Logos 101 - Business Owner Guidelines for Logo Design
I've spent the major part of my career working together with corporate logos. Some logos are great and others are a problem. They could be pleasing to a person's eye, but they pose a myriad of printing issues.
One critical mistake people make at the beginning is to supply their designer little to no direction. They find a developer, provide them with the organization name and tell them to design a logo. In most cases no more direction is given. Perhaps some preferred colors or an indicator or two on a symbol that could be used, but that's it.
The company owner assumes that the designer understands the needs and parameters of logo design From my experience, about 50% of the logos I encounter are centered on aesthetics only. While a watch pleasing logo is essential there are many other things to consider that'll play an important roll down the road.
SELECTING A DESIGNER
While it may be tempting to use a friend or relative who dabbles in graphic design (and are generally inexpensive as well as free) the logo usually ultimately ends up costing you down the road. You're prone to encounter issues with design egos and have to deal with time delays. They may also not need the technical knowledge (bitmaps vs. vector, bleeds etc.). That is less of a problem for company logo but can cause major issues on other projects. On another hand, don't discredit these people. I've seen some good work originate from aspiring designers and those that design as a hobby.
Regardless of where you will find your logo designer, make sure you review their portfolio and then confirm these two criteria:
1. Find a developer that'll offer you a vector logo. When they can't, get another designer. If they don't really know exactly what a vector graphic is, do NOT hire them!
2. Ensure they will give you the next files:
- The first (vector) file from this system the logo was designed in.
- A (vector).pdf of the logo.
- A (vector).eps of the logo.
- Three high resolution.jpg's of the logo, one 2" wide, one 12" wide and one 24" wide.
While your personal computer probably does not need an application that can open the first three files, make sure you have them on a disk in your office and stored away on your own computer. Future printers and designers will need these files. See Images 101 to learn more on vector vs bitmap.
LOGO DESIGN GUIDELINES
Along with a logo that looks good and is practical for your company, ensure your designer follows these guidelines. You too should run their designs through these considerations (color, size and shape):
Colors
Colors play an important role in a logo. Ideally you must keep colors to the very least, avoid shading and keep colors separated. When printing full color digital graphics you most likely won't encounter any issues. Digital printers print graphics the same as your color inkjet or laser printer. Generally, digital printing is expensive and is not always readily available for non-paper items.
Keeping colors to the very least can save money. Printing applications for apparel, signage and promotional products will definitely cost more for every color. Promotional products generally have a set-up charge and a work charge per color. Screen printing will even cost more for every color. Design a logo with a couple of colors or have an edition that may be used as a single color.
Tight color registration can cause issues. If your colors are touching that's considered tight registration. Text that has an outline around it is a great example. Promotional items which are silk screened or pad printed can't always achieve this. Tight registration may also turn into a problem if you're photocopying something in black and white. Two completely different colors can look like exactly the same color and turn out to be a big black blob when photocopied. Avoid tight registration or have an edition of the logo that doesn't have tight registration for these situations.
Color fading/shading can't often be printed. Most non-digital printing applications print solid colors. When you have a great color that fades or shades into a darker color or another color you will need a revised version of one's logo.
Custom colors may cost money. Printers carry standard ink colors such as but not limited to red, navy, royal, dark green, yellow and black. Most printers will charge a fee to combine a particular color for you. Promotional logo'd items will also be mainly available in standard colors. In the event that you selected teal blue for the logo and want to locate a teal pen for the company, you would be very limited in your selection.
Size
Text or lines which are too thin or small aren't effective and can "disappear" when printed or photocopied. The little parts in just a lower case "e" and "a" may also fill-in if they're too small. When selecting your logo make sure that you can shrink it (or an edition of it) down seriously to 1" wide. One inch is approximately the smallest size you will print your logo.
