an essential file. However you got your logo, it’s still confusing knowing which file to use when.
This blog will explain the jargon you might hear about different files and tell you which file type is best for each of your marketing solutions.
Let’s start with colour.
There’s two formats RGB and CMYK.
RGB is Red, Green, Blue and is the colour channels computer screens are based on. RGB is for digital work (social media, websites, anything web based).
CMYK is Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. These are the inks printers use to layer up and create all other colours from. CMYK is for printed work (brochures, flyers, business stationery).
Next, I want to talk about blurring and pixelation.
When your logo appears either blurry in print or jagged on screen it’s to do with either the dots per inch (DPI) or pixels per inch (PPI).
DPI
Dpi is the number of coloured dots that make up an inch square in print. 300 dpi is the magic number for print. This is non-negotiable. Send anything under 300 dpi to a printer and it will print out looking jagged and blurry.
PPI
Like dpi but this refers to the number of pixels within a square inch of your screen. The less populated the larger the pixel. So, the larger the number, means a more detailed image. 72 ppi was the industry standard way back when, now you can use a higher ppi but you need to be wary of the file size you are creating. If the file size is too big it will slow down the loading time.
Last one to clear up is vector or raster?
Vector graphics are scalable. This means you can use them at any size, and they will stay crisp and clear. Vector file types are SVG, EPS. Truthfully, you’ll probably never personally use these files as they are really for use of professional designers and developers.
Raster files are pixel based. The most widely used are JPG, PNG, GIF. You will use these files the most because all digital images files are raster. The problem with them is they don’t scale well. This means that it’s important to know the dimensions needed for each project so that you have an appropriately sized raster file. My personal rule is you can make a raster image smaller but never bigger.
What files should you use for each marketing solution?
Social media graphics
JPG and PNG are your best options. Make sure you set them up to the right size for each platform and that they are RGB. PNGs are my favourite for making watermarks of your logo as they have transparent backgrounds.
Websites
Again, JPG and PNG are good. SVG are your other options depending on what platform you have your site on (Squarespace doesn’t support SVG easily). SVG can be really small in size and can be customised in place due to them being code based.
Printed items
PDF will the best way to send items like brochures, leaflets or banners that are made up of text and images to your printer.
But what file types should you use for the images in your design?
EPS is the best scalable option for your logo when printing. EPS will keep images sharp no matter the size. JPG and PNG set up in CMYK can also be used, just make sure the proportions aren’t enlarged or the images will distort.
Has this blog cleared up some confusion for you?
I hope it’s helped you know which logo file you need to use for your marketing choices.
If you are still unsure, then feel free to book a call with me to discuss things.
Or have you’ve read this and realised you don’t want to deal with all this technical stuff? Then my Consultancy service might be the answer to your problem. I take all this technical stuff away and return to you perfectly branding marketing solutions. You can find out more about The Consultancy on my services page.
Don’t forget to save the infographic for future reference!
Let's Connect
