Asset transformations in Frontify let you adapt assets to different channels and use cases at the moment of download. Instead of creating duplicates or editing files externally, you can transform assets directly in the platform — while keeping the original file intact.

This article focuses on in-platform asset transformations, available through the Frontify interface. Frontify also supports extensive transformations via its Media Processing API, which is documented separately.

Asset transformations allow you to download assets in formats and sizes that fit your needs — without changing or duplicating the original file.

Depending on the asset, transformations may include:

These options help teams work faster while maintaining governance and brand consistency.

Note:

Asset transformations are available when downloading single assets from Library pages (the DAM frontend, ie Libraries embedded in Guidelines).

How it works:

Note:

Admins manage asset transformation behavior at library and at asset level.

Admins can't currently restrict output file formats. All supported formats are always available during download.

Admins can define custom download sizes for images in the Media Library in 'Usage settings'. These sizes appear as preset options when users download an image. Sizes that are larger than the asset is automatically hidden.

Sizes are defined in pixels and can be tailored to common channels (e.g., social media, web banners).

On the bottom part of the appearing side panel, you find a section called ‘Add Download image size’. There, you’re able to predefine available download sizes for your assets which will ultimately be shown in the consumer view of your asset library.

Note that the width has to be documented in pixels.

When adding new download sizes you have to choose whether consumers can crop the asset based on:

Please keep in consideration that some image formats such as tiff does not support resizes, one of the other supported file format would need to be selected.

Once you’ve predefined various export sizes, your brand consumers can simply export assets in the right format by choosing the respective download size.

Cropping lets users adjust an image before downloading it — without editing the original file. This can be enabled underneath the size settings in 'Usage settings' of a Media Library.

For detailed instructions, see Custom Crop & Focal Point.

For each individual asset, you can select and deselect what sizes should be available for download. This does not currently exist for file formats, but is being considered.

For icon and logo libraries, you can predefine what colors an icon can be converted into upon download. This is done in the usage settings of the Library backend.

You can all colors under: Library settings ⟶ Usage settings ⟶ Icon settings ⟶ Assign downloadable colors.

Note: Recoloring is only possible for SVG and PNG files. If the user selects a file extension that does not support recoloring, the color will change back to the original icon color.

Frontify can automatically recolor single-color SVG icons to match your brand color. For recoloring to work correctly, your SVG file needs to meet the following requirements.

In the Logo Library, admins can upload predefined static renditions of a logo directly to the logo asset. These renditions can be provided in multiple file formats and are made available to users as fixed download options.

Static renditions differ from asset transformations. This gives teams additional control and ensures that specific, approved logo versions are always available exactly as intended.

When exporting assets, file quality is set by the pixel dimensions — not DPI.

DPI is not read by screens, it's information to the printer turning pixels into dots through a through a process called raster image processing that the printer normally handles.

Best practice:
Upload high-resolution images whenever possible, and use vector formats (SVG, AI) for logos, icons and illustrations that may need to scale to different sizes.