Logo file formats: AI, EPS, SVG, PNG — when to use which
AI, EPS, SVG — three vectors, three different stories
All three formats store the logo as a mathematical description: points, curves, angles. Therefore, a vector logo can be scaled up to the size of a banner on a building facade — and the lines will remain sharp. But AI, EPS, and SVG are not interchangeable synonyms; each has its own area of application, and confusing them is a typical mistake of beginners.
AI (Adobe Illustrator) — a working, "source" file. It stores layers, guides, effects, unclosed contours, fonts as text (not as curves), sometimes — unclosed spaces in color profiles. This is a file for a designer, not for typography. Sending AI to print directly is risky: if the printing house does not have the same version of Illustrator and the same fonts, the file will open with errors or may not open at all.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) developed in 1987 year and still remains the standard of print — not because it is morally outdated, but because old RIP-processors and pre-press equipment in print shops know how to read PostScript code. EPS is a "packed" and simplified vector without layers and live effects, ready for printing.
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) — a fundamentally different story: this is not a binary file, but XML code that the browser interprets on the fly. SVG supports CSS styling and JavaScript animation — a logo on a website can be changed on hover, stretched during scroll, or recolored via code. An SVG logo usually weighs 5–20 KB, making it ideal for the web, where loading speed is part of the UX.
| Format | Type | Where used | A weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI | Vector, working file | Editing by a designer | Will not open without Illustrator and fonts |
| EPS | Vector, PostScript | Print, legacy equipment | No transparency in older versions, no animation |
| SVG | Vector, code (XML) | Web, applications, interfaces | Not readable by offset machines |
| PNG | Raster | Social networks, documents, presentations | Does not scale, loses quality |
Why the logo 'floats' when zooming in
If the logo becomes blurred or covered with a 'staircase' of pixels when zooming in — you are looking at a raster file: PNG, JPG, or a screenshot from an old presentation. A raster image is a grid of specific pixels with fixed coordinates. When you pull on a corner, the computer has to invent new pixels between existing ones — interpolate. The result is always softer and grayer than the original, there are no other physical options.
Vector works differently: zooming is recalculating the formulas of Bézier curves for the new scale, not stretching the grid. Therefore, a vector logo is equally sharp on a business card and on a billboard.
To check what you're dealing with, simply open the file in a browser or viewer and zoom it in by 500–800%. If the edges remain sharp — it's vector. If a 'staircase' and blur appear — it's raster, regardless of what the file is called.
DPI and PPI: why different numbers are needed for web, social networks, and printing
PPI (pixels per inch) determines the density of a raster image on screen, DPI (dots per inch) — the density of ink on a physical print. Confusing them is the source of half the problems with logo quality.
- Web and interfaces: 72 PPI is sufficient, the screen does not distinguish higher resolution at standard zoom.
- Retina screens and social networks: a margin of 2-3 times is needed — otherwise the logo on an iPhone or in Instagram's header will be slightly blurry.
- Print: a minimum of 300 DPI in real physical size. A logo with a diameter of 2 inches on a business card requires at least 600×600 px exactly at 300 DPI — not 'bigger', but specifically that size.
Professional delivery of PNG versions of the logo to the client includes at least three scales: @1x — standard size for regular screens, @2x — for Retina displays, @3x — for mobile devices with high pixel density. Without this set, the logo will look uneven on different devices: sometimes clear, sometimes blurred.
Case: the client received only PNG — and what came of it
A common situation in agency practice: a startup orders a logo from a freelancer, receives one file — logo.png, 800×800 px — and communication ends there. After six months, the company is growing, and a banner is needed for an exhibition 3×2 meters. The designer enlarges the PNG in Photoshop — the logo turns into a muddy spot with jagged edges. A second blow: the need to change the brand color tone to match a new guideline — but the PNG cannot be edited, it is a 'frozen image', not a structure of objects and colors.
The solution in such a situation is one — to contact the author for the source file or to order the logo again, which costs more than initially paying extra for a full set of files. Hence, a simple rule: PNG is the final showcase, not a working tool. The original AI or SVG should always be kept by the client, even if they never open it themselves.
Is it possible to retrieve a vector from a finished PNG? Technically — yes, through tracing (in Illustrator this is Image Trace, there are also specialized online services). But the result works properly only for simple geometric logos without complex gradients and fine details. A logo with subtle font notches or semi-transparent layers after tracing almost always requires manual contour retouching — that is, it is not automation but partial designer work from scratch.
PDF is not the third unnecessary file, but a separate class of tasks
If EPS and SVG already cover printing and web, why does PDF exist? The point is that PDF addresses the issue of compatibility and previewing, not format. PDF can simultaneously contain vector art, raster inserts, fonts, color profiles, and metadata — and yet it opens on any device without special software, unlike AI or EPS.
