Making a map symbol collection

[AlanShutko]

It would be nice to have a vector format as well, since you're going through the effort of vectorizing them. SVG is an open standard and I think most vector packages open them, and they happen to be native to Inkscape, so that seems perfect.

[kde.rockstar]

If you're vectorizing then I agree with Alan that you should go with an SVG library. I personally prefer PNGs with an alpha channel to preserve the transparency, but I know plenty of people who swear by GIF. If you're interested in eventually turning these into brushes, then a GIF is a good one to go with, as it'll save you the trouble of (re)layering any animated brushes at that point.