Logo Design

Logo file formats explained

Q: What logo file formats do I actually need?

At minimum you need a vector source file (SVG, AI or EPS) plus high-resolution transparent PNGs. The vector file scales to any size without blurring; the PNGs cover everyday web use. Add a print-ready PDF or EPS and a single-colour version and you are covered everywhere.

Q: What is the difference between vector and raster?

Vector files (SVG, AI, EPS) are built from mathematical shapes, so they scale to any size and stay perfectly sharp. Raster files (PNG, JPG) are built from a fixed grid of pixels, so they blur or pixelate when enlarged beyond their resolution. A logo master should always be vector.

Q: Is SVG or PNG better for a logo?

For the web, SVG is better wherever it is supported: it is tiny, infinitely scalable and always crisp. PNG is the reliable fallback for places that will not take an SVG — email signatures, some social platforms and older systems — because it still supports a transparent background.

Q: What does “vector source file” mean and why do I need it?

The vector source file is the original, editable master of your logo (usually AI, plus SVG and EPS exports). With it, any designer or printer can resize, recolour or adapt the logo forever. Without it, you are stuck with fixed images you cannot properly edit or scale — which is not really owning your logo.

Q: Which files should I demand from a logo designer?

Insist on a vector source file (SVG/AI/EPS), a set of high-resolution transparent PNGs, a print-ready PDF or EPS, and single-colour plus reversed versions. If a supplier can only give you a PNG, treat it as a red flag — see what a logo should cost.

SVG, PNG, JPG, EPS, PDF, AI — a confusing pile of extensions that decides whether your logo works everywhere or falls apart. Here is what each format is for, and the exact files to demand from any designer.

See the format table What a logo costs

A usable logo needs at least two kinds of file: a vector source (SVG, AI or EPS) that scales to any size without blurring, and high-resolution transparent PNGs for everyday web use. Add a print-ready PDF or EPS and a single-colour version and your logo will work everywhere.

File formats sound like a technical detail you can leave to the designer. They are not — they are the difference between a logo you truly own and a picture you are stuck with. Get handed the wrong files and you will be paying someone to recreate your own logo the first time you need a banner or a printed sign.

This guide keeps it plain: the core split between vector and raster, what each format is actually for, and the short list of files to insist on before you sign off on any logo.

The core split

Vector vs raster — the one thing to understand

Why vector is the master and raster is the copy

Vector files describe your logo as mathematical shapes — points, curves and fills. Because it is maths, not pixels, a vector logo scales from a business card to a billboard and stays perfectly sharp at every size. SVG, AI and EPS are vector formats. Your logo should be born as a vector.

Raster files describe your logo as a fixed grid of coloured pixels. That is fine at the size it was made, but enlarge it and the pixels stretch into a blurry, blocky mess. PNG and JPG are raster. They are exports for specific uses, not the real logo.

The practical rule: keep the vector as your master, and generate raster copies from it whenever a particular platform needs one.

In one line

Vector (SVG, AI, EPS): maths-based, scales infinitely, always sharp. The master.

Raster (PNG, JPG): pixel-based, fixed size, blurs when enlarged. The copies.

Rule: master stays vector, copies come from it.

Every format

The logo formats, side by side

SVG, AI and EPS are vector — infinitely scalable and ideal as your master and for print. PNG is your everyday raster file with transparency for the web. PDF carries vector art for sharing and print. JPG has no transparency and should never be used for a logo on colour.