For modern printing, a specific subtype is important — PDF/X-4This is a standardized profile that guarantees colors, etchings, and transparencies will display in the print shop exactly as they do on the designer's screen. The difference from the classic EPS is fundamental: EPS is a format for legacy RIP systems and pre-press machines where PDF/X-4 simply isn't readable; PDF/X-4 is the standard for modern digital printing complexes. The same task of 'delivering a logo for printing' in practice requires different files depending on the age of the printing shop's equipment — this needs to be clarified before sending the layout, not after rejecting the file.
The format should be chosen based on the technology, not merely on 'print or web'
Here, top articles almost always remain silent: the choice of format depends not only on the channel (print/web), but also on the specific technology of application.
- Screen printing — often requires EPS with clearly separated spot color panels, because each panel is printed in a separate run.
- Machine embroidery — does not work with regular vector, it requires a special format for embroidery machines (DST, PES), which is created by digitization software based on your AI/EPS — this is a separate stage, not an automatic conversion.
- Laser engraving — usually accepts vector in the form of clean, closed contours without strokes, often in EPS or DXF, without raster elements at all.
Sending the same SVG file taken from the website to all these productions is a guaranteed way to get defective work and waste time on redoing the layout.
How to properly assemble a file package for delivery to the client
Professional logo delivery is not one file, but a structure. A minimal competent set looks like this:
- Original AI file with all layers, variants (color, black, white, monochrome), and unclosed contours — for future edits.
- EPS version with text converted to outlines (Type → Create Outlines) and CMYK color mode — for printing.
- PDF/X-4 — for modern print shops and accurate color reproduction.
- SVG for websites and apps — optimized, without unnecessary code.
- PNG in three scales (@1x, @2x, @3x) with a transparent background — for social networks, presentations, and documents.
- Separate PNG at 300 DPI for specific physical print sizes, if souvenirs or business cards are planned.
When exporting from Illustrator for print, it is important not to forget two steps that are often overlooked: converting all fonts to curves and switching the document to the CMYK color profile before saving — an RGB logo sent to a print shop as is will almost always be printed with distorted, more muted colors. A client who receives such a complete package from the start will not encounter either a muddy banner or an inability to change the brand's shade in three years.
AI, EPS, SVG — three vectors, three different stories
All three formats store the logo as a mathematical description: points, curves, angles. Therefore, a vector logo can be scaled up to the size of a banner on a building facade — and the lines will remain sharp. But AI, EPS, and SVG are not interchangeable synonyms; each has its own area of application, and confusing them is a typical mistake of beginners.
AI (Adobe Illustrator) — a working, "source" file. It stores layers, guides, effects, unclosed contours, fonts as text (not as curves), sometimes — unclosed spaces in color profiles. This is a file for a designer, not for typography. Sending AI to print directly is risky: if the printing house does not have the same version of Illustrator and the same fonts, the file will open with errors or may not open at all.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) developed in 1987 year and still remains the standard of print — not because it is morally outdated, but because old RIP-processors and pre-press equipment in print shops know how to read PostScript code. EPS is a "packed" and simplified vector without layers and live effects, ready for printing.
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) — a fundamentally different story: this is not a binary file, but XML code that the browser interprets on the fly. SVG supports CSS styling and JavaScript animation — a logo on a website can be changed on hover, stretched during scroll, or recolored via code. An SVG logo usually weighs 5–20 KB, making it ideal for the web, where loading speed is part of the UX.
| Format | Type | Where used | A weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI | Vector, working file | Editing by a designer | Will not open without Illustrator and fonts |
| EPS | Vector, PostScript | Print, legacy equipment | No transparency in older versions, no animation |
| SVG | Vector, code (XML) | Web, applications, interfaces | Not readable by offset machines |
| PNG | Raster | Social networks, documents, presentations | Does not scale, loses quality |
Why the logo 'floats' when zooming in
If the logo becomes blurred or covered with a 'staircase' of pixels when zooming in — you are looking at a raster file: PNG, JPG, or a screenshot from an old presentation. A raster image is a grid of specific pixels with fixed coordinates. When you pull on a corner, the computer has to invent new pixels between existing ones — interpolate. The result is always softer and grayer than the original, there are no other physical options.
Vector works differently: zooming is recalculating the formulas of Bézier curves for the new scale, not stretching the grid. Therefore, a vector logo is equally sharp on a business card and on a billboard.
To check what you're dealing with, simply open the file in a browser or viewer and zoom it in by 500–800%. If the edges remain sharp — it's vector. If a 'staircase' and blur appear — it's raster, regardless of what the file is called.
