# My printer says my logo isn't a vector. What now?

Source: https://svgproof.com/guides/printer-says-not-vector · Checked 2026-10-30 · Published by SVGProof

> Your printer needs the logo as shapes (a vector file: SVG, PDF, EPS or AI), not pixels. A PNG or JPG, or an SVG with a picture inside, cannot be cut, enlarged or split into inks. Convert the image you have into a real vector, check it zoomed in, and send the file format your printer asks for. For a flat logo this takes a few minutes.

Example on this page: Greenfield (AI render, 1698 px): 1698 × 926 px in, 353 nodes in 7 paths out, traced in 330 ms (measured by the engine).

## Why do printers need a vector?

- Vinyl cutters and plotters follow outlines; pixels have none.
- Screen printers burn one screen per color, so every color has to be a clean shape of its own.
- Sign and wrap makers enlarge the logo to meters: pixels blur, shapes stay sharp.
- Embroidery digitizers start from shapes too, then make their stitch file.

## I sent an SVG. Why did they still say no?

An SVG can hold a picture inside it, for example one exported by an online tool or written by an AI assistant. Drop it on the [SVG checker](https://svgproof.com/svg-checker): it shows in your browser whether the file is shapes or pixels.

## How do I make a vector from my logo?

1. Drop the logo on this page (or paste it). PNG, JPG or WEBP up to 5 MB and 17 megapixels (8192 px on a side); larger images are scaled to 4 megapixels first.
2. Compare the vector with your image in the editor, zoomed in. Remove the background, merge near-duplicate colors or snap them to your brand colors if you need to.
3. Download the SVG (one credit) and open it in Figma, Illustrator, Inkscape, Affinity, or send it to your printer.

Converting, comparing and editing are free and need no account; a PNG up to 512 px is free too. The SVG and full-size PNG of one logo cost one credit ($10 buys 25).

## Which file should I send?

The one your printer asks for: SVGProof downloads SVG, EPS, AI, PDF, PNG at 1x, 2x or 4x, and EXP embroidery (experimental). One credit covers every format of the same logo. Not sure which? See [what file format a printer needs](https://svgproof.com/guides/printer-file-format), then run the [preflight checklist](https://svgproof.com/guides/ai-logo-print-checklist).

## When is SVGProof the wrong tool?

- A logo with fine texture, shading or photographic detail: ask the printer or a designer to redraw it ([how to decide](https://svgproof.com/guides/auto-trace-or-redraw)).
- Embroidery beyond a simple fill. Our experimental EXP file sews each color as a fill; satin lettering, DST or PES files and a file tuned to the fabric still need a digitizer, who starts from a vector like ours.

## Questions

### Can the printer convert it for me?

Many can, usually for a redraw or tracing fee. Converting it yourself is quicker for a flat logo; a redraw is worth paying for when the logo has texture or fine detail.

### Is my logo stored?

Your image is traced in memory on our server and deleted about 30 minutes after you last use it. It is not saved to permanent storage, backups or logs, and is used only to convert it: we keep technical totals, such as processing times, never the image.

## Related

- https://svgproof.com/guides/printer-file-format
- https://svgproof.com/svg-checker
- https://svgproof.com/guides/ai-logo-print-checklist