Common Printing File Types Guide

Here's a handy guide for learning about the common printing and web file types.

File Type Best Used For Vector or Raster
JPEG / JPG Photographs and web images where small file size is important. Not ideal for images with text or sharp edges due to compression artefacts. Raster
PNG Web graphics, logos, and images requiring transparency. Supports lossless compression, making it ideal for sharp edges and text. Raster
TIF / TIFF High-quality print files and archiving. Supports lossless compression and large colour depths. Preferred by printers and photographers. Raster
EPS Print-ready artwork, logos, and illustrations. Widely supported by print vendors and can contain both vector and raster data. Vector (can contain Raster)
.AI (Adobe Illustrator) Creating and editing vector artwork, logos, icons, and illustrations. Native Illustrator format — best kept as a working/editable file. Vector
SVG Web-based vector graphics, icons, and logos. Scales infinitely without quality loss and can be styled with CSS. Vector
InD / INDD (Adobe InDesign) Multi-page print layouts such as brochures, magazines, and books. Native InDesign format — used as a working/editable file. Vector (can contain Raster)
PSD (Adobe Photoshop) Photo editing, compositing, and digital artwork. Native Photoshop format — preserves layers and editable elements. Raster
PDF Sharing and printing finalised documents. Universally compatible, can preserve vector data, and is the standard format for print-ready files. Vector (can contain Raster)
GIF Simple web animations and graphics with flat colour. Limited to 256 colours, making it unsuitable for photographs. Raster
WebP Web images requiring smaller file sizes than JPEG or PNG. Supports both lossy and lossless compression, as well as transparency. Raster
RAW (CR2, NEF, ARW etc.) Unprocessed camera files retaining maximum image data for professional photo editing. Not suitable for direct web or print use without conversion. Raster

If you need assistance with deciding which size and format is best suited for what you want to achieve with your project, we can help. Contact us today.