Vector and Bitmap Images
Vectorized images are sometimes called geometric files. Most images created with tools such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw are in vector format. Vector
images are created using mathematically defined lines and curves. For example, a vector triangle is created using three points, a bitmap triangle is made of many tiny bits in a map the shape of a triangle. Bitmap (or raster) images may look identical to vector images in some cases, however they are not suitable for high quality printing.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (.JPG)
Commonly used on the web due to it's excellent ability to compress the graphic to save webpage load time. This format will not work to use in the printing process.
Graphics Interchange Format (.GIF)
Commonly used on the web due to it's ability to reduce the number of colors an image uses to be viewed to save webpage load time. This format will not work to
use in the printing process.
Bitmap (.BMP)
A generally low resolution image format. This format will not work to use in the printing process.
Microsoft Word (.DOC)
Word doc files can only be used if you would like to display typeset text. Any images in a word doc will not be able to be printed correctly.
Web Pages (.HTML)
As a general rule, if it can be viewed on the web it will most likely be too low of quality for printing. Web graphics are made to load quickly, thereby cutting the quality of the image. The eye may not notice on the web, but it will show up in printing.
What format are my images in?
If you work on a PC and are wondering what format your art files are in, there is an easy way to find out. All art files have an extension at the end of their name which tells the format, and it is hidden by default. To show them, perform the following:
Simply open My Computer (or any explorer window) and click the menu TOOLS > FOLDER OPTIONS...
Next, click on the VIEW tab at the top of the window that appears.
Last, clear the checkbox labeled "Hide extensions for known file types" and click OK.
Adobe Illustrator (.AI) - Preferred Format
Files that end in the extension .ai were created with Adobe Illustrator, the preferred format in which we would like to receive logo imagery from our clients.
Encapsulated Postscript (.EPS) - Preferred Format
An alternative picture file format that allows PostScript data to be stored and edited and is easy to transfer between Macintosh, Windows machines, and other systems.
Tagged Image File Format (.TIFF)
A file format for exchanging bitmapped images between different applications.
Adobe Portable Document File (.PDF)
PDF fireserve the visually rich content of original files, and are easier to read than HTML content that appears in a Web browser.
Adobe PDF files print cleanly and quickly, and anyone can share Adobe PDF files, regardless of their platform or software application. This is good to show the
end result you would like, but usually not good for sending artwork that needs to be printed.
