Have you been given the seemingly simple task of getting a file from one person and giving it to another? Sometimes it can turnout to be anything but simple. Here are a few options right off the bat.

• Take your self out of the equation
  Put the two parties in direct contact. This is usually the best and most efficient way to keep all parties happy with the least amount of hassle.
• Ask the specific questions
  What type of file do you need? dot what? .eps, .jpg, .pdf?
  What size do you need? What is this for? A brochure? A website? Both?
• Educate yourself
  The following is a brief overview of the common file types you may be tracking down and what you need to know about them.

There are 4 main factors that combine to determine the file type.

• Purpose
  What is the reason for the file? Is it for a brochure? Is it going to be on a website? Does it need to have a transparent background? Can it be a flattened file or should it be in layers?
• Resolution
  This refers to the number of lines or dots in every inch. LPI and DPI. High end printers recommend 300 - 600 dpi. Newspapers need significantly less at around 200 dpi. Anything to do with websites only require 72 dpi. A good rule of thumb is to always have more than you need. You can always decrease the resolution but you can never increase it.
• Color
  Every file has a color mode. CMYK is for traditional printing also known as 4 color printing. Spot or PMS colors are specific ink colors that are encoded into a file. Very similar to paint chips. Web colors are a predetermined set of colors  or color palette that are traditionally accepted for use on the web.
• Vector vs. Raster
  There are 2 basic types of computer graphics:
  Vector, which are composed of paths. These graphics use mathematical relationships between points and the paths connecting them to describe/create an image. Therefore a vector file can be scaled as large as you want without loosing any quality.
• Raster, which are composed of pixels. Raster files use a grid of individual pixels where each pixel is assigned a different color or shade. These types of files are best used for photographs and images that require subtle shading.

Now on to the 4 common file types.

.jpg or .jpeg
These are always raster files. They can be viewed in most applications. Digital cameras create RGB .jpg files in a variety of resolutions. The default color setting on most .jpg files is RGB, but this can be changed to CMYK with the right software. These files are usually for web or digital use. The larger the file the better the quality. A .jpg file offers compression which allows an image to be optimized for faster download without losing much quality.

.pdf
A .pdf is a Portable Document Format. This is a common file type and is often requested because it can support vectors and runs a low reisk of altering any of the graphic information within the file. A .pdf is also very user friendly and is supported by many applications such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. All color modes can be used and the resolution is usually independant and can be resized as needed. These files are sometimes used for print but are most often used as online documents.

.eps
This type of file can be created from just about anywhere. Photoshop, Illustrator, QuarkXpress, etc. An eps has become the standard for graphic designers, printers and everyone in between. Most often these are best for transfering vector files. All color modes are supported and the resolution is the same as a .pdf file.

.gif
This file, much like the .jpg is always a raster file, though it may begun as a vector file. The colors that are used are very limited, resulting in very small file sizes. Using a .gif allows for a transparent background and animation. Transparent backgrounds allow the file to be placed on pages without seeing the bounding box. And animation uses a series of frames that resemble flipbook. You can select the palette of colors ranging from 2 all the way to 256. The fewer the colors the smaller the file size. These files are almost always used for web/digital use.

So there you have it. Four file types and what you need to know about them.