General Guide to File Formats
There are two basic types of computer graphic formats: bitmap and vector.
Bitmap
file formats: GIF, JPG/JPEG
program: Adobe Photoshop
- composed of a grid of squares (pixels)
- essentially a photo
- does not resize well
- used for both web and print communication
Vector
file formats: AI, EPS
program: Adobe Illustrator
- composed of points, lines and curves
- essentially an illustration
- resizes well
- used primarily for large-format and print pieces, especially when printing on items like pens, hats, banners, etc.
General Guide to Resolution
Resolution is measured by DPI (dots per inch). This refers to the amount of information per inch that a monitor can display or a printer can print. The resolution of an images should be optimized to the right DPI for the end format.
Web: 72 DPI
The greater the DPI, the larger the file size.
Newspaper: 150 DPI
Print: 300 DPI
The greater the dpi, the better the image clarity.