What are all these CRAZY file types and when do I use each one?

jpg, gif, ai, png, eps – WTH?

 
Have visions of file types dancing in your head… kinda like Elaine from Seinfeld? Well to ease your mind… here’s a handy list of what they all are and their common uses.

JPG

• Best suited for photographs.
• JPGs can have different resolutions (read this you need help with those).
• Ones with resolutions of 300 pixels per inch are good to print (at the size they are)
• For Facebook
• Cannot be enlarged w/o losing quality

PNG

• Typically for graphics on web
• Usually has a transparent background
• For Facebook
• Cannot be enlarged w/o losing quality

GIF

• For graphics on websites
• Also for moving images (like this)
• Very compressed (small) files for fast loading times
• Cannot be enlarged w/o losing quality

AI

• An Adobe Illustrator file
• Usually a logo or other graphic
• A vector (need a refresher on vectors?)
• Give this to someone who may be using your logo or image for printing
• Can be enlarged to any size

PSD

• An Adobe Photoshop file
• A Raster image (not sure what this means? Follow the vector link above)
• Just give this to your designer
• Cannot be enlarged w/o losing quality

EPS

• Good to give to a printer
• Created and opened in Adobe software
• There’s more, but that’s really all you need to know.
• Can be enlarged to any size

Hope that helps! 🙂