Most people discover what was missing from a logo delivery months later, usually at the worst moment, standing in front of a printer who needs a vector file.
This is the checklist of file formats that prevents that. You can send it to a designer before work starts, or check a finished delivery against it. Each item exists because something breaks without it.
Vector source files
These are the masters. Vector files store the logo as mathematical shapes rather than a grid of pixels, so they can be printed at any size without ever losing sharpness. Everything else is exported from them.
File | What it is for |
|---|---|
.ai | Adobe Illustrator master, fully editable |
.eps | Universal vector format, what most printers ask for |
.svg | Web vector, scales perfectly in browsers and stays tiny |
Vector in a container anyone can open and preview |
Why it matters. Without vector you cannot print at scale, and you cannot generate new sizes later. This is the single most important item on the list.
Transparent PNGs
PNG supports transparency, which means the logo sits on any background color without a white box. These are what you use for documents, presentations, websites and social posts.
You want several sizes rather than one.
2000px or larger as a general purpose master
1000px for documents, slides and most web use
500px for email signatures and small placements
512px, 192px, 32px and 16px squares for app icons and favicons
Why it matters. Scaling a PNG down looks fine. Scaling one up does not, so the largest size you receive is a hard ceiling on what you can do.
JPG versions
JPG cannot hold transparency, so these are flattened onto a solid background, usually white. They exist because some systems still refuse PNG, particularly older upload forms and some print workflows.
Why it matters. You will eventually meet a form that only accepts JPG. Having one ready beats flattening a PNG under time pressure.
Color variations
The same logo, prepared for different contexts.
Full color is the primary version, used wherever possible
Reversed is built for dark backgrounds, typically white or very light. It is designed rather than simply inverted, because inverting often produces something muddy
Single color is one ink only, required for stamps, embroidery, engraving and cheap print
Black and white is pure black on white with no greys, for faxes, photocopies and low quality printing
Why it matters. The first dark website header or black polo shirt makes this obvious. Preparing it upfront costs nothing extra.
Layout variations
The same logo, arranged differently for different spaces.
Horizontal, the standard lockup, for website headers and letterheads
Stacked or square, for social profiles, app icons and anywhere the space is roughly square
Icon or monogram, just the symbol or initial, for favicons and very small placements
Why it matters. A wide logo squeezed into a circular profile picture is either illegible or badly cropped. Social platforms will not accommodate you, so the files have to.
A brand guide
This does not need to be a fifty page document. A single page covering the essentials is enough for most businesses.
Color values in HEX for screens, RGB for digital, CMYK for print, and Pantone if you print regularly
Font names, weights and where to obtain them
Minimum size, below which the logo should not be used
Clear space, how much empty margin to keep around the mark
Things to avoid, such as stretching, recoloring, adding effects and placing on busy photographs
Why it matters. The moment more than one person uses your logo, it starts to drift. The guide is what keeps it consistent across a web developer, a print shop and whoever makes your slides.
The ownership question matters as much as the file list. Ask explicitly whether the design is transferred to you outright or licensed, and get the answer in writing before work begins. A logo you do not own is a logo you can be asked to stop using.
The checklist in short
Vector source files, which are AI, EPS, SVG and PDF
Transparent PNGs at four or more sizes
Flattened JPGs
Four color variations, which are full, reversed, single color and black and white
Three layout variations, which are horizontal, stacked and icon
Favicon and app icon sizes
A brand guide with color values, fonts, minimum size and clear space
Written confirmation of full ownership
That is typically somewhere between fifteen and thirty files. It looks like a lot written down and takes a designer very little extra time, because every item is exported from the same vector master.
Questions to ask before you commission
Four questions, asked upfront, prevent almost every problem in this article.
Do I receive the vector source files? If the answer is vague, press for a yes or no.
Do I own the design outright? Not licensed, not subject to continued payment.
Which variations are included? Ask for the color and layout versions by name.
How many revisions are included, and what happens after that? This is where unexpected costs usually appear.
If you are checking a delivery you already have
Go through the list and note what is missing. Then ask for it. Most designers will supply missing exports without argument, because they are quick to produce from files they already have.
If the vector sources are genuinely gone, the logo can be redrawn as vector from a good quality image, which also gives you a clean master to export everything else from. In the meantime, our free conversion tools will get you a usable file for whatever is urgent.
Our logo design packages deliver this full set as standard, with full ownership, because a logo that only works in one place is not finished.
What files should I get from a logo designer?
At minimum you want vector source files in AI or EPS, an SVG and a PDF, transparent PNGs at several sizes, flattened JPGs, and color variations for dark backgrounds and single color printing. A short brand guide with your color values and fonts should be included too. Typically that is fifteen to thirty files in total.
Do I need the AI file if I have an SVG?
Both are vector, so an SVG covers most practical needs and will satisfy many printers. The AI file is the fully editable master with layers and structure intact, which matters if the logo is ever modified or extended. Ask for both, since they come from the same file.
Should a brand guide be included in a logo project?
For most businesses, yes, even as a single page. Without documented color values and fonts, your logo gradually drifts as different people reproduce it, and the printed version stops matching the website. A full multi-page brand manual is a separate, larger project.
How do I know if I own my logo?
Check what you signed. Full ownership means the rights were transferred to you with no ongoing conditions. A license means you have permission to use it under terms that can be limited or withdrawn. If nothing was agreed in writing, the position depends on your jurisdiction, and it is worth settling with the designer now rather than later.
What is the difference between vector and raster?
Vector stores the logo as shapes and curves described mathematically, so it can be drawn at any size perfectly sharp. Raster stores a fixed grid of pixels, so enlarging it makes those pixels visible and the edges soft. Logos should always be created as vector and exported to raster as needed, never the other way around.
Can I get missing files from my designer later?
Usually yes. Exports are fast to produce from the vector master, so most designers will supply them on request. The exception is where the original agreement licensed exports only and kept the source files, so check what you bought before assuming.
