PNG (Portable Network Graphics) files are raster, web-based files that don’t lose quality when compressed. They are best used for displaying images on the web, and are one of the essential file formats to deliver to your logo design clients.

Clients need a PNG file (in addition to the other required file types) so that they can easily incorporate your logo design into their branding materials without having to use advanced graphics editing software like Adobe Illustrator.

In this tutorial we’re going to demonstrate one way to create a PNG file in Adobe Illustrator with a transparent background – just what you’ll be expected to deliver to your logo client.

1. Create your logo in Adobe Illustrator

Screen Shot 2014-06-02 at 4.15.47 PM

All logos must be created in vector editing programs, and must consist of vector shapes and paths so that they can be scaled up or down without losing quality. Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard in vector-editing programs, so we recommend it above all others. Make sure that you do not include a background in your logo file.

2. Export your logo as a PNG file

PNG

After you’ve created your vector logo, click File > Export… > PNG. Name your file as desired and click Export. Next, a “PNG Options” window will appear. Make sure that you select transparent as your background color and click OK. The cool thing about this export option is that it crops out the empty space in the board to only include the logo, which makes the resulting PNG files more versatile and only includes the essential parts of the design.

3. Open up and deliver your new PNG file.

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Your new PNG file will look something like this when you open it up. The png image itself isn’t gray – this is simply a the background used to display PNG images. Now you’re ready to send it to your client 🙂

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