Good to know
What file types should I send for printing?
The short answer
For a logo, send a vector file: AI, EPS, SVG, or a PDF saved from a design program. For a finished layout such as a flyer or a business card, send a print-ready PDF. For a photo, send the largest original you have. If all you have is a JPG or a PNG, send it anyway and say so.
The short list
Different parts of a job want different files.
| You are sending | Best | Also fine |
|---|---|---|
| A logo | AI, EPS, or SVG | A PDF from a design program |
| A finished layout (card, flyer, brochure) | A PDF, with bleed if color runs to the edge | The design file, with its fonts and pictures |
| A photograph | The original JPG, TIFF, or PNG at full size | A PSD |
| Names for shirts or awards | An Excel or CSV file | A typed list |
What each file type is
A quick guide to the letters at the end of a file name.
- PDF. The safest way to send a finished layout. It keeps the fonts, pictures, and positions locked in place. It can hold vector artwork, photos, or both.
- AI and EPS. Vector files from Adobe Illustrator and similar programs. The usual home of an original logo.
- SVG. A vector file made for the web. Often the easiest vector version of a logo to find.
- JPG. A photo format. Fine for photographs at full size. A poor fit for logos, because it softens edges and has no transparent background.
- PNG. A picture format that allows a transparent background. Good on screens. For print it works only when it is large.
- PSD and TIFF. Photo editing formats that keep full quality. Good for photographs and artwork built from photos.
- INDD, PUB, and Canva designs. Working files from InDesign, Publisher, and Canva. Useful when changes are needed, but send a PDF as well: a working file depends on fonts and pictures that may not travel with it.
What causes trouble
Most file problems come from a picture that was made small somewhere along the way.
- Screenshots. They are the size of your screen, which is far too small to print.
- Logos copied from a website or an email signature. Those were made small on purpose, so pages load fast.
- Logos pasted into Word or PowerPoint. Those programs can shrink a picture when the file is saved. Send the logo file itself.
- Photos sent by text message. Phones often shrink a picture when they text it. Email the original, or upload it.
- Missing fonts. If a working file uses a font the next computer doesn't have, the type changes. A PDF avoids this.
When the file is too big to email
Design files and photos are often too large for email. Our Send a file page takes them: pick the person you're working with, add the files, and they get a link to download them.
When in doubt, send everything you have and say what it is for. It is easier to choose from too many files than to work from the wrong one.
Questions
More about sending files
Don't see yours? Call 419.224.8747 and ask a person.
EXCELLENT4.9 from 58 Google reviews, rated 4.9 out of 5. Opens our Google Business profile in a new tabIs a PDF always print-ready?
No. A PDF is a container. It is print-ready when it is the right size, has a bleed if color runs to the edge, and its pictures are sharp enough. A PDF made from a small, blurry picture is still small and blurry.
What is a bleed?My logo is only a JPG. Is that a problem?
It depends on how large it is and what it is going on. A large, sharp JPG works for some things. For others the logo has to be redrawn as vector artwork first. Send it and ask.
What is vector artwork?Can I send a Word or PowerPoint file?
Yes, for the wording. Send the logos and pictures as separate files too, because those programs can shrink pictures placed in them. Layouts can also shift from one computer to the next, so check the proof closely.
Can I just send a link to my Canva design?
A PDF is better. In Canva, download the design as PDF Print, which is made for printing and can add crop marks and bleed. Our guide walks through it.
Make a print-ready business card in CanvaWhat does it mean to outline the fonts?
Turning the letters into shapes, so the file no longer needs the font installed. It keeps your type from changing on another computer. Keep an editable copy for yourself, because outlined type can't be retyped.
Should my file be RGB or CMYK?
CMYK for print, if your program offers it. If it doesn't, send what you have: the color is converted on its way to the press.
RGB and CMYK explainedAlso worth a look
Have files, but not sure they'll work?
Send them with your request, whatever they are. You'll see a proof before anything is made.