It amazes me how many companies don't have a high resolution version of their logo. Or any idea what font or ink colors it incorporates. I can't count how many times someone has emailed me a low resolution jpg of their logo to use in a printed brochure... or said "you can pull it off my website, right?" Wrong.

Every company should have a vector version of their logo complete with font and ink color information on file as well as an eps version to use for print, a jpg for web use, and a png to use in Microsoft applications. A black only version of the logo is also very helpful for one color publications or for use on promotional products.

If you don't know, vector refers to drawing programs that use mathematics to describe lines and curves and they look smooth. Adobe Illustrator is one of these programs. Most likely your logo was originally designed in a vector program. Jpgs use pixels to render an image so curves end up looking jagged in low resolution versions. (More on resolution in a later entry) That is why they look fine on screen but do not look good when printed.

If you don't have a vector version of your logo, hire a professional graphic designer to recreate it and the various formats you will need and then keep them on file where all the people in your company who need it will have access to it.