Starting your own business is a pretty big deal, and can be quite daunting. All of a sudden you have to be an expert in your field, as well as an accountant, CEO, designer, marketing guru - the list goes on!
When it comes to digital and print design, you aren't expected to know all the answers. In saying that, it will make your life a lot easier if you have a rough idea of the files types your designer / printer needs in order to create a high quality end product.
Here's a little run down of the best file types for print and digital design!
Colour spaces
First thing's first, let's talk about colour spaces. In short, a colour space is a mathematical model that describes the way colours are represented. There are two main colour spaces used in graphic design, being RGB (Red, Yellow, Green) and CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black).
RGB is the colour space used for digital materials i.e. website , TV, tablets, smartphones etc.
CMYK is the colour space for printed materials. The colours may appear to be muted / not as vibrant compared to RGB.
Depending on the type of project, there are a number of different file types that your printer / designer may need to ensure the file is ready for print.
Most printers will have specifications listed on their website to provide guidance around sizing and any other requirements i.e. bleed, text area and trim / crop marks.
eps - This is preferred for high res printing, especially your logo or any graphics such as a t-shirt decal. If you're working with a graphic designer, sign writer, printer or screen printer, they will most likely prefer your logo as an .eps file!
pdf - I've never worked in a print shop, but I can only assume they shudder when receiving a Word document for a brochure design. If you're printing any documents or files (i.e. brochures, flyers, business cards, capability statements) then a pdf is the best file type to use!
tiff - This is one of the preferred file types for printing images. They are great for printing things such as high quality photographs and high res scanning.
jpeg - This is also a great file type to use for printing images, and can be used for both digital and print design. It's always best to use a high resolution file (minimum 300ppi) to ensure you get the best quality print.
Digital
jpeg - This is the preferred file type for digital images. Unlike printed files, you don't always need a high res image - in fact, most digital images require a resolution of around 72ppi.
png - This is another file format that is great for digital images. It can also support transparent backgrounds which is quite handy when layering images (see examples below).
gif - While the jury's still out on how to pronounce this one (gif or jif), gifs are another file format used for digital images. They can also support transparent backgrounds and animation!
svg - This is a great file type to use for 2D website images i.e. graphics / icons. You can also upload them to programs such as Canva, which will then allow you to change the colour - here's a quick tutorial to get up to speed!
Comments