Common file types from the Adobe Suite
What comes out of Photoshop, what comes out of Illustrator, and which file to ask your designer for.
Designers throw file extensions around like everyone knows what they mean. Here’s the short version, and the one distinction that explains most of it: raster or vector.
AI Adobe Illustrator · EPS Encapsulated PostScript · SVG Scalable Vector Graphic · PSD Adobe Photoshop · INDD Adobe InDesign · PNG Portable Network Graphics · JPG Joint Photographic Experts Group · PDF Portable Document Format
1. Photoshop — PSD / TIFF
Photoshop is for pixel-based (raster) images.
Best for
- Editing photos
- Digital artwork with textures, shading or effects
- Social media graphics, banners, or printed photos
File types
- PSD — the native working file. Keeps layers, masks and effects.
- TIFF — high-resolution raster file for print. Rare for logos.
2. Illustrator — AI / EPS / PDF
Illustrator is for vector graphics, which use mathematical paths instead of pixels.
Best for
- Logos
- Icons
- Illustrations that need to scale — business cards through to billboards
- Graphics with clean lines, shapes or typography
File types
- AI — the native Illustrator file, fully editable vector.
- EPS — an older vector format, still asked for by some printers.
- PDF — can carry vector artwork, and opens anywhere.
An EPS or AI can also be saved as a PDF. One big caveat: exporting any old file as a PDF does not magically make it an editable vector. A PDF is only a vector if vector artwork went into it — a JPG wrapped in a PDF is still a JPG.
A note on .ai — that extension stands for Adobe Illustrator, not artificial intelligence. It has been Illustrator’s file extension since the 1980s, long before anyone was talking about AI. Confusingly, Illustrator now does contain genuine AI tools as well.
3. SVG — the vector Canva will actually let you edit
SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphic. It’s a vector format like AI and EPS, but unlike those it opens in Canva — which makes it the practical bridge between your designer’s Illustrator file and the edits you want to make yourself.
Best for
- Logos, icons and simple illustrations you want to recolour or tweak yourself in Canva.
- Anything on the web — it stays crisp on any screen at any size, and usually weighs less than a PNG.
- Artwork that needs to scale, without keeping a separate file for every size.
Not for photographs. An SVG holds paths, block colour and gradients — it can’t describe a photo. Use PNG, JPEG or WebP for those.
The key difference: raster vs vector
| Feature | Raster (Photoshop) | Vector (Illustrator) |
|---|---|---|
| Built with | Pixels | Paths and shapes |
| Scaling | Loses quality if enlarged | Infinite scalability |
| File size | Can get heavy at high resolution | Lightweight — instructions, not pixels |
| Best for | Photos, digital artwork | Logos, icons, illustrations |
| Common file types | PSD, TIFF, JPEG, PNG | AI, SVG, PDF, EPS |
| Opens in Canva | Yes — JPEG, PNG, WebP | SVG only |
Practical takeaways for marketers
- Logos are almost always created as vectors, not TIFF.
- Photoshop files (PSD, TIFF) are for photo-based or pixel-heavy projects.
- Illustrator files (AI, SVG, PDF) are for logos, icons and scalable graphics.
- A PNG or JPEG placed inside an Illustrator or PDF file does not make it a vector. A vector image has to be built from paths. That said, the AI — artificial intelligence — tools now built into Illustrator make going from a static image to a true vector far easier than hand-drawing it.
- You cannot edit Photoshop or Illustrator files in Canva. Ask your designer for PNG, JPEG or WebP for digital use — or an SVG if you want to make edits yourself.
Take it with you
The printable version
Everything on this page as a one-sheet, with room at the end for your own notes. Print it, keep it by the desk, scribble on it.