Have you ever been asked for a file in an email with an extension that sound made up? If you’ve ever worked with a designer, odds are you have. We know that there are a lot of file types out there and it can be hard to remember which is good for your purpose. Don’t worry! We are here to help!
VECTOR
Vector files are the ultimate design file. This is because they allow your designer to have the most control over your
art and create the best product for you. If your designer asks you for a vector format of your artwork, look for one of these most common file types:
.AI
(Adobe Illustrator Document)
This is Adobe Suite specific, so it requires Adobe design software to open. Don’t worry if you can’t open it because we can!
.EPS
(Encapsulated Postscript)
This is a more universal vector file that is generally not software specific.
.PDF
(Portable Document Format)
This is the document you are probably most familiar with. This type of file is capable of retaining vector artwork, while being able to be opened in non-vector programs. This makes it ideal for most printing and general purposes.
RASTER
Raster files are useful in some cases, and less useful in others. It just depends on your project! They are great for creating photographic imagery, whether it be collage or just a nice picture on the wall. Raster images’ scalability depends on the original image’s size and resolution. (We’ll talk about the specifics later). These are file types you are most likely more familiar with:
.PSD
(Photoshop Document)
This is Adobe Suite specific, so it requires Adobe design software to open. This file is the most editable because it retains layers that can be manipulated, instead of having one flat image inside. Don’t worry if you can’t open it because we can!
.PNG
(Portable Network Graphics)
This non-editable format is commonly preferred amongst designers because the file type is capable of having transparent backgrounds, which means your image can be used in a more versatile way. You won’t always be limited to just one background color! It’s able to be opened in any photo viewer program.
.JPG/JPEG
(Joint Photographic Experts Group)
This non-editable format doesn’t hold transparent backgrounds, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless! Most images taken with a phone default to this file type. It’s able to be opened in any photo viewer program.
.GIF
(Graphics Interchange Format)
While there is a heavy debate on whether this is pronounced GIF of JIF (you know, like the peanut butter), we can assure you it is
GIF. This format has taken the meme world by storm. Those animated GIFs you see, are called GIFs for a reason. The unique thing about this file format is its ability to show animated or moving images.
.TIFF
(Tagged Image File)
This image type is very common in the design world. It’s a raster file that is capable of saving at much larger sizes without losing image quality when compressed. Basically, if you start out with a large image, you’ll keep your large image when you save it this way.