EPS, TIFF, or JPEG? CMYK, PMS or RGB? What does it all mean when it comes to a logo?
If you don't live in the graphic's world and know these by heart, here's a quick reference to help you know what they are and why knowing is so important.
EPS, or Encapsulated PostScript, is created from mathematical curves and lines which stay in focus and in proportion no matter how large or small the file gets. This means there is no pixelation and your logo will look the same at 1 inch in size as it does at 10 feet. These types of logo files are ideal for uses from letterhead to billboards. An EPS of your logo should be the first thing you send when you need something designed or printed.
A TIFF is an image that is pixel-based, put together from thousands of tiny blocks. If printing at its original size, it's great. A normal high-resolution image has over 90,000 tiny blocks in one square inch. However, if you blow that image up large enough, though, and you'll start seeing some pixelation. Shrink it down past the point of no return and the image will get blurry as the pixels blend and blur.
JPEGS are perfect for web work, Powerpoint presentations, and other applications that don't demand much of an image. Like TIFFs, JPEGs are pixel-based. They are also compressed and generally at a low resolution, so the file size stays relatively low. However, if you enlarge them you'll see plenty of pixels and an overall fuzziness that comes from the compression process. Remember that you may think it looks ok on screen, but it's the worst choice for anything printed.
CMYK, PMS and RGB refer to the color format of the image. RGB colors are made of red, green and blue light, and are only accurate on computer and television screens. RGB colors cannot be used for printing. CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These are the four inks used in the printing process and when combined make every printed color in the rainbow. But, CMYK isn't always accurate when it comes to reproducing a specific brand color. That's where PMS colors come in. The Pantone Matching System, or PMS, is a universally recognized color scheme to which every printing company subscribes. It standardizes the colors, and different manufacturers in different places can refer to the system to ensure colors match without direct contact with one another. The pantone colors are often referred to as spot colors, whereas CMYK colors are process.
EPS, or Encapsulated PostScript, is created from mathematical curves and lines which stay in focus and in proportion no matter how large or small the file gets. This means there is no pixelation and your logo will look the same at 1 inch in size as it does at 10 feet. These types of logo files are ideal for uses from letterhead to billboards. An EPS of your logo should be the first thing you send when you need something designed or printed.
A TIFF is an image that is pixel-based, put together from thousands of tiny blocks. If printing at its original size, it's great. A normal high-resolution image has over 90,000 tiny blocks in one square inch. However, if you blow that image up large enough, though, and you'll start seeing some pixelation. Shrink it down past the point of no return and the image will get blurry as the pixels blend and blur.
JPEGS are perfect for web work, Powerpoint presentations, and other applications that don't demand much of an image. Like TIFFs, JPEGs are pixel-based. They are also compressed and generally at a low resolution, so the file size stays relatively low. However, if you enlarge them you'll see plenty of pixels and an overall fuzziness that comes from the compression process. Remember that you may think it looks ok on screen, but it's the worst choice for anything printed.
CMYK, PMS and RGB refer to the color format of the image. RGB colors are made of red, green and blue light, and are only accurate on computer and television screens. RGB colors cannot be used for printing. CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These are the four inks used in the printing process and when combined make every printed color in the rainbow. But, CMYK isn't always accurate when it comes to reproducing a specific brand color. That's where PMS colors come in. The Pantone Matching System, or PMS, is a universally recognized color scheme to which every printing company subscribes. It standardizes the colors, and different manufacturers in different places can refer to the system to ensure colors match without direct contact with one another. The pantone colors are often referred to as spot colors, whereas CMYK colors are process.
So now when you hear or see EPS, TIFF, or JPEG; CMYK, PMS or RGB; you'll know exactly what they mean.
Until next time,
Gail
MarketMatch is a full-service marketing consulting firm, dedicated to the credit union and community banking community. We utilize knowledge-based strategies to help you FOCUS on the efforts that will generate MOMENTUM and yield the greatest RESULTS for your bottom line.
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