Monday, September 03, 2007

Logo Design Companies - What To Look For In A Logo Design Company

By: Hugh De Payen

Logo design companies are plentiful these days and those not familiar with the design process may not know what to look for. This article describes some of the things you ought to look for in a logo design company.

The Process

When you order a logo from a design company, they will get one or more designers to come up with one or more concepts based on what you have told them.

You will select the concept you like most and tell the logo design company of any alterations you require to the logo.

The logo design company will make alterations to the logo as per your request. This process of revisions will happen one or more times before a final logo is delivered to you.

The whole process can take anything from 24 hours to 5 days depending upon the particular logo design company in question and the amount of concepts and revisions that take place.

Do You Just Get A Logo?

On the low-end packages, yes.

On mid-range packages you can expect business cards too and on the higher-rated packages you'll also get a web site design thrown in. All this will be based off your logo design so that the same corporate identity theme runs throughout.

Prices

Before going any further it's probably worth commenting on prices. From a good logo design company, you can expect prices to range as follows:

  • Low end, just a logo design: $200-$300
  • Mid-range, logo design + business cards: $500-$600
  • High-end, logo design + business cards + web site template: $900-$1500

Number Of Concepts

This is the first thing to look for. When you give the logo design company an idea of what you want, they will come up with a certain number of concepts to match that idea. Of course, the more concepts they come up with, the more choice you have.

A good company will give you 3-5 concepts on lower-priced packages and 6-10 concepts on higher-priced packages.

Number Of Designers

When they give you your initial concepts, it is often useful if they have been designed by more than one designer as this will generally add variety to the concepts you get.

The best companies will use at least 2 designers on low-priced packages and 5 or more on high-priced packages.

Number Of Revisions

The number of revisions you get refers to how many times you can throw the logo back at the company and ask them to rework it as per your specifications. Generally the lower-priced packages will allow 2-4 revisions and you usually get unlimited revisions on the higher-priced packages.

Turnaround Time

I wouldn't personally rate a logo design company on their turnaround time, providing it isn't ridiculous. I'd prefer them to take a little longer to get it exactly as I want it. However, most logo design companies will take 2-5 days depending on the package you ordered and the number of revisions you put it through.

Extras

You can expect to receive the completed logo in multiple formats to be used just about anyway you could imagine. You could also expect the better companies to give you gray-scale copies of the logos to be used for faxes and such.

With the mid-range and high-end packages, you can expect additional material from most companies. This usually includes things like business cards and stationary templates and - on the best packages - a set of web site templates too.

Many companies also give you some free business cards too. It's nice to get these but remember that getting the correct logo is the priority here.

Conclusion

What was once a very specialized job costing many thousands of dollars is now within reach of all small businesses for just a few hundred dollars. A logo is the starting point for defining your whole corporate identity and a good logo design company can help you achieve that.

About the Author:

I've had 3 online companies since 2002, so I have some experience in the area of corporate branding and getting a logo designed.

If you'd like more information about how to get a good logo, please visit my site about the best logo design companies at http://designedlogo.com.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Logo Design Companies - What To Look For In A Logo Design Company

By: Hugh De Payen

Logo design companies are plentiful these days and those not familiar with the design process may not know what to look for. This article describes some of the things you ought to look for in a logo design company.

The Process

When you order a logo from a design company, they will get one or more designers to come up with one or more concepts based on what you have told them.

You will select the concept you like most and tell the logo design company of any alterations you require to the logo.

The logo design company will make alterations to the logo as per your request. This process of revisions will happen one or more times before a final logo is delivered to you.

The whole process can take anything from 24 hours to 5 days depending upon the particular logo design company in question and the amount of concepts and revisions that take place.

Do You Just Get A Logo?

On the low-end packages, yes.

On mid-range packages you can expect business cards too and on the higher-rated packages you'll also get a web site design thrown in. All this will be based off your logo design so that the same corporate identity theme runs throughout.

