The Ultimate Breakdown Of File Types for Designers

JPG, PDF, AI, PSD, and so on and so forth. In a world where digital files come with so many abbreviations it's hard to know what is what, and what you need for specific things. Even when someone tells you what file type they need, sometimes it's hard to figure out where to get it from. Well fear no more! Here is an ultimate breakdown of file types important to designers.

Let's start off with one word: Vector. No, not Victor, Vector. As a digital designer this word is so important, and for a client, it is very important too. I won't get into the nitty gritty definition, because that can get confusing. Here is what you need to know about Vectors. Vector Images are scaleable. This means it can be as small as you want or as big as you want and the clarity will be sharp regardless of size. So one vector image can be drawn and resized hundreds of times and it won't get blurry, or pixelated.

How do you get vectorized files? The main way is through a specific software, the most commonly used Adobe Illustrator. This software is typically the most used when it comes to creating logos and vectorized images. Adobe Illustrator creates a file type that abbreviates as .ai. In Adobe Illustrator you can create all of the other vectorized file types which are EPS, PDF, and SVG. These files are all considered vectorized images which are scaleable.

PDF is the most common file type that can be shared and viewed amongst users. Most people have the ability to view a PDF File. EPS is a vector file that can contain illustrations, text, or any kind of graphic created in Illustrator or another vectorized software. SVG is again a vector image, its abbreviation literally means "Scalable Vector Graphic". SVG is most commonly used for logo designs and much smaller elements of vector's because SVG tends to be a very small file type.

So what does this mean to you, the customer? Well, let me tell you what. You may not deal with these file types on a day to day basis, but if you want your logo, your graphic, your packaging design, your banner, or anything else to be printed or made correctly, you will start to care about these file types. Vendor's will ask you for these specific files when creating products for you, or they will ask for a very specific size of a PNG or JPG. Your first reaction may be to just scale up the JPG or PNG, but I need you to stop right there. If you do that, you will get a horrible outcome. Instead, have your designer create the size you need for that file type, and they can easily export it for you need.

So, to recap:

Vector: Scalable

Vector files: .ai, PDF, EPS, SVG

DO NOT SCALE PNG OR JPG FILES

Who can get you the vector files: your graphic designer

P.s. copying a JPG or a PNG file into illustrator and doing nothing else to it does NOT make it a vectorized image. You have to recreate it in the software for it to be scaleable.

And now you know. There is so much more behind the different file types, but I'll spare you from that abbreviation torment. Designers are trained and taught about these file types, their importance, and their function. Always lean on your designer when it comes to selecting the correct file. You will be so glad you did when all of your products come out looking crisp, clean, and sharp.

Sincerely,

Just Your Average Graphic Designer in totally Digital World

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