What a logo file is and why the format matters

A logo file is a digital image of your logo saved in a format that lets you use it different ways — on a website, printed on a business card, embroidered on a shirt, or scaled up for a billboard. The format you choose determines whether your logo stays sharp when you make it bigger, whether it works on different backgrounds, and whether other people can edit it later.

Affinity Photo is a raster editor, which means it works with pixels rather than mathematical shapes. This is different from vector software like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, which create logos that scale infinitely without losing sharpness. If you design a logo in Affinity Photo, you need to understand what that means for how you'll use it.

Key Takeaways

  • Affinity Photo creates pixel-based logos, so you should design at a large size (at least 3000 × 3000 pixels) to have room to scale down without losing detail.
  • Export your logo as PNG for digital use (websites, social media) and as PDF or TIFF for printing, depending on what your printer requests.
  • Save your working file as an Affinity Photo document (.afphoto) so you can edit colors, text, or elements later without starting over.
  • If you need your logo to scale to any size without pixelation, you'll need vector software instead, or you'll need to recreate it as a vector file later.

Setting up your document at the right size

Open Affinity Photo and create a new document. Go to File → New. In the dialog box, set your width and height to at least 3000 × 3000 pixels. This large size gives you room to scale your logo down for different uses without it becoming blurry or losing detail.

Set the color mode to RGB if your logo will appear on screens (websites, social media, presentations). Use CMYK only if you're sending the file directly to a commercial printer who has requested it. For most people, RGB is the right choice. Set the DPI to 300, which is the standard for anything that might be printed.

Leave the background as transparent (choose Transparent from the background dropdown). A transparent background means your logo will sit cleanly on any color or image without a white box around it.

Designing your logo in Affinity Photo

Use Affinity Photo's tools to build your logo: the paintbrush, text tool, shape tools, and selection tools. You can import images, draw shapes, add text, and combine layers. Work on separate layers for different elements — one layer for the main shape, one for text, one for details — so you can edit each part independently later.

As you design, keep in mind that your logo will be viewed at many different sizes. Avoid very thin lines or tiny details that will disappear when the logo is small. Test how it looks by zooming out to see it at 25% or 50% of full size.

Saving your working file as an Affinity Photo document

Before you export, save your work as an Affinity Photo document. Go to File → Save and choose a location on your computer. Name it something clear like "Company Logo Working File" and let Affinity Photo save it as an .afphoto file. This preserves all your layers, text as editable text, and any other information that lets you make changes later.

This step is crucial. If you only export to PNG or PDF and then delete your working file, you won't be able to change the logo color, fix a typo, or adjust the size of an element without starting over from scratch.

Exporting your logo as PNG for digital use

PNG is the standard format for logos on websites and social media because it supports transparency and works on any background. Go to File → Export. Choose PNG from the format dropdown. Name your file "Logo.png" or something similar.

In the export options, make sure Transparency is checked. Set the DPI to 72 for web use (this is the standard for screens). Click Export and save the file to a folder where you can find it.

You now have a PNG file you can upload to your website, email to people, or post on social media. Keep the original .afphoto file so you can edit it later.

Exporting your logo for print

If you're printing your logo on business cards, letterhead, or other materials, your printer may ask for a specific format. Ask them first — different printers have different requirements.

If they ask for PDF, go to File → Export, choose PDF, and keep the DPI at 300. If they ask for TIFF, choose TIFF format and also keep the DPI at 300. Both formats preserve quality for printing. If your logo has a transparent background and your printer needs a white background instead, flatten the image first by going to Image → Flatten before exporting.

Some printers ask for CMYK color mode instead of RGB. If yours does, go back to your .afphoto file, convert it to CMYK by going to Image → Convert to Profile → CMYK, then export as PDF or TIFF. Ask your printer whether they need the file before or after this conversion.

Understanding the limits of raster logos

Because Affinity Photo works with pixels, your logo has a maximum useful size. If you design at 3000 × 3000 pixels and then try to print it at 12 inches wide, it will look pixelated or blurry. For most uses — websites, social media, small printed materials — this isn't a problem. But if you need your logo on a billboard or a large banner, you'll run into limits.

If you think you might need your logo at very large sizes in the future, consider learning vector software like Inkscape (free) or Adobe Illustrator (paid subscription). Vector logos scale to any size without losing sharpness. You can also hire a designer to recreate your Affinity Photo logo as a vector file, which usually costs between $50 and $200.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit my logo after I export it as PNG?

You can make small edits in Affinity Photo by opening the PNG file, but you'll lose the ability to edit text as text or adjust individual layers. Always keep your original .afphoto file and edit that instead. Export a new PNG from the updated .afphoto file when you're done.

What's the difference between PNG and PDF for my logo?

PNG is best for digital use because it's smaller and works on websites and social media. PDF is better for printing because it preserves exact colors and fonts, and printers are set up to handle PDF files. Ask your printer which they prefer.

Why does my logo look blurry when I make it smaller?

You may have designed at too small a size. If you started with a 500 × 500 pixel document, scaling it down makes it pixelated. Go back to your .afphoto file, create a new 3000 × 3000 pixel document, and recreate or paste your logo into it, then export again.

Do I need to flatten my logo before exporting?

No, unless your printer specifically asks for it or your logo has a transparent background that needs to be white. Flattening combines all layers into one and removes transparency. Keep your layers separate in your .afphoto file so you can edit later.

Can I use my Affinity Photo logo on my business website?

Yes. Export it as PNG with a transparent background, then upload the PNG file to your website. Most website builders and content management systems accept PNG files. Keep the .afphoto file on your computer in case you need to change colors or text later.