If you build sites or help small businesses with their tech, you have probably been sent a logo that is a 512 pixel PNG with a white background. It looked fine in the chat window where an AI made it. It falls apart the first time someone needs it on a sign, a shirt, or a retina screen.

That is the most common gap we found when we researched and evaluated 14 AI design tools for our Q4 refresh. The image generators are very good now. The file they hand back is often the wrong kind.

Raster vs vector, in one paragraph

A PNG or JPG is a grid of pixels. Scale it up and the edges blur. An SVG is a set of shapes described in math, so it stays sharp at any size and the colors and paths can be edited. Printers, sign makers, embroidery shops, and front-end developers all want the vector. A logo that only exists as a PNG has to be redrawn later, which is exactly the job the owner was trying to avoid paying for.

How to tell if a tool gives you a vector

Look for SVG in the export menu, not just PNG or JPG. Only a few AI design tools generate true vector files; most image generators, including ones that are excellent at other jobs, return raster files only. If logos are the job, pick from the tools that export SVG.

Two more checks before a logo ships

  1. The license. Several free plans now make images public or give no commercial rights. A logo is commercial use by definition. Make it on a paid plan or confirm the free plan allows it.
  2. A master file. Keep the SVG as the source of truth and export PNGs from it for web and social. Never the other way around.

The short version

If an AI made the logo, ask for the SVG before you call it done. If the tool cannot give you one, use a tool that can.

The full ranked list, with what each tool does best: AI Design Tools: 7 Ways to Get Pro Graphics Without Hiring