Print File Formats: A Quick Cheat Sheet

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Even experienced designers run into file questions when handing off to print. These come up most often:

  • Can I just send a screenshot?
  • Is my logo high enough quality to print?
  • Why do printers keep asking for a vector file?
  • Can I use an image from a website?
  • What’s the difference between JPG, PNG, PDF and EPS?
  • Why does my artwork look fine on screen but blurry in print?
  • What file format should I send?

This cheat sheet answers all of them.

Vector vs. Raster

Every file format falls into one of two categories.

Vector files are built from mathematical paths, lines and curves rather than pixels. Because they aren’t made of tiny dots, vector graphics scale to any size, from a business card to a billboard, without becoming blurry or pixelated. Vector formats include .ai, .eps, .pdf and .svg.

Raster files are made up of thousands of tiny colored squares called pixels. Photographs, scanned artwork, screenshots and images downloaded from websites are typically raster files, such as .jpg, .png, .tif and .gif. Raster images have a fixed resolution. They can be reduced without a problem, but enlarging them causes blur and pixelation.

What File Format Is “Best”?

There’s no single best format, only the best format for the job. Instead of asking “What’s the best file type?”, ask two questions: Does this need to scale? Is it a photo or a graphic?

  • Needs to scale big (signs, banners, apparel, logos): vector, meaning AI, EPS, PDF or SVG.
  • Photography at final size, going to print: TIFF, or a high-resolution JPEG if TIFF isn’t available.
  • Anything print-ready, any job type: PDF is the safest universal answer.
TIP: Not sure what to send? A print-ready PDF is almost always right, or the original vector file if it’s a logo.

When the Job Needs a Vector File

If you’re enlarging a logo, illustration or graphic for a banner, trade show display, vehicle wrap, sign or other large format project, you’ll want a vector file. Vector artwork prints at virtually any size while staying sharp.

Vector format types

  • .ai (Adobe Illustrator)
  • .eps (Encapsulated PostScript)
  • .pdf (Portable Document Format)
  • .svg (Scalable Vector Graphics)

Starting with vector artwork for banners, signs, vehicle graphics, trade show displays or apparel saves time, prevents rework and produces a sharper final product.

How to Tell If a File Is Actually Vector

A file extension is a claim, not proof. Here’s how to check:

  • Zoom in, way in. A true vector file stays crisp at 1,000% zoom. If edges turn soft or blocky, the file is raster underneath, whatever its extension says.
  • Try to select individual paths. In Illustrator or Acrobat, vector artwork lets you click on individual shapes, lines and anchor points. If clicking selects the whole thing as one flat image, it’s raster.
  • Compare file size to complexity. Vector files describing simple shapes are usually small. A simple two-color logo that’s 8 MB is a red flag, because it usually means a raster image is embedded inside.
  • When in doubt, ask us. Send the file to your B&B sales rep, and we’ll open it and check it before your job moves forward. A five-minute check up front beats a reprint later.

Renaming a File Doesn’t Make It Vector

Renaming a JPEG to “logo.pdf” or “logo.ai” doesn’t convert it to vector. Choosing .eps or .pdf from the Save As menu doesn’t either. Both just wrap the same pixels in a vector-format container without adding any mathematical paths, so the file will still pixelate when enlarged. The only way to get a true vector file is to build or redraw the artwork in vector software, or have it professionally vectorized.

TIP: Even if you think you saved your file as vector, double-check it with the zoom test above.

Watch for Raster Elements Hiding Inside Vector Files

A vector file can still contain raster pieces. It’s common for an AI file, an InDesign layout or a PDF to include embedded raster elements: a logo pasted in as a JPEG, a photo dropped into the design, or a placeholder screenshot that never got swapped out.

  • The document can print sharp text and clean shapes while one logo or image prints blurry, because that element was never vector.
  • This happens most often when a logo is pulled from a website or an old email signature.
  • Check each element, not just the file type. Click on individual pieces of the artwork. Text and logos should stay clean at any zoom. Photos will be raster, so check their resolution instead.
TIP: For a document with multiple elements, don’t ask “Is this a vector file?” Ask “Is this specific logo or graphic vector?”

Raster Files

Raster images have a fixed size and resolution. They can usually be reduced without a problem, but enlarging them makes them blurry, fuzzy or pixelated.

The Limitations of Raster Files

When you send a logo, photo or graphic for printing, the quality of the raster file matters. A low-resolution image that looks fine on screen may print poorly, especially on large format projects such as banners, signs, posters and trade show displays.

Raster format types

  • .jpg or .jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
  • .png (Portable Network Graphics)
  • .tif or .tiff (Tagged Image File Format)
  • .gif (Graphics Interchange Format)
TIP: If you want to enlarge a logo or graphic significantly, use a vector version. If you only have a raster file, the print quality may suffer. An image taken from a website, social media, a screenshot or an email signature is almost always too low-resolution for good print quality.

The Formats You’ll See Most

PDF: the gold standard for print-ready files

PDF is the most widely accepted format in commercial printing. It can hold both vector artwork and raster images, which is why it works for nearly every job, as long as it’s built correctly. A print-ready PDF should have fonts embedded, images at 300 dpi or higher, bleed included and color set to CMYK. Not all PDFs are equal: a PDF exported from Word is very different from one exported from InDesign.

Best for: business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, booklets and direct mail.

AI: Adobe Illustrator’s native vector file, fully editable

AI files are built from paths rather than pixels, so they scale to any size without losing quality. They open and edit fully only in Illustrator.

Best for: logos, icons, large format graphics, signage and any artwork that needs to scale.

EPS: vector, widely compatible

EPS is an older vector format that remains common, especially for logos, and it opens in most professional design applications. Treat it like AI: it’s scalable, resolution-independent and reliable for print.

