When we are designing a project for a client, we may get the logo from their website. That may be all they have, but unfortunately, a logo from a website isn’t good enough quality for printing purposes.
There is a difference between the logos that you see on websites and those that you see on printed materials, and that is down to the resolution of the image. The standard dpi (dots per inch) for print is 300, and for the web, it is 72.
This means that you need to have a higher-quality image for printing so that it doesn’t look pixelated if it is made bigger.
Logo file formats
When creating and designing a logo, a good graphic designer will provide the final logo in different formats, such as:
• EPS
• JPEG
• PNG
JPEG and PNG files can be used for social media marketing, Word documents, and email signatures. A high-res JPEG could be used on business stationery and flyers for printing.
EPS files can be used for all printing projects, including larger print projects such as roller banners, external banners, and exhibition stands. It can also be used for promotional items such as t-shirts, pens, etc. You may not be able to open an EPS file unless you have the correct software.
You can increase the size of a logo in EPS format, and it won’t lose its resolution. This won’t work for a JPEG, as it will become pixelated. If you don’t have a high-res logo, don’t worry too much, as a graphic designer can often recreate it for you.
Tip
Create a folder with all your branding information kept together, including logos in all file formats, brand guidelines, templates, etc. The graphic designers that you work with will ask you for brand guidelines that they can follow.
Stock images
It is also worth noting that quality and size also apply to stock images that you either purchase or download for free. Wherever possible, select the bigger image that you can. It is easier to reduce a larger image in size rather than make a smaller image bigger and fuzzy.
So, size really does matter!
