Your logo represents your brand, values, and personality. It’s the first thing that people notice when they come across your business. Therefore, it’s essential to get it right. But when you’ve paid a designer to create a new logo, what should you expect? In this article, we’ll cover the key things you should look for when your designer delivers your logo files.
1. Vector files
The designer should ALWAYS provide you with the RAW. Having the raw file of your logo is essential for several reasons:
- Versatility and adaptability: The raw file, often in a vector format like AI or EPS, allows you to scale your logo to any size without losing quality. This is crucial when using your logo across mediums such as print materials, signage, websites, or promotional products.
- Professional reproduction: Design professionals often require the raw file to ensure an accurate copy of your logo in different formats and colour spaces. For creating high-quality prints or adapting the logo for specific design requirements, having the raw file enables them to work efficiently and maintain consistency.
- Future modifications: As your business evolves, you may need to change your logo. The raw file makes it easier for designers to modify or update specific elements without compromising the overall design integrity. This ensures that your logo stays relevant and aligned with your brand identity.
- Consistency across platforms: In today’s digital landscape, your logo will be used across multiple platforms, including social media profiles, websites, mobile apps, and email signatures. The raw file allows you to optimize your logo for each platform, ensuring a consistent and visually appealing representation of your brand.
- Collaboration and sharing: Sharing the raw file with other stakeholders, such as marketing agencies, printers, or business partners, facilitates cooperation and streamlines the branding process. It enables them to work directly with the original artwork and ensures accurate reproduction of your logo across different projects.
2. Different file formats
In addition to vector files, the designer should provide you with other file formats that are commonly used, such as JPG, PNG, and PDF. These formats are handy when using your logo on different platforms, such as your website, social media, and print materials.
3. Colour codes
Having colour codes for your logo is crucial for several reasons. With the RAW file, you can get this information by yourself, but a professional designer would give you this in the style guide:
- Consistency: Color codes ensure that the exact colours used in your logo are consistently replicated across various platforms, mediums, and materials. By specifying the precise colour values, such as hex codes or Pantone numbers, you can ensure that your logo appears identical across different applications, including print and digital media.
- Brand Identity: Colors play a significant role in establishing and reinforcing your brand’s identity. Each colour evokes specific emotions and associations, and by using consistent colour codes, you maintain the intended perception of your brand. Whether it’s conveying energy, trustworthiness, or happiness, the correct colour codes help reinforce your brand’s personality and values.
- Reproducibility: When you provide colour codes for your logo, it becomes easier to reproduce and resize it accurately. Different devices and printing methods can display colours differently, but with colour codes, you can maintain colour consistency regardless of the medium or technology used.
- Collaboration: Color codes facilitate effective communication and collaboration with designers, printers, and other stakeholders involved in creating materials featuring your logo. By sharing the colour codes, you eliminate guesswork and ensure that everyone involved uses the correct colours. This streamlines the design process and reduces the chances of miscommunication or errors.
- Flexibility: Color codes allow flexibility in adapting your logo to different contexts, such as backgrounds or colour schemes. By providing alternative colour options or variations within your style guide, you ensure that your logo remains visually appealing and effective in various settings while maintaining brand consistency.
- Brand Protection: Color codes help protect your brand from unauthorized alterations or misuse. By specifying the exact colours to be used, you minimize the risk of others using incorrect or altered versions of your logo that could dilute your brand’s identity.
4. A style guide
Having a style guide for your logo will help you with:
- Consistency: A style guide ensures your logo is used consistently across all platforms and mediums. It provides clear guidelines on logo usage, including size, placement, colours, and variations, ensuring that your logo maintains its integrity and brand recognition.
- Brand Identity: A style guide helps establish and maintain your brand identity. It defines the visual elements that make up your logos, such as typography, colour palette, and graphic elements. Following the style guide ensures that your logo aligns with your brand’s personality, values, and messaging.
- Recognition: A consistent logo builds recognition and familiarity among your target audience. When people encounter your logo consistently, it becomes easier for them to associate it with your brand. This strengthens brand recall and helps differentiate your business from competitors.
- Efficiency: With a style guide, designers and marketers have clear guidelines when creating new materials. This streamlines the design process, saves time, and avoids inconsistencies. It also ensures that all collateral, from websites to print materials, is cohesive and aligned with your brand image.
- Brand Protection: A style guide is a reference point for anyone using your logo, both internally and externally. It helps prevent unauthorized alterations or misusing your logo, which can dilute your brand’s identity and reputation. You protect your brand from being misrepresented or misinterpreted by providing clear guidelines.
- Flexibility: As your business grows and evolves, you may need to adapt your logo for different applications or marketing campaigns. A style guide allows for flexibility while maintaining consistency. It guides how to create variations or adaptations of your logo that still align with your brand’s visual identity.
5. Ownership and copyright
When you pay a designer to create your logo, you buy the rights to use it. However, clarifying this in writing is essential to have proof of ownership. You should also explain who owns the copyright to the logo and the designer’s role if other people use your logo without permission.
In summary
When you pay a designer to create your logo, you should expect to receive vector files, different file formats, colour codes, a style guide, and proof of ownership and copyright. By ensuring you have all these things, you can protect your brand and use your logo confidently across all marketing materials. It may be worth asking your designer if they can provide other branding elements, such as business card templates or social media graphics. However, they may ask for an additional fee. Always remember that your input is crucial to the designer as a client, so communicate your brand values and preferred colour schemes to ensure the designer delivers the perfect logo for your business.