Best for: logos, spot-color artwork and legacy files.

TIFF: preferred for photography

TIFF is the preferred format for high-resolution photos going to print. Files can be large, but image quality is preserved. Aim for 300 dpi at final print size.

Best for: product photography, portraits and full-bleed images.

JPEG: raster, use with caution

JPEGs are designed for photographs, and a high-resolution JPEG can print beautifully. For a logo, sign, banner or trade show display, though, use a vector file if one exists. Low-resolution JPEGs are the most common cause of print quality problems.

Best for: photography when TIFF isn’t available. Not for logos or text-heavy artwork.

PNG: digital-first format

PNG supports transparent backgrounds, which makes it popular for logos and web graphics. But PNG only supports RGB color, so it must be converted to CMYK for print. The resolution rule still applies: 300 dpi at final size.

Best for: web and digital ads. Usable in print with proper color conversion.

Download a PDF guide for commercial print file formats here and print file formats here 

Wide Format Notes

Wide format jobs, such as signage, banners, murals and trade show graphics, have their own rules on top of everything above.

Build your file at its final output size, whether you are working in a vector program or Photoshop. For best results, create the artwork in Illustrator and link any placed images. Because Photoshop is raster-based, enlarging a smaller file can cause blurring and loss of detail.

Set images to 150 dpi at final size. Wide format print technology is vastly different than traditional printing. Wide-format printing can produce high-quality results at 150 dpi when artwork is created at its full output size. Images below 150 dpi may appear soft or blurry, reducing overall print quality.

Specify critical PMS colors in the file. If brand color accuracy matters, include the actual PMS (Pantone) values rather than leaving color matching to guesswork. This matters most in wide format, where color shifts are more visible at scale.

Outline fonts only if no further edits are needed. If the file is final, converting text to outlines locks in the design safely. If copy might still change, include the font files instead. Once text is outlined, it can’t be edited as text.

TIP: Wide-format mistakes are costly. Before sending files to production, confirm the size, resolution, colors, and fonts. Fixing problems before printing avoids expensive reprints.

NOTE: AI-generated artwork, including designs created with ChatGPT or Canva, may not be suitable for wide-format production. An additional artwork fee will apply to rebuild the design as a high-resolution, production-ready file. The rebuilt design will closely resemble the original but may not be an exact match.

Download a PDF guide for wide-format here 

Embroidery and Heat Transfers

Embroidery: send a vector file

Embroidery logos have to be digitized, meaning converted into a stitch file that tells the machine where every stitch goes. We handle the digitizing, so all we need from you is clean vector artwork: an .ai, .eps, .svg or vector .pdf file.

TIP: If you only have a JPEG or PNG of your logo, talk to your B&B sales rep before placing the order. The artwork may need to be redrawn as vector first.

Heat transfers: stick to the preferred formats

Preferred file types

  • .pdf
  • .png
  • .tiff (Also known as tif, TIF or TIFF)

Also accepted

  • .ai
  • .svg
  • .jpg
  • .psd

Artwork should be 300 dpi at final print size, and files can be up to 50 MB. PNG works well for transfers because it supports transparent backgrounds. We can work with the other accepted formats if needed, but keep the resolution rules in mind: a JPEG can’t be enlarged without losing quality, and it can’t have a transparent background, so any background in the file can become part of the design.

TIP: Build your transfer artwork at the exact size it will print, at 300 dpi, and send it as a PDF, PNG or TIFF whenever you can.

Download a PDF guide for embroidery and heat transfers here 

Packaging Files: Links and Fonts

A layout file from InDesign or Illustrator is only complete if it travels with everything it depends on. Sending just the .indd or .ai file is like sending a recipe without the ingredients. The design points to files that live on the original computer, and we won’t have them.

  • Linked images: Layout files link to images rather than embedding them. If the linked files don’t come along, images show up missing, low-res or blank.
  • Fonts: If fonts aren’t included, the receiving computer substitutes a default font, changing your design without any warning.
  • The fix: InDesign and Illustrator both have a built-in Package (or Collect) function. It gathers the layout file, every linked image and every font into one folder, ready to send.
  • Alternative for fonts: If you can’t share font files because of licensing restrictions, outline the text before sending. This locks in the appearance without the font file, but the text can no longer be edited.
TIP: Sending an InDesign or Illustrator file? Send the packaged folder, not the file alone. It’s a two-minute export that prevents a round of revisions.

Quick Rules to Remember

By file type

  • PDF: works across every job type. When in doubt, send a PDF.
  • AI and EPS: vector. Great for logos and scalable artwork, but not for photography.
  • SVG: vector and infinitely scalable, but not common in print. Check with us before sending one.
  • TIFF: the professional standard for photography. Lossless, large and reliable.
  • JPEG: photos only, at 300 dpi at final print size (150 dpi for wide format).
  • PNG: RGB raster only. Convert to CMYK (as TIFF or PDF) for press; for wide format, confirm your printer’s requirements and check resolution.
  • PSD: needs to be flattened and converted to CMYK before going to press.
  • INDD: a layout file for multi-page documents, not an image format. Export a print-ready PDF from InDesign.
  • GIF: has no print application. Please send a different format.

Before you send

  • Check that your file is really vector. A file extension doesn’t prove it. Zoom in and try selecting paths.
  • Check every logo and image inside the file. A vector document can still contain raster elements.
  • Package layout files. INDD and AI files need their links and fonts. Use Package or Collect, and don’t send the file alone.
  • Wide format: 150 dpi minimum at actual final size.
  • Embroidery: send vector artwork, and we’ll handle the digitizing.

Have more questions about file types? Contact us, we are here to help!