[Tex/LaTex] Which format would yield a better quality picture in the LaTex output

epsgraphicsjpegpdfplot

I have some plots originally in the JPEG as well as in BMP format and I want to have the best possible output after compilation by Tex software. I have used the pdf format after having it converted with adobe photoshop but the quality deteriorated a lot. I haven't tried with the eps format yet but I don't know if it will work. Please suggest if there are better alternatives.

Best Answer

Based on comments above, I will promote my own comment to an answer.

The OP's problem was that his original rasterized image was downsampled when he converted it to PDF. So, it had nothing to do with vector versus raster, or jpg versus png, or importing a PDF into a TeX document. It was a matter of ensuring that the original image was not downsampled by Photoshop in the process of converting it to PDF. This is a check-box setting in Photoshop.

I mention this because many commercial print services do not accept color or grayscale artwork above 300dpi, and will probably insist that vector artwork be flattened to raster. It's not hard to get 300dpi.