Prices

Before going any further it's probably worth commenting on prices. From a good logo design company, you can expect prices to range as follows:

  • Low end, just a logo design: $200-$300
  • Mid-range, logo design + business cards: $500-$600
  • High-end, logo design + business cards + web site template: $900-$1500

Number Of Concepts

This is the first thing to look for. When you give the logo design company an idea of what you want, they will come up with a certain number of concepts to match that idea. Of course, the more concepts they come up with, the more choice you have.

A good company will give you 3-5 concepts on lower-priced packages and 6-10 concepts on higher-priced packages.

Number Of Designers

When they give you your initial concepts, it is often useful if they have been designed by more than one designer as this will generally add variety to the concepts you get.

The best companies will use at least 2 designers on low-priced packages and 5 or more on high-priced packages.

Number Of Revisions

The number of revisions you get refers to how many times you can throw the logo back at the company and ask them to rework it as per your specifications. Generally the lower-priced packages will allow 2-4 revisions and you usually get unlimited revisions on the higher-priced packages.

Turnaround Time

I wouldn't personally rate a logo design company on their turnaround time, providing it isn't ridiculous. I'd prefer them to take a little longer to get it exactly as I want it. However, most logo design companies will take 2-5 days depending on the package you ordered and the number of revisions you put it through.

Extras

You can expect to receive the completed logo in multiple formats to be used just about anyway you could imagine. You could also expect the better companies to give you gray-scale copies of the logos to be used for faxes and such.

With the mid-range and high-end packages, you can expect additional material from most companies. This usually includes things like business cards and stationary templates and - on the best packages - a set of web site templates too.

Many companies also give you some free business cards too. It's nice to get these but remember that getting the correct logo is the priority here.

Conclusion

What was once a very specialized job costing many thousands of dollars is now within reach of all small businesses for just a few hundred dollars. A logo is the starting point for defining your whole corporate identity and a good logo design company can help you achieve that.

About the Author:

Hugh De Payen have had 3 online companies since 2002, so I have some experience in the area of corporate branding and getting a logo designed.

If you'd like more information about how to get a good logo, please visit my site about the best logo design companies at http://designedlogo.com.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Logo is a Visual Brand Identity of a Company

By: Elizabeth Morgan

A logo is essentially a visual brand identity of a company. The origins of logos can be traced to the 19th century, when industries added a symbol to represent their companies and to help customers easily identify their products. The trend caught on, and today corporations, services, products, agencies, universities, and colleges all have a specially designed identifying emblem or logo.

The idea probably stemmed from royal courts and the nobility, who for centuries had specific coats of arms emblazoned across everything they owned, from saddles to stables, to farms, castles, manors, furniture, jewelry, and dinnerware.

Since the logo represents a distinct identity, it must have the essential elements of: simplicity, proportionality, flexible color palette, easily legible fonts, and uniqueness. A logo must be designed so that it not just represents the company, but sets it apart. Originality and distinctiveness are the keys to a successful logo. The design elements such as font and color should lend themselves to redesigning as well as to representation in single or multiple colors.

Even before selecting a designer for the logo you need to clarify certain basic thoughts. What should the logo convey? What is the basic identity of my company today and what are the expansion plans? What are my objectives and strategy? Study your product and its customers, brainstorm with those who are committed to the success of your company, and never forget the competitors.

Remember, the logo is essentially a business tool so it must reflect professionalism, competency, and commitment. The logo must survive time and be valid even centuries later.

In logo design, it would be prudent to use vector graphics, as they allow resizing and retain design integrity. Keep away from complicated and intricate logo designs. Limit colors to two or three, this is not just economical but practical. Also chose colors that are in keeping with your industry. Choose a font that is universal and uncluttered.

Here are some common associations: blue represents trust, loyalty, and power; yellow energy, joy, and hope; while green represents growth, sustenance, and regeneration. Among shapes, a circle is associated with connection, community, trust, and safety; a rectangle represents strength; and a triangle power and aggression. Keep such aspects in mind while discussing possible design elements.

