Logos require vector formats—principally SVG, EPS, and vector PDF—for master reproduction across print and digital media without resolution loss. For everyday digital applications where vector files are unsupported, high-resolution PNG and modern WebP files provide fixed-dimension rendering with transparent backgrounds.
Primary Vector Formats: SVG, EPS, and PDF
Vector formats are built on mathematical coordinates, lines, and curves rather than fixed grids of pixels. A vector mark can scale from a favicon to a building wrap without degradation.
* SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics): The web standard for digital interfaces. SVGs maintain razor-sharp clarity on high-density displays (Retina, 4K), feature minimal file sizes, and support dynamic styling via CSS. The Technology department deploys SVGs across all modern web builds. * EPS (Encapsulated PostScript): The legacy commercial print standard. Signmakers, embroiderers, and traditional commercial printers routinely request EPS files because they feed directly into industrial plotting and printing software. * Vector PDF: A versatile, universally readable format. A properly constructed PDF preserves editable vector outlines while allowing anyone with a standard document viewer to review the asset accurately without specialised design software.
Web and Screen Formats: PNG, WebP, and JPEG
Raster formats consist of a set pixel grid. Once exported at a fixed pixel dimension, they cannot be enlarged without blurriness or pixelation.
* PNG (Portable Network Graphics): The standard raster format for general digital use. PNGs support alpha transparency, meaning the logo sits cleanly over varied background colours, photography, or video without a visible white box. * WebP: An updated web format developed for superior compression efficiency. WebP files preserve alpha transparency while reducing file weight significantly compared to PNG, improving page load speeds. * JPEG: A legacy raster format with no transparency support. JPEGs force a solid background (typically white). JPEGs should only be used when an external platform explicitly requires them, such as rigid social media profile containers with fixed white backdrops.
Colour Space Configurations: RGB vs CMYK
File formats must align with the correct colour space. Using the wrong colour space results in dull screens or muddy, unexpected prints.
* RGB (sRGB): Used exclusively for digital screens. SVGs, WebPs, and screen-ready PNGs must be exported in sRGB to display consistent saturation across phones, tablets, and monitors. * CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black): Used exclusively for physical ink printing. Commercial printers require vector PDFs or EPS files configured to standardized print profiles (such as Coated FOGRA39 or GRACoL).
Never send RGB files to an offset commercial printer, and never upload CMYK files to a website, as unmanaged browsers will distort the colours.
Handover Sequence and Studio Workflow
When a branding engagement or identity package concludes, the Creative department generates an organised asset archive:
1. Approval: You approve final identity lockups, variants (horizontal, stacked, icon-only), and colour palettes. 2. Asset Generation: Creative exports every approved lockup across full colour, reverse white, and mono black iterations in all production formats (SVG, EPS, PDF, PNG, WebP). 3. Organisation: Files are structured into segregated digital (RGB) and print (CMYK) directories. 4. Delivery: The archive is delivered directly via the client portal. If you require technical guidance on specific third-party integration, reach out through the Ask Xylo chat on this portal during studio hours (Monday to Thursday, 09:00–17:00 GMT). First replies are issued within 24 hours.
Failure Cases and Misuse
* Embedding Rasters in Vector Containers: Placing a low-resolution PNG inside an Illustrator file and saving it as an EPS does not make it a vector. Printers will reject the file because it still pixelates upon enlargement. * Altering Aspect Ratios: Never stretch or squeeze logo files disproportionately to fit a layout. Constrain proportions uniformly during placement. * Using Document Office Software for Print Preparation: Programs like Word or PowerPoint compress and downsample images by default and convert colour spaces unpredictably. Always hand off raw vector files directly to your professional printers.
Asset Verification Checklist
Before deploying your identity assets or sending files to outside suppliers, run this brief check:
* [ ] Web deployment: Have you supplied `.svg` first, with `.png` or `.webp` retained only as fallback? * [ ] Print deployment: Have you supplied `.eps` or vector `.pdf` in CMYK mode? * [ ] Transparency check: Does the raster file show a transparent canvas or does it have an unwanted opaque background? * [ ] Legibility: Does the selected mark variant (stacked, horizontal, or icon) remain fully legible at the target scale?