DPI and PPI: why different numbers are needed for web, social networks, and printing
PPI (pixels per inch) determines the density of a raster image on screen, DPI (dots per inch) — the density of ink on a physical print. Confusing them is the source of half the problems with logo quality.
- Web and interfaces: 72 PPI is sufficient, the screen does not distinguish higher resolution at standard zoom.
- Retina screens and social networks: a margin of 2-3 times is needed — otherwise the logo on an iPhone or in Instagram's header will be slightly blurry.
- Print: a minimum of 300 DPI in real physical size. A logo with a diameter of 2 inches on a business card requires at least 600×600 px exactly at 300 DPI — not 'bigger', but specifically that size.
Professional delivery of PNG versions of the logo to the client includes at least three scales: @1x — standard size for regular screens, @2x — for Retina displays, @3x — for mobile devices with high pixel density. Without this set, the logo will look uneven on different devices: sometimes clear, sometimes blurred.
Case: the client received only PNG — and what came of it
A common situation in agency practice: a startup orders a logo from a freelancer, receives one file — logo.png, 800×800 px — and communication ends there. After six months, the company is growing, and a banner is needed for an exhibition 3×2 meters. The designer enlarges the PNG in Photoshop — the logo turns into a muddy spot with jagged edges. A second blow: the need to change the brand color tone to match a new guideline — but the PNG cannot be edited, it is a 'frozen image', not a structure of objects and colors.
The solution in such a situation is one — to contact the author for the source file or to order the logo again, which costs more than initially paying extra for a full set of files. Hence, a simple rule: PNG is the final showcase, not a working tool. The original AI or SVG should always be kept by the client, even if they never open it themselves.
Is it possible to retrieve a vector from a finished PNG? Technically — yes, through tracing (in Illustrator this is Image Trace, there are also specialized online services). But the result works properly only for simple geometric logos without complex gradients and fine details. A logo with subtle font notches or semi-transparent layers after tracing almost always requires manual contour retouching — that is, it is not automation but partial designer work from scratch.
PDF is not the third unnecessary file, but a separate class of tasks
If EPS and SVG already cover printing and web, why does PDF exist? The point is that PDF addresses the issue of compatibility and previewing, not format. PDF can simultaneously contain vector art, raster inserts, fonts, color profiles, and metadata — and yet it opens on any device without special software, unlike AI or EPS.
For modern printing, a specific subtype is important — PDF/X-4This is a standardized profile that guarantees colors, etchings, and transparencies will display in the print shop exactly as they do on the designer's screen. The difference from the classic EPS is fundamental: EPS is a format for legacy RIP systems and pre-press machines where PDF/X-4 simply isn't readable; PDF/X-4 is the standard for modern digital printing complexes. The same task of 'delivering a logo for printing' in practice requires different files depending on the age of the printing shop's equipment — this needs to be clarified before sending the layout, not after rejecting the file.
The format should be chosen based on the technology, not merely on 'print or web'
Here, top articles almost always remain silent: the choice of format depends not only on the channel (print/web), but also on the specific technology of application.
- Screen printing — often requires EPS with clearly separated spot color panels, because each panel is printed in a separate run.
- Machine embroidery — does not work with regular vector, it requires a special format for embroidery machines (DST, PES), which is created by digitization software based on your AI/EPS — this is a separate stage, not an automatic conversion.
- Laser engraving — usually accepts vector in the form of clean, closed contours without strokes, often in EPS or DXF, without raster elements at all.
Sending the same SVG file taken from the website to all these productions is a guaranteed way to get defective work and waste time on redoing the layout.
How to properly assemble a file package for delivery to the client
Professional logo delivery is not one file, but a structure. A minimal competent set looks like this:
- Original AI file with all layers, variants (color, black, white, monochrome), and unclosed contours — for future edits.
- EPS version with text converted to outlines (Type → Create Outlines) and CMYK color mode — for printing.
- PDF/X-4 — for modern print shops and accurate color reproduction.
- SVG for websites and apps — optimized, without unnecessary code.
- PNG in three scales (@1x, @2x, @3x) with a transparent background — for social networks, presentations, and documents.
- Separate PNG at 300 DPI for specific physical print sizes, if souvenirs or business cards are planned.
When exporting from Illustrator for print, it is important not to forget two steps that are often overlooked: converting all fonts to curves and switching the document to the CMYK color profile before saving — an RGB logo sent to a print shop as is will almost always be printed with distorted, more muted colors. A client who receives such a complete package from the start will not encounter either a muddy banner or an inability to change the brand's shade in three years.
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