An effective logo will make your branding or corporate identity strong. It will strengthen your customer base, enhance the visibility of your corporation, and stand you in good stead on home ground and abroad. An example of a logo design that represents all of this is the Nike “swoosh.” World over, any product with a “swoosh” is identified with Nike.

Design provides detailed information on Design, Logo Design, Web Site Design, Interior Design and more. Design is affiliated with Bedroom Decorating.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Versions Of Your Logo That You Should Own

By: Erin Ferree

Your logo is the most important graphic element in which you will invest for your business. You should own the logo in many file formats. Having a library of logo files will enable you to send vendors the types of files they need (for example, other designers, printers, or other service providers).

There are two major categories that I will cover in this article — color variations and file-type variations.

Color Variations

You should receive your logo graphic from your designer in all of the file types listed below in the "File Formats" section (unless otherwise noted) in the following color variations:

Pantone color or CMYK color
Pantone color (if applicable) — If you intend to have your business cards or other materials printed professionally, choosing Pantone colors makes the process less expensive than printing in full four- (or CMYK-) color, unless you choose to use the new printers available today. See my article on inexpensive printing options, coming soon!. Full CMYK color — This is for four-color printing, full color ads, and for use on any materials that you intend to print from your own desktop color printer, i.e, invoices, statements, receipts, letters, etc.

RGB color
RGB color — For use on your website or in your email. You should get JPEG and GIF formats in this color scheme.

Grayscale and/or black and white versions
Grayscale — If your logo contains more than one color, or if it has tones or shades of one color, you should receive a grayscale version. You would use this when your logo is included in the newspaper or in the Yellow Pages, or on any black and white laser-printed materials you may create.

Black and white
This version would be used to produce the best-quality logo on faxes or any materials you reproduce using a copier.

Depending on the design of the logo, sometimes only either a black and white or grayscale version of the logo will be applicable. For example, for a logo with just one color in it, only a black and white version would apply. And, if elements of different colors overlap, a grayscale version will ensure that the different graphic elements do not bleed together, as they would if they were all converted to black. So you may not receive both grayscale and black and white versions, but having one or the other should suffice. File Formats:

Original graphic
The original Illustrator, Photoshop, or other program-native document. This comes in handy if you make a minor change to your company (i.e., if you add LLC or Inc.), or if you decide to change your color scheme.

To make these types of changes easiest, you need a file of the logo in the original program in which it was created. If the logo was created in Illustrator (which is preferable, because creating vector graphics in Illustrator will allow your logo to be scaled up and down as needed), the type should not be outlined, unless your designer has done so in order to modify the typeface.

If the logo was created in Photoshop, the layers of the document should not be flattened, and the type should not be rasterized (converted from editable type into pixels) — this will ensure that it will still be editable.

Ask your designer which fonts have been used in the logo, so you could purchase it for use in other materials. This will avoid the lengthy and time-consuming process of font matching, should you work with other designers.

You should receive several different versions of the software's native file formats from the designer, in case a future designer or printer ever uses an older version of the software. For example, I provide Illustrator files in Illustrator CS along with Illustrator 9.

EPS format
I recommend that your logo be in EPS 9 format. EPS can be opened and processed by many different programs. This is also the file format most commonly accepted/requested by printers.

PDF format
You will not be able to view many of the file formats of your design that you receive unless you have graphics software applications. I suggest that you receive the PDF files of each Color Version of your logo. You will be able to view the PDF files using Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free on Adobe's web site at www.adobe.com.

"Outlined" original format
The difference between this graphic and the original would be found in the Illustrator files. The fonts in the outlined original format would be outlined, which means that the letters are converted into shapes. In Photoshop, the type should be rasterized and the layers should be flattened. This outlined file should be provided in all of the formats listed above — original program format, EPS, and PDF.

These outlined file versions should be provided to any printers or service bureaus to lessen the chance that the elements in your logo could inadvertently be shifted around. This will make sure that your logo will print with the right font should the printer not have the font used in your logo.

