Start with where the logo will go

Before choosing a file, write down the destination. A website header, a profile picture and a cutting supplier can ask for different things. The correct choice follows those needs.

  • Which file types can the destination accept?
  • How large will the logo appear?
  • Should the surface behind it show through?
  • Does the receiver need to edit the shapes?
  • Which approved layout and color version belongs there?

Compare the two choices

PNG stores pixels. SVG may hold shapes or an embedded picture.

Sources for this point: W3C PNG specification; W3C SVG image element.

A choice table based on the receiving task
TaskChoice to confirm
Site accepts SVG and needs scalable shapesInspect and send a suitable SVG.
Profile upload asks for a square PNGUse a suitable PNG copy with the requested layout.
Supplier asks for editable outlinesConfirm the vector file and its contents.
Application accepts only PNGExport a PNG at its requested dimensions.

This is a decision aid, not a promise that every site accepts SVG. Avoid picking a file only because one preview looks sharp. Check the upload rules first.

Check your actual file

For PNG, read the pixel width and height. Put it in a sample of the final layout and check the name and thin marks. If you need a clear background, verify the empty areas instead of trusting the extension.

For SVG, check whether the intended mark is shapes, a picture, or a mix. Keep font questions separate from the format choice.

Inspect what an SVG contains

Check PNG transparency

Keep both useful versions

Keep the approved original, also called the master, in one folder. Make copies for each destination. Give each copy a purpose label so that a small profile upload does not later become the source for a large banner.

LogoTidy shows SVG and PNG examples in its public sample kit.

Sources for this point: LogoTidy sample file kit.

See the sample file kit

Compare the name, tagline and colors across your copies. If a format change altered a detail, return to the approved master. Both files should represent the same chosen identity.

Send a copy and check the placement

  1. Upload the chosen copy or send it to the receiver.
  2. Open the resulting placement at its intended size.
  3. Check spelling, proportions, background and all edges.
  4. If the file is rejected, ask for the accepted type instead of changing the extension.
  5. If it is blurry, inspect the actual loaded file and its size.

Keep the master even after the delivery works. You are done when the real destination shows the intended logo and the receiver has the format it needs.

Sources

These sources support the points linked above. Each date shows when we checked that source.

  1. W3C PNG specification
    PNG supports clear and partly clear pixels Checked .
  2. W3C SVG image element
    SVG image elements can hold raster pictures Checked .
  3. LogoTidy sample file kit
    LogoTidy displays example logo files and layouts Checked .

How we check our articles. Tell us about a mistake.