A logo rarely gets to exist as just one file. Over the life of a brand, the same mark ends up needed as a scalable vector for a website header, a flat PNG for a document, a JPG for a form that will not accept anything else, and a tiny favicon-sized icon for a browser tab — and if you only have one of those versions to start from, getting the rest right takes a bit of planning. This is a complete path through the conversions you are likely to need, starting from whichever format you currently have.
Establishing your master file first
Before converting anywhere, decide which version is your permanent master — the one you always convert from, never to. If you have an SVG (or any genuine vector file), that should be your master, since it is the only format that scales to any size with no loss of sharpness; every other format is a fixed-resolution export from it. If you only have a PNG or JPG, that raster file becomes your master by necessity, and getting an SVG version requires tracing, which works well for simple logos and less well for complex or photographic ones.
If you are starting from SVG
- PNG for general use: SVG to PNG, choosing the pixel size for wherever it will be used, keeping transparency if your logo has a transparent background.
- JPG for forms that require it: SVG to JPG, aware that any transparency will be filled with a solid background colour.
- WebP for a lightweight website version: SVG to WebP, which keeps transparency at a smaller file size than PNG.
- Favicon-sized PNGs: export several small PNG sizes directly from the SVG (16, 32 and 180 pixels cover most common favicon requirements).
If you are starting from PNG
- SVG, if the logo is simple enough: PNG to SVG traces flat, high-contrast logos well; complex or photographic marks trace less cleanly.
- JPG for smaller file sizes where transparency is not needed: PNG to JPG.
- WebP for the website version: PNG to WebP, which keeps transparency while shrinking the file.
If you are starting from JPG
A JPG logo is the trickiest starting point, since JPG does not support transparency and any background the logo currently has is baked permanently into the file. If a transparent version is needed, that generally means removing the background manually in an image editor first, saving the result as PNG, and then working from that PNG through the paths above. If the logo is otherwise simple — flat colours, clean edges — JPG to SVG can also trace it directly, background and all, which is useful if a solid background is actually acceptable for your use.
Building the specific favicon set most sites need
A modern favicon setup typically wants a handful of specific sizes: 16 × 16 and 32 × 32 pixels for browser tabs, and around 180 × 180 pixels for a home-screen icon on mobile devices. If your master is an SVG, export each of these sizes directly rather than resizing one exported PNG down repeatedly, since exporting fresh from the vector source keeps every size equally sharp. If your master is a raster file, resize down from the largest, cleanest version you have to each smaller size individually for the best result at each one.
Keeping every export organised
Once you have generated several format and size variations of the same logo, a clear naming convention prevents confusion later — something like logo-master.svg, logo-1200.png, logo-favicon-32.png makes it immediately obvious what each file is and at what size, rather than a folder of files all simply called “logo” with a number appended by whatever tool exported them.
What to do if the original master file is lost
If no one has the original design file and only a PNG or JPG export survives somewhere, tracing that back to SVG with PNG to SVG or JPG to SVG is the practical recovery path, covered in more detail in our guide to converting PNG to SVG for logos. Treat the traced result as your new master going forward, since it is the closest thing to a scalable source you can now produce.
Keeping brand colours consistent across every version
A subtle but common problem when converting a logo across several formats and tools is a slight colour shift, usually due to different colour profile handling between formats. Before finalising a full set of converted logo files, it is worth placing a couple of them side by side (the SVG and a PNG export, for instance) and confirming the colours genuinely match, rather than assuming every conversion preserved the exact brand colour perfectly.
Preparing a logo pack for someone else to use
If you are handing a logo off to someone else — a printer, a partner business, a freelancer building your website — it is worth preparing a small, clearly labelled pack rather than sending a single file and letting them figure out what they need. A folder containing the SVG master, a large PNG, a white-background JPG, and the favicon sizes, each named clearly, saves a back-and-forth of “can you also send it as a …” requests later, and presents your brand more professionally than a single ad-hoc export.
Frequently asked questions
Which format should I use as the default on my own website?
SVG for the main logo where the platform supports it, since it stays sharp at any display size and is typically a small file; PNG or WebP as a fallback where SVG is not accepted.
Do I need every format, or just the ones I currently use?
Only generate what you actually need right now; it is easy to produce more formats later from a well-kept master file rather than preparing every possible variant upfront.
Will tracing a raster logo to SVG look exactly like a hand-built vector?
For a simple, flat, high-contrast logo, very close; for anything with gradients, photographic elements or fine detail, expect some difference from a true hand-built vector.
What is the safest format to send a logo to a printer?
Check with the specific printer, but a high-resolution PNG or the vector SVG (if they can use it) are generally safer than JPG, which can introduce compression artefacts at sharp logo edges.
Should the favicon be a different design from the main logo?
Not necessarily different, but sometimes simplified — a very detailed logo can lose clarity at a tiny 16-pixel favicon size, so a simplified mark or just the icon element, without small text, often works better at that size.
Can I do all of this from a phone?
Yes, every conversion tool works the same way from a mobile browser as from a desktop one.
Is converting between these formats free?
Yes. No sign-up, no watermark, and files are removed from the server automatically about an hour after processing.