Best Logo Export Settings for Clients in Adobe Illustrator

May 7, 2026
by Kwaku Amprako

The correct export settings for every format in your logo package

Most designers know which formats to include in a logo package. Where things go wrong is in the settings. A PDF exported without the right preset, an SVG with embedded rasters, or a PNG exported at the wrong size. These are the kinds of mistakes that come back as client complaints or reprints.

Here are the correct export settings for every format, covering both web and print.

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Related Reading: For the complete folder structure to organise all exported files, download the Logo File Structure for Client Delivery.

Before you export: artboard setup

The main Export for Screens window in Adobe Illustrator, showing a batch export setup for multiple logo formats including PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF at 300 ppi.

Every logo variation needs its own named artboard. Before running any export, go to Object > Artboards > Fit to Artwork Bounds on each artboard. This snaps the artboard tightly to the logo with no extra white space, so exported files do not include unnecessary padding.

Name each artboard clearly using the variation name: Primary Lockup, Secondary Lockup, Logomark, Logotype. This name carries through to exported file names when using Export for Screens.

SVG export settings

The SVG format settings dialog in Illustrator, showing technical configurations for Internal CSS styling and responsive web optimization.

Method: File > Export > Export As > SVG, check Use Artboards

Settings:

  • Styling: Presentation Attributes
  • Font: Convert to Outlines
  • Images: Embed
  • Object IDs: Layer Names
  • Decimals: 2
  • Minify: On
  • Responsive: Off

Convert all fonts to outlines before exporting SVG. An SVG with live text will break if the client's browser or platform does not have the font installed.

PDF export settings

The PDF format settings dialog in Illustrator, showing the selection of the 'Smallest File Size' preset for optimized digital brand guidelines.

Method: File > Save a Copy > Adobe PDF

Settings for digital sharing:

  • Preset: High Quality Print or PDF 1.4
  • Compatibility: Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4)
  • Compress Text and Line Art: On
  • Do not downsample images

Settings for professional print:

  • Preset: PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4
  • Colour Conversion: Convert to CMYK
  • Output Intent: set to the relevant print profile

Always check the document colour mode is correct before exporting. Go to File > Document Color Mode and confirm RGB for digital or CMYK for print before saving the PDF.

EPS export settings

The Illustrator EPS format settings window, highlighting options for font embedding, transparency preservation, and PostScript compatibility.

Method: File > Export > Export As > EPS, check Use Artboards

Settings:

  • Version: Illustrator 8 EPS
  • Preview: TIFF (8-bit Colour)
  • Transparency: Flatten transparency before export
  • Fonts: Convert to Outlines before saving
  • Include Linked Files: On

Illustrator 8 compatibility gives the widest support across print suppliers, embroidery machines, and sign makers running older software.

PNG export settings

The PNG format settings window in Illustrator, featuring options for transparent backgrounds and type-optimized anti-aliasing.

Method: File > Export > Export for Screens

Settings:

  • Format: PNG
  • Background: Transparent (no fill behind the logo on the artboard)
  • Switch scale type to Width and add four sizes:
    • 16w suffix @16px (favicon)
    • 512w suffix @512px (social media)
    • 1024w suffix @1024px (general digital use)
    • 2048w suffix @2048px (high-res and retina)

Export for Screens generates all four sizes in one run. Make sure no white rectangle sits behind the logo on the artboard before exporting, otherwise the transparent background will not work.

Related Reading: For a full breakdown of why these four sizes are used, read the logo sizes guide.

JPG export settings

The JPG format settings dialog in Illustrator, configured for the RGB color model with type-optimized anti-aliasing.

Method: File > Export > Export for Screens

Settings:

  • Format: JPG
  • Quality: 100
  • Same sizes as PNG using Width: 16w, 512w, 1024w, 2048w
  • Add a white rectangle behind the logo on the artboard before exporting. JPG does not support transparency

Export JPG at 100% quality. Anything lower introduces compression artefacts that are particularly visible on logo edges.

AI source file settings

The Adobe Illustrator AI format settings dialog showing version compatibility and options for embedding ICC profiles and using compression.

Method: File > Save As > Adobe Illustrator (AI)

Settings:

  • Version: Latest Illustrator version
  • Create PDF Compatible File: On
  • Include Linked Files: On
  • Use Compression: On
  • Save each artboard to a separate file: Off

Keep all layers intact and unlocked. Do not flatten the file before saving. The AI file is the client's source of truth. The next designer needs to be able to open it and work from it immediately.

Full export settings reference

Format Method Key settings Colour mode
SVG Export As Presentation Attributes, Outlines, Minify On RGB
PDF (digital) Save a Copy High Quality Print or PDF 1.4 RGB
PDF (print) Save a Copy PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4 CMYK
EPS Export As Illustrator 8, Outlines, TIFF Preview CMYK
PNG Export for Screens Transparent, 4 sizes, 72 PPI RGB
JPG Export for Screens 100 quality, 4 sizes, white background RGB
AI Save As PDF Compatible, Include Linked Files RGB or CMYK

Related Reading: For a full breakdown of each format and what it is used for, read the Ultimate Guide to Logo File Formats 2026.

Skip the manual settings with Exportit

Every setting above is handled automatically by Exportit inside Adobe Illustrator. Select your logo lockups, check Web and Print, enter the client name, and Exportit exports every format at the correct settings, in the correct colour mode, at the correct sizes, organised into the right folder structure.

No export dialogs, no manual presets, no switching between colour modes. Exportit runs the entire export in one go so the complete logo package is ready to deliver in minutes.

Generate Your Logo Files with Exportit

A marketing banner for Akrivi Exportit showing how to export logo files in seconds using a professional file generator directly in Adobe Illustrator."

Conclusion

Getting export settings right across every format takes attention to detail. Use the reference table above as a checklist on every project. And if you want to skip the manual process entirely, Exportit handles every format, setting, and colour mode automatically from inside Illustrator.

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