This is for non-designers, small businesses and especially those juggling it all solo. Understanding what file types you need to use can get overwhelming and a right pain in the apples.
These are the top three:
• Jpeg
• Png
• Pdf
Anything more complicated can be discussed with either your graphic designer or printer.
JPG – Best for images with lots of colours. They do not retain transparency. JPG files are supported by all image viewers and editors. It’s the most widely accepted image format. You can open JPG files with your web browser, like Chrome or Firefox.
PNG – Best for digital images, especially logos and illustrations. They DO retain transparency. PNG is short for Portable Network Graphic, a type of raster image file. It’s a particularly popular file type with web designers because it can handle graphics with transparent or semi-transparent backgrounds.
PDF – Best for all things printable as well as digital documents. It stands for “portable document format”. Essentially, the format is used when you need to save files that cannot be modified but still need to be easily shared and printed. Today most devices have a version of Adobe Reader or can open a PDF in an Internet Browser.
NOTE: Digital files need to be in RGB colour mode (72 – 150 dpi) Print-ready files need to be in CMYK colour mode (300dpi)
I hope you found this helpful.