Graphic Design File Formats
You’re starting your journey of designing and you have all these different file formats. Some you’ve probably seen before and some that you didn’t know existed. We’ve all been there or are there but that’s why we have this article and the internet!
I’ll be going over 10 file formats that I think are pretty important to know if you’re someone who’s a graphic designer or someone who creates digital content!
If you’ve ever had to write a paper for school or maybe create some type of visual to present, you’ve probably seen the file formats PDF, JPEG, and DOC/DOCX. However, for us graphic designers, we see some additional formats that can be useful in saving our digital files.
Before we dive into the file formats, there are a few technical terms that we’ll briefly go over so that no one gets lost in the sauce.
Raster images and Vector images as well as Lossless compression and Lossy compression.
Raster images vs. Vector images
Raster images
There are two types of images that we work with and use when we create. Raster images and Vector images.
Raster Images are composed of many pixels of different colors that when placed together create, a collection of all of the pixels to create an image. Raster Images can be resized but when you do resize your Raster Image, you either add or remove pixels This can cause a loss of pixelation and image quality though. Some common file formats are JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.
Raster Images are most suitable for realistic artwork, and photos, and work with complex textures and color gradients
Vector images
Vector images are made up of shapes so think polygons, lines, and curves. The shapes that are used to create the vector images are composed of mathematical equations rather than pixels. Vector images can be resized without losing any pixelation or quality because the shapes are recalculated based on the new dimensions you set when resizing.
Vector images are best suited for illustrations, logos, icons, and any artwork that would need to be used in various media and sizes
Takeaway: Vector images are best for scalable and editable graphics like logos and illustrations, while raster images are suitable for photographs and complex visual content.
Lossless compression vs. Lossy compression
Lossless compression
Lossless compression is a data compression technique that reduces file size without losing any data or quality. The compressed file can be restored to its original state, without any changes to the file. Unlike lossy compression, lossless compression retains all the original data, making sure that there is no loss of quality or data.
Lossy compression
Lossy compression and lossless compression are two methods used to reduce the file size of digital data, such as video, images, and audio. The biggest difference between them is in how they handle data compression and the resulting quality of the compressed file. When the file is being compressed, data is discarded and the file losses some of its quality.
Takeaway: lossy compression sacrifices some data and quality to achieve more significant reductions in file size, while lossless compression keeps all of the original data and ensures no loss in quality but may not achieve as high compression ratios as lossy methods.
10 file formats:
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): This file format is Ideal for photographs and web graphics, but not suitable for images with transparency or sharp lines due to lossy compression.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics): Used for web graphics and images requiring transparency, supports lossless compression.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): These are the animated images that we see all the time-think memes and reactions. GIFs are suitable for simple animations and graphics with a limited color palette.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format): These files are commonly used in professional printing for high-quality images, illustrations, and photographs, supporting lossless compression.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript): A vector-based format used for logos, illustrations, and scalable artwork.
PDF (Portable Document Format): PDFs are a versatile format for both print and digital purposes, supporting both raster and vector elements, ideal for maintaining layout and formatting. A PDF document is great for locking your work in place so that nothing shifts or changes when the file is saved
AI (Adobe Illustrator): You’ll see this file format with native files for Adobe Illustrator, containing vector graphics, commonly used for logos and illustrations.
PSD (Adobe Photoshop): You’ll see this file format for Adobe Photoshop, preserving layers and editing features, suitable for complex image compositions and photo manipulation.
INDD (Adobe InDesign): This file format is for native files for Adobe InDesign, used for designing multi-page documents like brochures and magazines.
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics): This file format is used for vector-based format for web graphics and responsive designs, supporting animation and interactivity.
As a graphic designer, you should choose file formats based on your specific project requirements, compatibility, and intended use with design software and your target platforms. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each format will ensure the best results for your designs!