Simple Guide to File Formats

Source files

Source files are the editable versions of your work and the most important to save. They let you make changes, updates, or reuse designs in the future.

Different designers choose their primary tool based on their specialty. UI/UX designers have largely moved to Figma for its collaborative features and powerful prototyping tools. Brand designers often split between Figma and Illustrator—Figma for its quick iteration and presentation capabilities, Illustrator for its precise vector control and print reliability. Digital illustrators typically make Photoshop their home base for its robust brushes and layer effects, while vector illustrators prefer Illustrator’s precision and scalability. Print designers and publishers rely on InDesign for its superior typography and multi-page handling. While not a tool favored in most design studios, PowerPoint remains common in settings where presentations are the priority.

File format Source Best for Pros Cons
FIG Figma
  • UI/UX
  • Brand design
  • Logos
  • Multi-page screen presentations
  • Some print projects
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Version history
  • Cloud-based
  • Requires Figma
  • Limited print compatibility
  • Cloud-based
AI Illustrator
  • Logos
  • Vector illustration
  • Vector graphics
  • Charts and graphs
  • Excellent print compatibility
  • Requires Adobe Illustrator
PSD Photoshop
  • Photo editing
  • Illustration
  • Raster graphics
  • Digital painting
  • Powerful layers and image manipulation
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Requires Photoshop
  • Large file sizes
INDD Indesign
  • Multi-page printed documents
  • Magazines, books, or layouts
  • Master pages for consistent layouts
  • Advanced typography controls
  • Requires Adobe InDesign
  • Must package support files for sharing
PPT/PPTX PowerPoint
  • Presentations
  • Simple layouts
  • Basic infographics
  • Quick mockups
  • Internal documents
  • Widely accessible
  • Commonly available
  • Easy to share
  • Basic animation
  • Not for professional design beyond presentations
  • Limited design controls
  • Poorly designed UI
  • Poor image handling
  • Cross-version compatibility issues

Sharing & Distribution

File format Type Best for Uses Pros Cons
PDF Portable Document Format Print and document distribution
  • Multipage documents and presentations
  • Sharing designs
  • Print-ready files
  • Works everywhere
  • Print-ready when set up correctly
  • Preserves fonts and layouts
  • Advanced capabilities including forms and interaction
  • Limited editability
  • Can be large with high-quality images
PNG Portable Network Graphics Web
  • Screenshots
  • Graphics needing transparency
  • Logos when SVG is not available
  • Transparent backgrounds
  • No quality loss
  • Great for web graphics
  • Larger than JPG for photos
  • Not for print
JPG Joint Photographic Experts Group Web
  • Photos on the web
  • Small file size
  • Works everywhere
  • Great for photographs
  • Loses quality, particularly noticeable on text or graphics
  • No transparency
SVG Scalable Vector Graphics Web
  • Logos
  • Icons
  • Charts
  • Scales perfectly
  • Tiny file size
  • Works directly in browsers
  • Not great for complex images
WEBP Web Picture Format Web
  • Photos or graphics for web
  • Smaller than JPG/PNG in most cases
  • Supports transparency
  • Supports animation
  • Not supported by older browsers
  • Not always better than PNG for logos
TIFF Tagged Image File Format Print
  • High-quality print photos
  • No quality loss
  • Professional print standard
  • Supports layers
  • Large files
  • Not for web use