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AUGUST 2007
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DECIPHERING FILE FORMATS: A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT TO USE WHEN.

One of your vendors calls in need of a logo. The first question you should ask is, "Where will it be used?" A Web page, for example, requires a different file format than a brochure or print ad. Careful planning with your designers will ensure that all bases are covered to utilize the same artwork—saved in different formats—for a number of applications. And while there are a huge number of file formats, we can narrow them down to four most commonly used:

  1. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
  2. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
  3. TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
  4. EPS (Encapsulated PostScript®)

Now that you know what the acronyms stand for, here is a quick guide of what to use when.

File Type Best For Qualities Special Considerations
JPEG
  • Web
  • HTML email
  • Digital presentations
  • Photographic images
  • Images with blended colors

Takes advantage of the full spectrum of colors available on the monitor.

Good for photos being optimized for the Web, or whenever a small file sized is needed.

Highly compressed format is useful for the Web, presentations or compressing an image one time for delivery via email.

Maximum quality option (less compressed) file produces a result indistinguishable from the original.

Quality degrades rapidly when resaved. Make changes on original version.

The more a file is compressed(reduced in size), the lower the image quality becomes.

You cannot animate a JPEG.
GIF
  • Web
  • HTML email
  • Digital presentations
  • Non-photographic images (logos, line art, graphic type, etc.)
  • Simple animations (including PowerPoint)

Loads quickly over a network or the Internet due to indexed (limited) color palette.

Reduced file size.

Good for small icons and animated images.

Compressed image file format is based on indexed colors (a palette of 256 colors, at most). The lack or color range means it's rarely a good choice for photos.
TIFF
  • Offset printing
  • Photo

Highest resolution for printing (TIFFs are not compressed).

Preserves quality.

Offset printer preferred format (brochures, newspaper print ads, etc.).

Format is not suitable for emailing or email design.
EPS

Specialized printing purposes:

  • Line art
  • Logos
  • Clip art

Good for graphics going to an offset printer or publication.

Designed to include within other pages (e.g., a logo).

Used for both vector graphics (line art and logos) and bitmaps (i.e., GIF, JPEGs and TIFFs).

Files take longer to process to (desktop) printers and may not work on older printers.

Cannot modify with general-purpose page layout word processing or illustration applications.

Format is not suitable for emailing or email design.

Knowing the appropriate files to send helps ensure better quality, faster which, of course, means more time to work on that killer marketing presentation.
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