Logo files explained: SVG, PNG, EPS — when to use what

What is the short answer?

SVG for screens and print masters, PNG for everyday, EPS/PDF for vendors. Each format has exactly one job. Using the wrong one — JPG logos, PNG billboards — is how brands look cheap despite good design. Match format to surface, every time.

When do you use each?

SVG: websites, apps, anything scalable. Infinitely sharp, tiny files. PNG: slides, docs, social posts — with transparency, at 2x size. EPS/PDF: printers, signage, merchandise vendors. Never send a JPG logo to anyone, ever.

What versions must exist?

Primary, stacked, mark, mono, reversed. Full lockup, vertical stack, icon alone, single-colour black and white versions. Five minutes of export saves fifty back-and-forths with printers and developers yearly.

What should founders demand?

A folder, not a file. Organised masters with names humans understand — not final-final-v3. If your logo lives in one PNG on someone's laptop, you do not own an identity, you rent a picture.