The short answer: keep the original vector artwork, plus an SVG for compatible websites and presentation apps, a vector PDF for print, and PNG copies for everyday uploads. Choose a transparent PNG when you need the background to show through. JPG does not support transparency, and its compression can soften a logo's sharp edges. Before printing, ask your printer which PDF settings and colour profile they need.
The rest of this guide explains why, then goes through the places a small business uses its logo most.
Vector and raster: the one difference that matters
Logo files come in two kinds.
- Vector artwork describes shapes mathematically, so those shapes stay sharp when enlarged. SVG is a common vector format; PDF, AI and EPS files can also contain vector artwork. But a file's extension is not proof: PDFs can contain raster images, and SVG files can include them too. Ask your designer for a version that retains the logo's vector shapes. (Adobe: Raster and vector files; MDN: Images inside SVG)
- Raster files (PNG, JPG, WebP) are grids of pixels. They look fine at the size they were made for, but go soft or blocky when enlarged.
That's why a logo that looks crisp on your website can look fuzzy on a banner: someone enlarged a small raster file.
The four formats you'll meet most
| Format | Type | Transparent background? | Best for | Avoid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SVG | Can contain vector and raster artwork | Yes | Compatible websites and presentation apps; scalable vector shapes | Places that don't accept it (some upload forms, Google Business Profile) |
| PNG | Raster (lossless) | Yes | Profile pictures, email signatures, most uploads | Enlarging a small PNG for large-format print |
| JPG | Raster (lossy) | No | Photos | Logos |
| Can contain vector and raster artwork | Can support it; export settings matter | Print-ready delivery when exported to the printer’s requirements | Website images |
Sources for the table: MDN says PNG uses lossless compression with "full alpha transparency support", that JPEG "does not support an alpha channel", and that for logos and line art you should "prefer lossless encoding, as blurring and colored fringes around text and sharp edges are very visible" (MDN). Adobe notes PNG's transparency "gives them an edge over JPEGs when designing logos", and that with JPEG "each time you edit and save it, you lose more data" (Adobe: JPEG vs PNG).
WebP is a newer web format that supports transparency and can produce smaller files than PNG or JPG (MDN). It's useful on websites, but not every upload form accepts it, so PNG is still the safer everyday copy.
Which file to use where
Your website
Use SVG for the logo in your header if your website platform supports it. MDN recommends SVG for graphics that need to be drawn accurately at different sizes. Where only raster versions are available, it suggests WebP with a fallback (MDN). If your platform won't take SVG, use a transparent PNG at least twice the size it displays at, so it stays sharp on high-resolution screens. (That last point is our recommendation, not a platform rule.)
Your website's favicon (the small icon in the browser tab and in Google results)
Google requires the favicon to be square and at least 8×8 pixels, and recommends one "larger than 48x48px". It lists BMP, GIF, ICO, PNG, JPEG, PPM and TIFF as supported formats (Google Search Central: Define a favicon to show in search results).
A square PNG is a straightforward choice. Most wide logos don’t work at this size. Use the square icon or initial from your logo if you have one.
Your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile photos, including your logo, must be JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB. The recommended size is 720 × 720 pixels and the minimum is 250 × 250 (Google Business Profile Help: Business Profile photos).
These are general photo specifications, not a separate logo-only size standard. Use a square PNG of your logo, with enough space around it that nothing important is cut off. If your logo doesn't show, Google says to check that your profile has a name, a valid address, categories, a phone number and opening hours (same page). Service-area businesses should still follow Google’s rules about hiding their address from customers. (Google: Business Profile guidelines)
PowerPoint, Word and other Microsoft 365 apps
In supported desktop versions of PowerPoint, Word and Excel, SVG is a good choice for a logo because its vector shapes can be resized cleanly. In Microsoft 365 on Windows, choose Insert > Pictures > This Device. On Mac, start with Insert > Pictures. On iOS, Microsoft says you can edit an SVG inserted on another platform, but cannot insert one directly. (Microsoft: Edit SVG images in Microsoft 365)
PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 on Windows also has a Convert to Shape option for editing parts of an SVG. For a finished logo, our advice is to leave it as supplied so that its colours and shapes are not changed accidentally.
If you're setting up a company template, put the logo on the slide master once rather than pasting it on every slide. Our guide to building a PowerPoint template your team will use covers this.
Email signatures
Use a PNG as a practical default for an email-signature logo, and send a test message to check how it looks. SVG handling varies by email client and by how the image is inserted. Can I email's September 2026 tests of linked SVG images report that Gmail renders them as PNGs. Those tests do not establish whether every email app's signature editor will accept an SVG upload. (Can I email: SVG images, tested 16 September 2026)
Keep the image small in file size. Our recommendation is to display it at the size you want rather than relying on the email app to shrink a very large image.
Social media profile pictures
Use a square PNG. Platforms change their recommended sizes regularly, so check the platform's current help page before uploading rather than relying on a cheat sheet.
Print: business cards, signs, banners, packaging
Send a vector PDF (or the original design file, if your printer asks for it). Ask which PDF export settings and colour profile the printer needs, and whether CMYK is required. Export settings also affect transparency. (Adobe: PDF transparency)
Screens and printers produce colour differently. Adobe explains that RGB is the colour model "used by computer monitors to display colors", while CMYK is for "when preparing an image to be printed using process colors", and that the exact range of colours "can vary" with the press and printing conditions (Adobe: Understanding Photoshop color modes). So a bright on-screen colour may print slightly duller. That's normal, and a printed proof is the best way to check.
Three common problems, and the fix
"My logo has a white box around it." Often, the file has an opaque background, or it is being displayed against white. Check for a genuinely transparent export.
"My logo looks blurry." A common cause is enlarging a small raster file. Go back to the vector master and export a larger PNG, or use the SVG directly.
"The colours look different in print." Colour conversion and printing conditions can change how your brand colours look. Ask your printer for a proof, and supply your brand colour values and any specified colour profile.
What to have in your logo folder
If you're commissioning a logo, or tidying up the files you already have, this is a sensible set to keep in one shared folder. It's our recommendation, not an industry standard:
- Vector artwork: SVG and a vector PDF, plus the original design file if supplied
- Versions: full colour, single colour (black), and reversed (white, for dark backgrounds)
- Layouts: your main logo, plus a square or stacked version for profile pictures and favicons
- Everyday PNGs: transparent, exported at a few sizes (for example, small for email and large for slides)
- Colour values: your brand colours written down, for both screen and print
Hypothetical example, for illustration only: a folder named "[Business name] logo files", with subfolders "Master (SVG, PDF)", "PNG – transparent" and "Favicon and square". The point is that anyone in the team can find the right file without guessing.