JPEG and GIF formats
For web or email use. The GIF graphic should be created with a transparent background.

TIF format at 300 dots per inch (DPI) resolution, in RGB color format — For use in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files.

TIF format at 300 DPI
Some printers, ad vendors (i.e., the Yellow Pages), or other designers may require this file format in order to create additional designed materials.

Having your logo in these formats will ensure that you won't ever need to have your logo redrawn or re-created for use in future projects. After all, you own your logo — shouldn't you be able to use it as well?

About the Author

Erin Ferree, Founder and Lead Designer of elf design, is a brand identity and graphic design expert. She has been helping small businesses grow with bold, clean and effective logo and marketing material designs for over a decade. elf design offers the comprehensive graphic and web design services of a large agency, with the one- on-one, personalized attention of an independent design specialist. Erin works closely in partnership with her clients to create designs that are visible, credible and memorable – and that tell their unique business stories in a clear and consistent way. For more information about elf design, please visit: Logo design at http://www.elf-design.com

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Corporate Company Logo Design

By: Jahanzeb Hasan

A Corporate logo design is a name, illustration or trademark which gives a company its unique visual identity.

Corporate Logo Design - Aims and Objectives:

A corporate logo design is the corporate identity of a business. It makes a company’s presence visual. The visual aspects will come in focus only when the corporate identity has integrated in itself the brand identity of the company.

Color, design and typography all play important roles in making a good corporate logo design. A corporate logo design should stand out and communicate the aims and objectives of a business.

If your logo design is a unique image which is bright and catchy, you are on the right track otherwise we strongly recommend a change. You can choose from the following types of corporate logo designs:

Types of Corporate Logo Design:

Primarily there are three types of corporate logo design, which are:

  • Descriptive Corporate Logo Designs
  • Abstract Corporate Logo Designs or Symbolic Corporate Logo Designs
  • Typographic Corporate Logo Designs

Descriptive Corporate Logo Design:

A descriptive corporate logo design is composed of an illustration or an image suggesting the name or nature of the business. These are ideally suitable for a single product line or an organization. Large organizations with a variety of services and products should not go for descriptive corporate logo designs.

Abstract Corporate Logo Designs or Symbolic Corporate Logo Designs:

A nonfigurative corporate logo design without any clear cut association is an abstract or symbolic corporate logo design. Abstract or symbolic corporate logo designs are suitable for conglomerate corporations.

Typographic Corporate Logo Designs:

Graphical representation of a company’s name or initials is a typographical corporate logo design. Typographical corporate logo designs are popularly known as logotypes. Since these logos are based on the name of the company, companies with long standing names go for typographical corporate logo designs.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Choosing A Logo Design Company

If you are looking for a logo design company that can create a really good logo for your company or product, then you know that you ca not choose one randomly, it must give you exactly what you have in mind. So, here you will find some tips that you must keep in mind

First, you have to know that there are several kinds of design companies which offer their own particular services and each of them has its own logo design guidelines and logo design concepts. So, if your business is just starting or you have a small website, it would not be wise to pay a lot of money to get your logo from a large company, instead of that you can search a smaller logo design company which won't charge you that much money and you can use what's left of your money in a marketing campaign.

Keep in mind that any company you choose may not adapt automatically to your requirements just because you have already payed them. Any question you may have about the company you want to design your logo should be done before requesting your logo. It could be of some help to ask about their logo design process. This way you can be sure they have understood what you really want and that's what you will finally get.

Try not to select the top design businesses. They may give you the best service but they are also the most expensive ones, not just because they give a good service but just because they can afford it. Check online and you will find artist and design companies which are just as good as these top design companies, they will surely be able to create your logo for a much accessible price.

Finally, you must be sure about what you want. If you have some ideas for your logo try to describe them to the designer until he understands you. Also you can show them samples of logo design art that you like, it can be of great help to design a great logo for you.

Welcome to our site completely dedicated to corporate logo design at: http://www.designlogocorporate.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katie_Modotti