You can rely on most vendors to request the most suitable formats. If there is a question, here are some characteristics to consider.

• EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
  For high-resolution printing. Because EPS files are extremely large, it is not usually practical to transfer them beyond your local network by email. Save to CD or other high-capacity medium. Illustration and layout programs such as Illustrator and QuarkXPress support EPS files, which are "device" or "resolution independent," meaning that they will print at any resolution without loss of quality. Unlike Macs, PCs cannot open EPS files directly. You must place them in a graphics program for viewing or printing.

• TIFF (Tagged-Image File Format)
  For high-resolution printing. Because TIFF files are extremely large, it is not usually practical to transfer them beyond your local network by email. Save to CD or other high-capacity medium. TIFF files are mainly supported by image and photo manipulation programs such as Photoshop. They are also the best choice for highly detailed images in PowerPoint. Unlike Macs, PCs cannot open EPS files directly. You must place them in a graphics program or one like Word for viewing or printing.

• BMP (Bitmap)
  For Word or PowerPoint on PCs since bitmapped images require the least amount of memory. Recommended for email. All bitmap files on this site are saved in Photoshop as either all black or RGB color in a low resolution of 72dpi.

• GIF (CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format)
  For Web. GIF files are relatively small and adequate for line art: e.g., simple logos. All GIF files on this site are saved in Photoshop at a low resolution of 72dpi.

• JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
  For Web, multimedia images, and PowerPoint. JPEG is a compressed format designed to create files of various sizes with minimal loss of quality. JPEGs are superior to GIFs for photos or graphics that contain gradients and/or color blends. All JPEG files on this site are saved in Photoshop at a low resolution of 72 dpi in RGB color format.