Lets break them down a bit.

For our purposes we will break images down into 2 types.

1. Bitmap (things like jpg, png, tiff…)

2. Vector (things like ai, eps, pdf…)

A bitmap image is a grid, and the computer simply records the specific color of every single square in that grid. When you zoom in or try to make the image much larger, the computer has to stretch those fixed-size pixels. This makes the edges look jagged or blurry (what people call “pixelated”) because the original information isn’t enough to fill the new, larger area smoothly.

A vector image is a set of instructions (it actually looks a lot like computer programming code), not a picture itself. Instead of recording a grid of dots like a bitmap image, the computer stores a set of mathematical formulas that describe the image’s shapes, lines, and colors. For example, it might say, “Draw a blue circle with a 1-inch diameter starting at point X, Y.” When you make the image bigger, the computer simply recalculates the math based on the new size. It’s like changing the instructions from “1-inch diameter” to “10-foot diameter.” The circle is redrawn at the new size so the edges always remain sharp and smooth, no matter how large it gets.

So, posters, banners, other things with less fine detail — Send a PDF that is the size you want your print to be.

Photographs, paintings, other things with lots of fine detail you want to retain — Send a JPG, PNG or TIFF.

For those using Canva, the default when you ask to download your latest creation is PNG, but you are better off changing it to PDF if you’re sending it to a professional printer, like us…

Hopefully this makes sense to everyone and helps understanding why we sometimes have to say that we can’t blow that 10 year old cell phone photo up to fill your living room wall even though it’s the best photo of grandma you have…