Have you ever tried to print something, only to find your logo looks blurry?
Have you had a printer or embroiderer ask you to supply a vector file or .eps, and you don’t have one. You’re not even sure what it is! They’ve offered to recreate it, but it’s going to take time and money.
It happens so often. When I ask a customer to provide logo files for their project, all they have is a JPEG. Whilst JPEGs are great for digital applications, they can be a problem when printing, or when you need a transparent background.
That’s why it’s important, when investing in branding, to ensure you’ll receive all the file types necessary to implement your brand. Ask your designer if they include vector files before proceeding with a branding project.
So, what is a vector file, and why do you need one?
A vector is a type of graphic file that uses mathematical formulas to define shapes, lines and colours. Unlike raster images (e.g. JPEGS or PNGs), vector files don’t rely on pixels. This means they can be scaled up without losing quality. You can use a vector file to print your logo on a business card or a billboard and it will still be perfectly clear and sharp, every time.
Vector file types
The common vector file types that you may recieve from your designer are:
- AI (Adobe Illustrator file) – You’ll need a program like Adobe Illustrator to open this file.
- EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) – Send these files to any designer, printer or embroiderer. They will be able to use them to create your designs.
- SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) – Great to use on your website, as they have a very small file size whilst being crisp in appearance.
- PDF (Portable Document Format) – If your logo includes a transparent vignette, you’ll need one of these.
Vectors give your brand flexibility
If you only have JPEG or PNG versions of your file you’re missing out on the design flexibility your brand deserves.Thats why all my branding packages include vector files as part of the standard logo package.
