What File Types are Best for Sign Printing?

Creating striking and high-quality signage requires more than just an eye-catching design – it also hinges on the files you provide for printing. Even if you have the best design it can still fall flat if it comes out pixelated or blurry. Here is a break down of file/graphic types to help you understand the best way to ensure all of your print projects come out perfect!

When it comes to signage printing, vector graphics are the cream of the crop. These graphics are created using lines and shapes instead of pixels meaning they can be resized without any loss of quality. Not only that, but they can be easily manipulated and recolored to fit any application you might have. Vector graphics are typically made in programs like illustrator, but can also be made in online programs such as canva. When saving or exporting your file be sure to choose the file type that keeps it vector such as .ai, .pdf, .eps, .svg, etc. Exporting a vector graphic as a .jpg or .png will make it no longer vector!

Raster graphics are the other side, they are made up of pixels which will enlarge as you enlarge the graphic causing it to look pixeled and low quality if it is blown up too big. However, that doesn’t mean that raster images are bad for printing, it just means they are limited to their size. A photograph for example is a raster image, though most modern cameras capture images with such a high resolution that printing those images on posters, canvas, etc. can still result in a razor sharp image that looks great at large sizes. Raster images will typically be saved as .jpg, .png, .tiff, etc.

So which file type is best? Well, unfortunately it’s not that easy.
It mainly depends on your project. Just remember that any file can work as long as it is made correctly, a high quality raster image will still print a high quality sign, and a vector graphics will make any changes easier.