Common logo file formats and their uses. *PDF can carry vector or raster content depending on how it is exported.
Format	Type	Transparency	Best for	Get from designer?
SVG	Vector	Yes	Websites, apps, anything on screen. Scales infinitely and stays razor-sharp. The modern default for digital.	Nice to have
AI	Vector	Yes	The editable Adobe Illustrator master file. Your designer builds the logo here.	Demand it
EPS	Vector	Yes	Universal print/vector exchange format. Printers and sign-makers often ask for this.	Demand it
PDF	Vector*	Yes	Portable vector for sharing and print-ready proofs; opens almost anywhere.	Nice to have
PNG	Raster	Yes	Web images, social profiles, email signatures — anywhere you need a transparent background.	Demand a set
JPG	Raster	No	Photos and flat backgrounds only. Never for a logo that needs to sit on colour — no transparency.	Avoid for logos

The checklist

Which files to demand from a designer

When your logo is signed off, you should walk away with a small kit — not a single image. Insist on all four of these, and you own a logo that works on screen, in print, and at any size.

The master

A vector source file

SVG, AI or EPS. This is the real logo — the version that resizes to a billboard or a favicon without ever blurring. Without it you do not own a working logo.

For the web

Transparent PNGs, multiple sizes

High-resolution PNGs with a transparent background, in a few sizes, so the logo drops cleanly onto any coloured section, header or social avatar.

For print

A print-ready PDF or EPS

So printers, sign-makers and merchandise suppliers can reproduce the logo at full quality in CMYK.

For flexibility

Single-colour + reversed versions

A one-colour (black) version and a white/reversed version, so the logo works on dark backgrounds, stamps, faxes and single-colour print.

If a supplier can only hand you a flat PNG or JPG and no vector source, you do not really own a usable logo — that is a red flag on any quote. See how much a logo should cost for the full deliverables-per-price breakdown.

A frequent trap

Transparent backgrounds, explained

Go deeper

Related logo guides

Parent guide

Logo design for small businesses

The full pillar: types, process, costs, and the ownership questions that decide whether your logo is an asset.

Budget

How much does a logo cost?

Every price tier mapped to the files, rights and variants you should receive — and the red flags.

Form

Types of logos

The seven logo types with examples, and how to choose the right one for your business.

Frequently asked questions

What logo file formats do I actually need?

At minimum you need a vector source file (SVG, AI or EPS) plus high-resolution transparent PNGs. The vector file scales to any size without blurring; the PNGs cover everyday web use. Add a print-ready PDF or EPS and a single-colour version and you are covered everywhere.

What is the difference between vector and raster?

Vector files (SVG, AI, EPS) are built from mathematical shapes, so they scale to any size and stay perfectly sharp. Raster files (PNG, JPG) are built from a fixed grid of pixels, so they blur or pixelate when enlarged beyond their resolution. A logo master should always be vector.

Is SVG or PNG better for a logo?

For the web, SVG is better wherever it is supported: it is tiny, infinitely scalable and always crisp. PNG is the reliable fallback for places that will not take an SVG — email signatures, some social platforms and older systems — because it still supports a transparent background.

Why should I avoid JPG for a logo?

JPG cannot store a transparent background, so your logo arrives boxed in a solid rectangle. It also uses lossy compression that leaves fuzzy artefacts around sharp edges and text. Use JPG for photographs, never for a logo that needs to sit on colour.

What is a transparent background and why does it matter?

A transparent background means the area around your logo is empty rather than white, so the mark sits cleanly on any colour, photo or texture. PNG and SVG support transparency; JPG does not. Always ask for transparent versions so the logo is not trapped in a white box.

What does “vector source file” mean and why do I need it?

The vector source file is the original, editable master of your logo (usually AI, plus SVG and EPS exports). With it, any designer or printer can resize, recolour or adapt the logo forever. Without it, you are stuck with fixed images you cannot properly edit or scale — which is not really owning your logo.

Which files should I demand from a logo designer?

Insist on a vector source file (SVG/AI/EPS), a set of high-resolution transparent PNGs, a print-ready PDF or EPS, and single-colour plus reversed versions. If a supplier can only give you a PNG, treat it as a red flag — see what a logo should cost.

Know your files — now get a logo made right

Compare the logo makers and services founders actually use, and check which ones hand over a real vector source file versus a locked-down image.

Compare the best logo makers

Want the full picture?

Costs, types, process and ownership in one place.

Read the logo design guide