The term "best" printing format depends heavily on the specific use case, material, and intended output device. There is no single "best" format universally. PDF (Portable Document Format) is often the preferred standard for general documents and commercial printing because it reliably preserves layout, fonts, and images across different systems. Formats like high-resolution TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) are commonly favored for demanding photographic prints as they support lossless compression, preserving fine detail without artifacts often introduced by JPEG compression. JPG/JPEG may be acceptable for proofing or casual prints but risks visible quality loss at higher compression levels or upon editing.

In practice, businesses overwhelmingly use PDF for reports, brochures, and marketing materials due to its universality and print-reliability tools like PDF/X standards. Professional photographers and publishers frequently output final high-quality prints using TIFF files to ensure maximum image fidelity and archival quality. Desktop printers generally accept common formats like PDF, JPG, and PNG readily.

PDF offers strong layout fidelity but can be complex to edit after creation. TIFF delivers uncompromised quality but results in very large file sizes, making sharing cumbersome. JPG is widely compatible and compact but sacrifices quality through lossy compression; repeated saving degrades it further. For web-to-print workflows, formats like PNG (lossless compression with transparency) or newer formats like WebP are gaining adoption due to better compression efficiency while maintaining visual quality. Always consider the final output resolution, printer capabilities, and necessity for edits when choosing your format for the best results.