Hi everyone, this is Anne with Graphic Design How To and today I'm going to tell you about
graphic design image file formats and when to use them.
So we're going to talk about vector and raster graphics.
So like AI, which is Adobe Illustrator, PSD, Photoshop, jpg, png, EPS and a few others.
Alright, so let's get started.
First, we'll cover the vector formats.
So those are AI, SVG, PDF, and EPS.
And then we'll talk about the raster file formats.
PSD, JPG, PNG and GIF.
All right, first step is an AI file.
And that's an Adobe Illustrator file.
This is considered a native file.
So when you have a native file, you'll usually have two versions, your AI file and then whatever
you export, which would be like a PNG, jpg, sometimes an SVG and some other things, and
we'll go into each of those file types too.
So in your filing system, you'll have your AI and then that other file.
There are usually three times that I use an AI file.
One is when I'm working on the native file and changing things and all of that.
2.
If a client asks for my native files, this AI file is the file they're probably talking
about.
So I would package it up and send that off to the client.
The third time I would use it is to place in other Adobe programs.
So if I have an InDesign file, I'll place an Illustrator file, an AI file, inside that
program.
For example, a logo.
Next is SVG.
SVG means scalable vector graphic, and it's a vector file that can be used on the web
as an image file.
It can be scaled to any size, so that's nice because it means you don't have to make a
lot of different sizes if you're going to be using a logo in several different places.
It can be as big or small as you need and the quality won't change.
Also, SVGs can be manipulated with CSS styling.
So if you're a web developer, you can change the color of a logo, for example, with CSS
styling on an SVG file.
Another common use for SVG files is with cutting machines.
Cutting machines use SVG files to plot where to cut.
So this would be an machines like Cricut, Cameo or any machine that needs to plot a
point.
Third, we have PDF files.
This is the most common file type that a printer is going to want.
When I was a digital prepress artist, we only worked from PDF files.
So if a client gave us a JPG, we would turn it into a PDF because it was the most easily
managed for our digital press.
PDF does hold vector graphics.
It can hold both vector and raster graphics, so you can have JPEGs in your PDF, but it
can also hold vector files like logos.
Another great thing is that almost anyone can open this file and that's because Acrobat
Reader is free to download and it comes installed already on almost every computer.
Most graphic designers make PDFs so they can send them to a client.
And the client can make comments on them, and they can see everything okay, and they're
just a really versatile file format.
The last vector file format is EPS.
This is actually considered an old file type now.
It's not really recommended to use it these days, because it can cause some printing challenges.
But it has been the standard for so long and it is universally recognized by all the major
vector programs.
And I only learned this year that this is supposed to be a dated file format.
I've always used EPS and I've never had a problem.
So if you want to continue to use them, that is fine by me.
But a lot of designers will place a native PSD or native AI file into their InDesign
document instead of making an EPS.
Another use for EPS files is if you upload to stock websites like Shutterstock or Adobe
Stock, you still have to use EPS and you have to save it as a really old EPS format so that
very old machines or anybody who downloads from those sites can use them.
Okay, let's look at raster formats.
First is PSD.
Like AI, this is a native file, so most people can't open or use it.
So when you're using a PSD file, it's good to save two versions, your PSD, and then an
image that someone else can use, like a PDF or a JPG.
PSDs is can be really huge because they usually have lots of layers, but they're great for
that very reason.
They're really easy to edit.
JPG!
A JPG can be used for both print and for web.
You can use it for print, but you need to save it at full size at 300 DPI or ppi.
If you're doing something as big as a billboard you need to talk to your printer, because
a lot of times you don't need to have it at 300 PPI - it can be much smaller.
You can use it in InDesign files, in Photoshop, and in Illustrator...although it won't be
a vector file, even though you're using it in Illustrator.
Another use for JPGs is that almost all images on the web are either this, a JPG, or PNG
files.
A JPG cannot have a transparent background.
So wherever it looks transparent, that is going to turn to white.
Alright, moving on to PNG!
PNG files are very similar to JPGs, but they can have a transparent background.
It's mostly used on the web, but you can use it for print in some cases.
So if you're going to create a tshirt for print on demand tshirt sites, they require
a transparent PNG.
So when you make one of those, you need to make it pretty big to get the quality right.
So if you're using Illustrator, you'd want to make your artboard about 15 inches wide,
and then export at about 700 PPI.
That would give you a really high quality file that would look great on a tshirt.
And then the last raster format is a GIF or "JIF" (pronunciation) file, depending on who
you ask.
This file format is getting pretty outdated, but it is still used for memes!
So I'm sure you've seen the little animated GIFs that loop and they never have sound.
This is one of the very few things that GIFs are still used for.
They're also used for animated banner ads on the web.
So if you see little Google Ads off to the side that are rotating or doing some animation,
those are probably animated GIFs.
All right, that's my video for this week.
If you liked it, please click on the "Like" button.
And I'll see you next week with another graphic design tutorial.
Thank you!!!