What logo files should you send to a client?

1. Start with where the logo will be used

Before exporting, ask what the client needs to do next. A website, a slide deck, a social profile and a packaging supplier may all need different files. A useful handoff gives each person a clear starting point.

Write a short destination list: website, everyday documents, social channels and known print jobs. Confirm upload limits, image dimensions and any supplier requirements. Keep the approved master artwork separately so you can make a new export later.

• For a website: provide an SVG where supported, plus suitable raster alternatives.
• For presentations and everyday documents: provide transparent PNGs and a clearly labeled solid-background version if needed.
• For printing: ask the supplier for the required format, color settings and production specifications.
• For future design work: agree whether editable source artwork is part of the delivery.

2. Choose digital formats for a reason

A client should not have to guess what every extension means. Add a brief explanation with the files.

Further reading: MDN: image formats and browser support

3. Prepare print files to the printer’s specification

Keep digital and print deliveries clearly separated. RGB is the usual starting point for screen use. Print workflows may require CMYK, spot colors or a particular color profile; confirm this with the supplier rather than relying on a filename.

PDF and EPS can be useful print delivery formats when the supplier accepts them. A .pdf extension alone does not prove that the contents are vector, CMYK or ready for a specific press. Check the actual color spaces, profile and output settings.

Ask for the required PDF preset or standard, color profile, spot-color treatment and any special production instructions. The right setup depends on the printing process and material. Request a proof when color accuracy matters.

• Confirm whether the printer wants process CMYK, spot colors or another managed workflow.
• Check font handling, linked images and any effects that could change during export.
• If you are delivering a finished layout as well as a logo, confirm its bleed, trim and other layout requirements separately.
• Record the agreed print settings in the handoff so another supplier does not have to guess.

Further reading: Adobe: PDF output options · Adobe: printing with color management

4. Include the approved logo variations

Start with the primary logo. Add a secondary lockup, stacked version, symbol or wordmark only if it belongs to the approved identity and the agreed scope. A handoff is easier to use when every variation has a purpose.

Include the original full-color artwork and any approved black or white versions. A one-color version may need design adjustments to preserve its meaning. Review it rather than assuming that an automatic recolor will work.

• Name each variation consistently: Primary, Secondary, Symbol or another term you explain.
• Label white artwork clearly, for example “White / for dark backgrounds.” A white transparent PNG can look empty on a white preview.
• Show which backgrounds each version is intended for.
• Remove rejected concepts and obsolete exports from the delivery ZIP.

5. Give the folders and filenames a clear job

Organize the pack by logo variation, then separate digital and print assets. The example below is one workable structure; adapt it to the project instead of adding empty folders for formats the client will never use.

A descriptive filename should tell the client the brand, variation, color treatment and, where relevant, pixel size. For example: Acme_Primary_White_RGB_1200px.png.

Acme_Logo_Pack/
  01_Primary/
    Digital/
      SVG/
      PNG/
      JPG/
    Print/
      PDF/
      EPS/
  02_Symbol/
    Digital/
    Print/
  Acme_Logo_Guide.pdf
  Read_Me.txt

6. Add a short guide to using the files

A small amount of context makes a folder of assets much more useful. Put the most common decisions on the first page so the client can find an answer without asking you.

Keep guidance specific to the approved identity. If clear space, minimum size or print colors have not been defined, resolve them with the client rather than presenting a guessed value as a brand rule.

• Which file to use for websites, documents and print.
• Which logo variation is the default and when to use the others.
• The approved color references and background combinations.
• Any agreed clear-space, minimum-size and misuse rules.
• What is included, what requires a separate export and whom to ask for help.

7. Check the ZIP before you send it

Download or copy the final ZIP into a fresh folder and open it as the client would. Review the actual delivered files, not only the source document or export preview.

• ✓Open the ZIP and confirm that every expected folder and file is present.
• ✓Open representative files from each format and each logo variation.
• ✓Inspect raster pixel dimensions, sharpness and compression.
• ✓Check for clipped edges, unexpected padding, missing shapes and changed type.
• ✓Test transparent and white artwork on both light and dark backgrounds.
• ✓Check the print files’ actual color and output settings against the supplier’s request.
• ✓Remove outdated exports, accidental duplicates and working files.
• ✓Read the usage guide and filenames without relying on your own memory of the project.

Common logo handoff questions