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

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Logo Design: Things To Remember

By Alfred Anderson

A powerful logo goes a long way in enhancing the visibility of a company. A logo can be termed as an iconic representation of a brand, designed in a way that creates an immediate recognition. A good logo design not only enhances the visibility of the company but also, by virtue of its unique design, gradually becomes a brand identifier. Logos essentially form an integral part of a company’s branding process and thus it should be designed in a way that would contribute to the company’s brand establishment procedure both in short term and long-term business perspective. Logo designing is a complex process and thus, a company should ideally have their logo designed by a firm that has considerable amount of experience in this domain. Inappropriate logo designs can create misleading impression about the company that can eventually harm an organization, so it is always advisable to seek logo design services from a professional firm.

Designing a good logo demands exceptional designing skills and exhaustive research work. A mix of these two along with other factors leads to the development of an effective logo design. Here are some basic guidelines that will enable a company to judge the true potential of their logo.

A logo should ideally be unique and easily identifiable. A quick glance at a logo should communicate the message to the viewers. However uniqueness in the context of a logo design does not mean an over the top complex design. Complex logo designs are difficult to apprehend and thus can be rendered ineffective.

A company logo has an extensive usage. Starting from the letterheads to large-scale banner advertisements, a logo finds a place in everything that belongs to the company. A good logo design should be flexible enough to maintain its integrity regardless of its reproduction in various sizes. A logo should be designed using vector graphics so that it can be resized for various purposes without compromising on the quality and clarity of the logo design.

An organization should be careful about trademark infringements. A distinct feature of a logo may overlap with a different logo representing a different brand name. Continuing with such a logo not only leads to unwanted legal tussles but also harms the reputation of the company. Professional logo design firms usually take care about such complexities and generally succeed in coming up with a distinct logo design.

These are some of the various factors that contribute into the making of an effective company logo design. Compliance with these factors will certainly help a company to come up with a logo that is unique and flexible. However a lot depends on the kind of logo designing firm selected to provide such services. Good logo design firms may charge a few extra bucks but such an investment will definitely yield rich dividends in the years to come.

Alfred Anderson has rich experience in the field of online brand marketing. His interests includes Internet marketing and research on emerging online business trends. Custom Logo Design

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

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Company Logo Design: Rebrand Your Company With A Professional Logo Makeover


By Alfred Anderson

The logo design of a company is a crucial part of its brand building process. A logo can be termed as a visual representation of a company’s business domain that gradually becomes its identity with the course of time. It is this identity that helps the outer world to connect with the product and services of the company. An attractive company logo not only translates into brisk business but also attracts outside investments into the company. It takes years to build a strong brand logo, but what if you need to change the design of your logo to meet your future business objectives?

The fact is that most companies either big or small may go through a re-branding phase that more often involves a company logo re-designing process. Logo re-designing may happen due to a variety of reasons.

Some companies find an urgent need to re-brand themselves after a merger has taken place. A merger is a combination of two or more commercial companies who share a common objective. The newly formed company often goes in for a logo re-designing process that entirely depends on the status of the company before the merger took place. The new logo can either be a modification of the old one, which should preferably retain the old font style and it may even be an entirely new one that could be a collective representation of the companies involved in the merger.

A specific brand, product/s may not work well or can even reach a saturation point among the customers. In such a scenario a company may go in for a brand makeover, which essentially starts off with a logo re-design process. In order to reposition their brand, companies can opt for professional services from a logo designing company. In the past it has been found that many under performing companies had started performing exceedingly well after they went through a logo makeover.

Markets keep on changing every day. Business areas that were once lucrative can become a losing proposition in the days ahead due to the change in business trends and customer preferences. Many companies make use of their capital to shift to an entirely new business area that essentially focuses on an entirely new range of products. This shift asks for a logo redesign that should project the new face of the company. Professional logo design firms will render useful advices as to whether a company should go in for an entirely new logo or should it retain some of the properties of its old logo.

