PNG vs SVG vs EPS vs PDF: Which Format for Your Logo?

Format confusion, finally cleared up

When you receive your logo, you often end up with a dozen files carrying different extensions: PNG, SVG, EPS, PDF, ICO, JPG. Which one do you send to the printer? Which one goes on your website? Which one do you keep as the "master"? This guide answers all of those questions.

The fundamental distinction: vector vs bitmap

Before going any further, you need to understand this essential difference:

• Vector (SVG, EPS, PDF, AI): made of mathematical formulas. Infinitely scalable with no loss of quality.
• Bitmap/raster (PNG, JPG, GIF): made of pixels. Fixed quality. Degrades when enlarged beyond its resolution.

For a professional logo, you always need vector files.

PNG — The Swiss army knife of the web

What it is: A bitmap format with native transparency.

Use it for: Websites (header, footer), social media, PowerPoint/Keynote presentations, email.

Recommended sizes: 512×512px (standard), 1024×1024px (high resolution), 2048×2048px (very high resolution).

Hard limit: Never send a PNG to a printer — the resolution is not sufficient for physical media.

SVG — The standard of the modern web

What it is: Scalable Vector Graphics. The web's native vector format.

Use it for: Embedding on a website (React, HTML), icons, mobile apps, CSS animations.

Key advantage: Extremely lightweight file (a few KB), infinite zoom, colors editable in CSS.

Limitation: Some older software (Word 2013 and earlier) doesn't display it properly.

EPS — The king of print

What it is: Encapsulated PostScript. The standard professional vector format since the 80s.

Use it for: Sending to the printer, screen printing, embroidery, signage, point-of-sale displays.

Why it is essential: Every professional print shop requires it. It is the reference format for physical production.

Limitation: It doesn't open natively on Windows — it needs Illustrator, Inkscape (free) or CorelDRAW.

PDF — The universal vector format

What it is: Portable Document Format. It can contain vector objects.

Use it for: Emailing a supplier, trademark filings (INPI), client presentations, official documents.

Key advantage: It opens anywhere without special software. It stays vector if it was created from vector software (which is the case with BrandMotion Lab).

ICO — The indispensable favicon

What it is: A format specific to favicons and application icons.

Use it for: Website favicon (the icon in the browser tab), mobile application icon.

Size: 16×16px, 32×32px, 64×64px (usually multi-resolution inside a single .ico file).

Summary table

Use case	Recommended format
Website	SVG (preferred) or PNG
Printing / business cards	EPS or PDF
Social media	PNG 1024px
INPI trademark filing	SVG or EPS
Favicon	ICO
Screen printing / embroidery	EPS
Sending to a supplier	PDF or EPS

BrandMotion Lab delivers every format automatically

With BrandMotion Lab you don't have to choose: every logo delivered automatically includes PNG (4 resolutions), SVG, EPS, PDF and ICO. Every format, in a single archive, from your very first generation.