Vector File Formats Compared: SVG vs AI vs EPS vs PDF

Understanding Vector Formats

Each vector format has specific strengths and ideal use cases. Choosing the right format ensures compatibility, quality, and efficiency in your workflow.

Format Overview

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)

SVG Profile:
├── Type: Open standard (W3C)
├── Primary use: Web graphics
├── Editable: Yes (text-based XML)
├── Animation: Supported
├── Transparency: Full alpha support
├── Browser support: Excellent
└── File size: Generally small

Best for:

AI (Adobe Illustrator)

AI Profile:
├── Type: Proprietary (Adobe)
├── Primary use: Professional design
├── Editable: Full in Illustrator
├── Layers: Complete support
├── Effects: Full Adobe effects
├── Compatibility: Adobe ecosystem
└── File size: Can be large

Best for:

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)

EPS Profile:
├── Type: Legacy standard
├── Primary use: Print production
├── Editable: Limited
├── Compatibility: Universal
├── Raster preview: Included
├── Age: Decades old
└── Status: Being replaced

Best for:

PDF (Portable Document Format)

PDF Profile:
├── Type: Open standard (ISO)
├── Primary use: Document sharing
├── Editable: With proper software
├── Print-ready: Yes
├── Fonts: Embeddable
├── Universal: Yes
└── Vector preservation: Yes

Best for:

Feature Comparison

Web Compatibility

| Format | Web Use | Native Support | Animation | |--------|---------|----------------|-----------| | SVG | Excellent | Direct | Yes | | AI | None | No | No | | EPS | Poor | No | No | | PDF | Possible | Limited | No |

Print Compatibility

| Format | Print Use | Press-Ready | Color Management | |--------|-----------|-------------|------------------| | SVG | Limited | No | RGB typically | | AI | Excellent | Yes | Full | | EPS | Excellent | Yes | Full | | PDF | Excellent | Yes | Full |

Editing Capabilities

| Format | Edit Software | Text Edit | Layer Support | |--------|--------------|-----------|---------------| | SVG | Any text editor | Yes | Groups only | | AI | Illustrator | Yes | Full layers | | EPS | Vector editors | Limited | Flattened | | PDF | Acrobat/Illustrator | Yes | Preservable |

Use Case Recommendations

Web Development

Primary: SVG

Workflow:
Design (AI) → Export (SVG) → Optimize → Deploy

Print Production

Primary: PDF (press-ready)

Workflow:
Design (AI) → Export (PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4) → Submit

Logo Distribution

Package multiple formats:

Logo Package:
├── logo.ai (source)
├── logo.svg (web)
├── logo.eps (legacy)
├── logo.pdf (universal)
└── logo.png (fallback)

Design Collaboration

Primary: AI (native)

Workflow:
Create (AI) → Share (AI) → Edit → Final

Conversion Considerations

SVG → Other Formats

SVG exports well to:
✓ PDF (preserves vectors)
✓ PNG/JPG (rasterized)
✓ AI (with import)
May lose:
Some CSS styling
JavaScript interactivity
Embedded fonts

AI → Other Formats

AI exports well to:
✓ SVG (for web)
✓ PDF (for print)
✓ EPS (for compatibility)
✓ PNG/JPG (rasterized)
May lose:
Illustrator-specific effects
Some layer information
Linked assets

Using Vectosolve

Vectosolve converts raster images to SVG:

Quality Preservation

Lossless Conversion

Between vector formats:

When Quality Degrades

Watch for:

File Size Comparison

Typical Sizes

Same graphic, different formats:
SVG: 15KB (smallest)
PDF: 45KB
EPS: 120KB
AI: 250KB (largest)

Size Factors

What affects size:

Compatibility Matrix

Software Support

| Software | SVG | AI | EPS | PDF | |----------|-----|-----|-----|-----| | Illustrator | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Figma | ✓ | Import | Import | ✓ | | Sketch | ✓ | No | Import | ✓ | | Inkscape | ✓ | Import | ✓ | ✓ | | Browsers | ✓ | No | No | Limited |

Best Practices

Workflow Recommendations

Format Selection Guide

Use Case → Format:
Web icons → SVG
Responsive graphics → SVG
Print production → PDF
Logo master file → AI
Vendor submission → PDF or EPS
Animation → SVG
Legacy systems → EPS

Conclusion

No single format fits all needs. Use AI for design work, SVG for web, PDF for print, and maintain multiple formats for maximum compatibility. Vectosolve provides clean SVG output that easily converts to any format you need.

Convert to Clean SVG