JPEG · TIFF
Photos, posters, canvas
Send JPEG for everyday photos. Send TIFF if you have a high-res print file of the same image.
Which file should you send?
A Plan Photo Repro guide — photos, signs and wraps, not a generic internet chart.
Getting the format right saves a reprint. For everyday print — flyers, menus, business cards — a high-quality PDF is usually best. For photos, send the JPEG or TIFF at the highest resolution you have. For logos, shopfronts, wraps and 3D letters, send vectors (AI, EPS, CDR or a vector PDF).
Not sure? WhatsApp what you have to 012 010 0131 — we will tell you if it will hold on press or on the wall.
Which to send to PPR
Three job types. Unique plates — not the same document icon six times.
AI / EPS · PDF · PNG (screen)
Logos, signs, wraps, stickers
Send AI, EPS, CDR or a vector PDF. PNG is fine for a sharp screen logo — not a substitute for vectors on a fascia or bakkie.
PDF · PSD
Flyers, menus, cards, proofs
Send a print-ready PDF (fonts in, bleed if we asked for it). PSD if we still need to work in layers.
Formats we actually see
What each one is for — and when to skip it — at a Pretoria print and signage shop.
JPEG
Photos, posters, canvas
Joint Photographic Experts Group
Best for real photographs and smooth colour — photo prints, posters and everyday images. Files stay smaller than TIFF. JPEG cannot hold transparency, so it is a poor choice for logos on signs or stickers.
Skip when: Logos that need a clear (transparent) background
- Photo printing
- Posters & canvas
- Web photos
PNG
Screen logos, sharp web graphics
Portable Network Graphics
Sharp edges and transparency — the right screen format for logos, icons and graphics that sit on a coloured background. Fine for stickers if the artwork is already high-res. For shopfronts, 3D letters and wraps, send a vector (AI / EPS / PDF) instead of a PNG pulled off a website.
Skip when: Huge signage or wraps that must scale without blur
- Logos on screen
- Transparent backgrounds
- Sharp web graphics
GIF
Simple web animation only
Graphics Interchange Format
Limited colour (typically 256) and simple looping animation. We mention it because people still send GIFs — they are rarely useful in a print shop. If that is all you have, WhatsApp it and we will tell you whether we need a still at higher quality.
Skip when: Almost all print and signage jobs
- Simple animation
- Flat, few-colour graphics
- Not for press work
TIFF
High-quality print / prepress photos
Tagged Image File Format
Lossless, high-resolution raster — the prepress standard for photos that must hold detail on paper or large-format output. Files are large. If you have both a JPEG and a TIFF of the same photo, send the TIFF for print.
Skip when: Sharing a quick proof on WhatsApp (the file is huge)
- High-res print
- Large-format photos
- Archival stills
Print-ready jobs and shareable proofs
Portable Document Format
Our preferred file for flyers, menus, business cards, brochures and multi-page jobs. A print-ready PDF can carry fonts, vectors, images, bleed and crop marks in one package. Also the easiest proof to WhatsApp or email. Ask us if you are unsure about bleed.
Skip when: A logo that only exists as a tiny screenshot inside the PDF
- Print-ready documents
- Brochures & menus
- Proofs you can share
AI / EPS
Logos, signage, wraps, 3D letters
Adobe Illustrator / Encapsulated PostScript
True vector artwork — lines and shapes that scale from a business card to a pylon without going blurry. Essential for logos, shopfronts, vehicle wraps, decals and 3D letters. CorelDRAW (CDR) and a vector PDF exported from professional software are in the same family. This is what we want for branding.
Skip when: Photographs (vectors do not replace camera files)
- Signage & wraps
- Logos that must scale
- 3D letters & decals
PSD
Layered working files we may need to edit
Photoshop Document
Layered Photoshop files keep effects, masks and type editable for pre-press. Send a PSD when the design is still a working file — not when you only have a flat picture. For the press itself, we will usually output a print-ready PDF from it.
Skip when: A flattened screenshot saved as PSD
- Layered artwork
- Complex composites
- Pre-press edits
RGB on screen, CMYK on press
Digital printing here still lays down process inks — not phone pixels.
Phones and laptops mix RGB light. Our digital press and most wide-format work mix CMYK ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, key black). Bright screen blues and greens can shift when they hit paper or vinyl — that is gamut, not a broken machine.
We still take RGB files every day and convert them for the device. A print-ready PDF in CMYK, fonts embedded, with bleed if we asked for it, simply removes surprises. More on what CMYK means in digital printing.
Vectors for signs and wraps: a JPEG or web PNG of a logo will blur when it is scaled to a fascia or a bakkie. Artwork built from lines and shapes (AI / EPS / CDR / vector PDF) stays sharp at any size.
Branding files — what we can print from
For signage, shopfront branding, decals, vehicle graphics and other branded items, the artwork file matters as much as the print.
Canva and AI-generated designs are not considered suitable for professional branding. They are often low resolution, use fonts we cannot match, or fall apart at full size. If that is all you have, we can use it as a guide only and recreate print-ready files — quoted separately.
Professional vector files typically have text converted to outlines and colours set for print. That is why we ask for vectors whenever we can for signage, stickers, 3D letters and wraps.
WhatsApp your files
Office line 012 010 0131 — send the artwork and tell us what you need: documents, posters, signage, stickers or a wrap. We will confirm the format or ask for a better original.
Ready to get started?
WhatsApp us your files or call for a quote. Serving Pretoria, Centurion, Midrand, Sandton, Johannesburg and the greater Gauteng region.