Here’s a situation that comes up more than it should. A business needs a sign made, a van wrapped or a batch of polo shirts embroidered. The supplier asks for the logo “as a vector file,” and the only version anyone can find is a small JPEG pulled from an old email signature. Knowing which logo file formats to ask for at the start saves that scramble.
At that point you’re either chasing a designer you last spoke to years ago, or paying someone to redraw your own logo. Both are avoidable.
Use this checklist to confirm you have the right logo file formats before you sign off a logo project, and file everything somewhere the whole business can find it.
The logo file formats you need
Logo file formats fall into two families, and you need both.
Vector master files
Vector files are built from mathematical shapes rather than pixels, so they can be scaled to any size without going blurry. Printers, sign makers and embroiderers will ask for these. Expect some or all of:
- SVG, widely used on websites and accepted by many suppliers
- EPS, an older format that many print and signage suppliers still ask for
- PDF, which can hold vector artwork and is easy for anyone to open
- AI, the native Adobe Illustrator file, useful if another designer will work on it later
Ask for the text in these files to be converted to outlines, so the logo displays correctly on a computer that doesn’t have your fonts installed.
Raster files for everyday use
- PNG with a transparent background, in a few sizes, for websites, documents and presentations
- JPG for the odd place that won’t accept anything else
- A square icon version for social profile pictures and a favicon for browser tabs
The versions you need
A single logo in a single colour on a white background won’t cover real life. A complete set normally includes the following.
Layouts
- Primary logo, the main version
- Horizontal version for headers, email signatures and narrow spaces
- Stacked version for square-ish spaces
- Symbol or monogram on its own, if the logo has one
Colour versions
- Full colour
- Single colour black
- Single colour white (reversed), for dark backgrounds and photos
- Any approved alternative colourways
Multiply layouts by colour versions and you’ll see why a proper delivery can easily run to dozens of files. That’s normal. They should be clearly named and organised into folders so anyone can pick the right one.
Colour codes for every medium
Colour behaves differently on screen and in print, so each brand colour should be specified in several systems:
- HEX and RGB for websites and digital use
- CMYK for standard full-colour printing
- Pantone (spot colour) references where colour accuracy matters, for example signage, packaging or merchandise
- Vinyl or paint references if the colours will be used on signs or vehicles, which your sign maker can help match
Without these, every supplier will guess, and your “brand blue” will come back in five slightly different shades.
Basic usage rules
Even without full brand guidelines, a logo delivery should include a short sheet covering:
- Clear space: how much room to leave around the logo
- Minimum size: how small it can go before it stops being legible
- What not to do: stretching, recolouring, adding effects, placing on busy backgrounds
- The fonts used, with names and where to get them
The paperwork: rights and fonts
This is the part people skip, and it can matter a great deal later.
Copyright. Under UK law, the person who creates a design generally owns the copyright unless they’re your employee or it has been formally transferred. Paying an agency or freelancer for a logo does not automatically make you the owner. You want a written assignment of copyright, signed by the designer or agency, which normally takes effect on full payment. Check the terms before the project starts, and take legal advice if the logo is central to a business you may one day sell.
Font licences. Typefaces are software and come with licences. Confirm the fonts in your logo and brand are licensed for the ways you’ll use them, such as on your website, in apps or in printed products. Free fonts from reputable sources are often fine for commercial use, but check.
Originality. Ask the designer to confirm the work is original and hasn’t been built from a template, stock icon or AI output with unclear rights.
If you only remember one thing: get the vector files and a written copyright assignment before the final invoice is closed.
Where to keep it all
Store the full set of logo file formats and versions in a shared drive folder called something obvious like “Brand assets,” not in one person’s inbox. Send the link to any new supplier, rather than attaching whatever version is nearest to hand. Our logo design projects include a full organised file set and a written copyright assignment as standard, and our ongoing brand management service can look after your assets and supplier requests if you’d rather not think about it.
