Which logo file do you need? A practical guide by use: PDF or EPS for print, clean vectors for embroidery, SVG for vinyl cutting, signage and web files.
Every supplier seems to ask for a different file. The printer wants a PDF, the embroiderer wants "a vector", the sign maker asks for EPS and the web designer wants an SVG. This guide shows which logo file each one needs and why, so you can send the right file the first time.
Notice the pattern: almost every physical product starts from a vector file. Raster files are mainly for screens.
Printers usually ask for a print-ready PDF of the finished design, with the logo inside it as vector artwork. Some also accept EPS or AI files for the logo itself.
Why vector? Printed text and edges are reproduced very sharply, so any blur in a raster logo becomes visible, especially on small text. A vector logo also lets the printer use exact spot colours when your job needs them.
Placing a JPG inside a PDF doesn't turn it into a vector. If the printer says your logo is "low resolution", you need a real vector version.
Embroidery machines don't read AI or SVG files directly. They read a stitch file, created by a person called a digitizer who decides the direction, type and order of every stitch. That process is called digitizing.
The digitizer works best from a clean vector (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF): clear outlines, solid colours and no tiny details that thread can't reproduce. From a blurry JPG, they have to guess where the edges are, and those guesses end up on your shirts and caps.
Very thin lines and very small text are difficult to stitch. A clean vector makes it easier for the embroiderer to see what is possible and to suggest simplifications.
Cutting plotters follow the outlines in your file with a blade. That makes them very demanding:
The usual formats are SVG and EPS, sometimes AI or PDF. A raster file can't be cut at all; it has to be vectorized first.
Sign makers work at sizes where every flaw is magnified. A logo that looks fine on screen can show stair-stepped edges on a 2-metre banner. For 3D letters, lightboxes, routed panels and vehicle wraps, they need a vector file (AI, EPS or PDF) so they can scale, cut and print with precision.
For the web, the logo is shown on screens, so raster files are fine, but the format still matters:
The easiest way to keep every supplier happy is to have one good vector master and export the rest from it. That is exactly what you receive from VETOR24: with our logo vectorization (€30, delivered in 4 hours) your logo is carefully redrawn and delivered as AI, SVG, EPS and PDF, plus PNG and JPG previews. You approve a preview before the final delivery. If a supplier is waiting, <> Extremely complex artwork may need an extra fee, always confirmed before work starts.
Do you run a print shop, embroidery business or sign company yourself? Our business packs start at 10 projects for €250, and the files carry no VETOR24 branding, so you can hand them straight to your customers.
Sometimes, for photos. For a logo, a vector file is the reliable answer, because it has no resolution limit and prints sharp at any size.
Almost. If you have AI, SVG, EPS and PDF versions of the same vector logo, you can cover printers, embroiderers, sign makers and web designers without any conversions.
If you have a vector in any of the common formats, the supplier or your designer can usually convert it without loss. If you only have a JPG or PNG, the logo needs to be vectorized first.
Not sure which file to send for your next order? Start with a clean vector of your logo. Once you have it, the right format for any supplier is just an export away.