A file can look perfect on your screen and still arrive as a headache: a spreadsheet loses its formulas, a logo gains a white box, or a video refuses to play. Often the problem is not the work itself but the format chosen for the handoff.
These ten formats are ordered by a typical sharing workflow: documents first, then data, images, video, and finally a bundle for multiple files. They are not a ranking of quality. The right choice depends on whether the recipient needs to read, edit, calculate, resize, or simply collect your work.
1. PDF (.pdf): Share a finished layout
Use a PDF for a report, invoice, or brochure when preserving the page layout matters more than letting someone rewrite it. For accessibility and search, export real selectable text and document tags when your software supports them; a scan of a page is not automatically searchable or accessible. The Library of Congress highlights searchable text, embedded fonts, and content tagging among useful PDF features.
Watch out: PDF is not a substitute for an editable source. If someone needs to change the document substantially, provide the original too. Review the exported PDF before sending: layout, links, and accessibility depend on the export and the viewer.
2. Word document (.docx): Invite edits and comments
Send a DOCX when the recipient needs to revise a proposal or return annotated feedback. The format can carry structured text and page formatting; in Word, reviewers can use comments and tracked changes to show what they suggest. Microsoft’s collaboration guide describes those review tools.
Watch out: Fonts, complex layouts, and features can render differently across applications or versions. Remove sensitive comments and tracked changes if they are not intended for the recipient; hiding markup is not the same as removing it. If final appearance is important as well as editability, send a checked PDF alongside the DOCX.
3. Plain text (.txt): Keep the message simple
A TXT file is useful for a readme, short instructions, or data that should open in a basic text editor. UTF-8 is a sensible encoding to choose when exporting text that includes accented characters or non-Latin scripts; tell the recipient the encoding if their system asks.
Watch out: Plain text does not preserve page design, images, or rich styling. It is a poor substitute for a carefully formatted report. Also, text can be displayed incorrectly if an application reads the bytes using a different character encoding.
4. CSV (.csv): Exchange a simple table
A comma-separated values file is a practical way to move tabular data between tools. Each record occupies a row, with fields separated by a delimiter. Fields containing commas can be enclosed in quotation marks. Microsoft’s format notes explain how Excel exports CSV.
Watch out: CSV is text, not a full workbook. An Excel CSV export saves the active sheet’s displayed values and loses formatting, graphics, and other workbook features. Dates, leading zeros, delimiters, and character encoding can also be interpreted differently on import. Tell the recipient the expected columns and encoding, and check the imported result before relying on it.
5. Excel workbook (.xlsx): Preserve a working model
Choose XLSX when a colleague needs the working spreadsheet rather than just its displayed values. It can retain multiple worksheets, formulas, charts, and formatting, making it more useful than CSV for a budget model or project tracker. Microsoft describes the workbook format’s retained features.
Watch out: Features and formulas may behave differently in other spreadsheet applications. Check any external links and hidden sheets before sharing, and confirm that the intended recipient can open and recalculate the workbook. If macros are required, ask about the appropriate macro-enabled format rather than assuming XLSX preserves them.
6. JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg): Send a photograph
JPEG works well for photographs where a manageable file size is more important than preserving every pixel exactly. It is broadly supported, making it a practical choice for sharing a photo or placing one on a web page. The MDN image guide describes JPEG’s lossy compression and common uses.
Watch out: Compression discards image information, and strong compression can create visible artifacts, particularly around text and sharp edges. JPEG also lacks an alpha transparency channel. Keep the original image if further editing or high-quality re-export is likely.
7. PNG (.png): Keep sharp edges and transparency
PNG is useful for screenshots, interface mockups, diagrams, and logos that need transparent backgrounds. Its lossless compression preserves the encoded pixel data, so text and hard edges do not acquire the same kind of compression artifacts as a typical JPEG. MDN’s comparison explains why PNG is a good fit for precise images and transparency.
Watch out: A PNG photograph can be larger than a JPEG version. PNG is also a raster format: enlarging a small image does not create new detail. Choose a sufficiently large export for its intended use and keep the editable original.
8. SVG (.svg): Resize a diagram or logo
SVG describes graphics using vector shapes rather than a fixed grid of pixels. That makes it useful for a logo, icon, or diagram that needs to appear at several sizes without the edges becoming pixelated. Browsers can display SVG, and the MDN guide identifies it as a good choice for scalable graphics.
Watch out: SVG is not usually the best choice for a detailed photograph, and support for particular effects or embedded fonts can vary between applications. Check how the recipient will use it; a PNG fallback can be helpful. Treat SVGs from unknown sources cautiously, as SVG files can contain active content.
9. MP4 (.mp4): Deliver a video
MP4 is a container that can hold video and audio streams. It is a practical handoff for a recorded presentation, demonstration, or short video. Container and codec are different things: the `.mp4` extension alone does not say exactly how the video and audio were encoded. For broad browser compatibility, MDN identifies H.264/AVC video with AAC audio in MP4 as a widely supported combination.
Watch out: Playback can still depend on device, software, codec settings, and licensing requirements. Test the export on the intended platform, and include captions or a transcript where appropriate. An MP4 export is not the editable project with its separate source clips and timeline.
10. ZIP (.zip): Bundle the handoff
A ZIP archive groups multiple files and folders into one package. In Windows, the recipient can extract the contents using built-in tools; Microsoft’s ZIP guide explains the process.
Watch out: ZIP is a container, not a conversion: the files inside still need suitable applications. Already-compressed files such as JPEGs may shrink very little. Do not assume a ZIP is private or encrypted simply because it is zipped, and open archives only when you trust the sender and expected contents.
A quick handoff check
Before sending, ask what the recipient needs to do with the file. A finished report may call for PDF; a revision calls for DOCX; a working model calls for XLSX; a simple data exchange may call for CSV. Name files clearly and review the exported copy. When both appearance and editability matter, sending a final version and its source can prevent a second round of requests.