Logo re-designing can also be used as an error-rectifying tool. A specific product may have been targeted towards a wrong customer base or a company could have lost its goodwill due to certain bad business decisions made by them. Re-branding with the help of proper logo re-designing can very well transform the company’s fortune. A new and a better logo is the fastest way to notify the outer world of the positive changes that were made within the company. It gives the company a scope of being re-accepted in a better way.

Apart from the above-mentioned points, there are other cases where company logo design forms an integral part in a company’s success. The logo re-designing process should be taken care of by professional designers else a well-built brand name might fail to make its presence felt in this competitive market. Seeking help from a professional logo design company will not only enhance the look and feel of the company logo but will surely translate into better business returns for the company.

Alfred Anderson has rich experience in the field of online brand marketing. His interests includes Internet marketing and research on emerging online business trends. Corporate logo design

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

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Crafting Your Company's Image By A Professional Logo

By: Suzanne Macguire

'The contents of a book can be easily assessed by its cover.' Similarly, the logo of a company or any enterprise mirrors its quality of service offered. The logos that feature on the pages are responsible in alluring the browsers. Herein lies the importance of logos.

A logo incorporates within itself the vision and motif of the company. A company logo should, therefore, be simple and forceful enough to represent the company's brand name. It should be able to convey key information within its limited format.

Logo designers should be creative and avoid imitating designs of other companies. Imitation should be avoided at all costs as it leads not only to confusion but also to other potential dilemmas as well. One should always remember that logos carry the prestige of the company along with them and a single fault on one's part can tarnish its image.

Logos are effective in increasing the popularity of an organization. While creating a logo design, proper attention must be paid to its relevance as well as its professional outlook. Business logos cannot afford to be informal. In order to create a successful company logo a few things should be kept in mind:
  • Simple design to convey a set of objectives,
  • Use of proper combination of colors,
  • Style that is suited to its purpose.
A logo design works as the brand ambassador for a company and hence it needs to create a deep impact on the customers/ prospective customers and establish the much coveted brand recognition for the business. Nowadays, people attach a lot of importance not only to appearance but also to quality. Hence, logos should display the correct look as well as quality. In the competitive market, there is no dearth of business organizations. Thus, company logos should be such that they outsmart others. One should always remember that the average stagnates but the extraordinary soars!

Business professionals are forever on the hunt for outstanding logos. Logo designers thus have the responsibility to provide unlimited choices to their customers to suit their needs. They should design logos following the business strategies of their clients. A number of quality company logo design sites, however, do subscribe to the above-mentioned requisites.

In a nutshell, the principal aim of a logo should, therefore, be brand enhancement. Logos, designed by a formulated logo design process, makes a company instantly recognizable.

About the Author:

Suzanne is an Internet marketing professional with expertise in content development and technical writing in a variety of industries.

Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/34672.html

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Advertising Corporate Identity through Logo Design

By: Carla San Gaspar

The success of businesses recognizance in the market depend on how well you were able to present a well detailed and powerful company profile. A great logo in particular is indeed a powerful tool in driving your customers' attention. It is this medium that businesses are able to build an identity that will pave the market.

Advertising corporate identity logo design is a big means that will aid for businesses accomplishment and as well as bringing up a greater impact in the market. Logo designs can merely help business to establish a good name and build an identity that will make the company distinguishable from the competitors. Moreover a good logo design is the most important part for businesses triumph. Compared to other tools they are much more influential than people may think.

Moreover, advertising corporate identity logo design can be simply done by means of choosing the appropriate design colors and text fonts that will best suit the presentation. Logos much entail a feature like scalability, readability, simplicity, brilliant colors and originality.

Scalability simply pertains to the balance. This makes the logos appropriately applied form small print mediums up to large scale banners. Readability, the fonts used must readable and visually seen for readable designs can greatly work to make a remarkable message that will retain to customers minds. Simplicity, the more simple the design is the more chance of getting customers attention. Brilliant colors can efficiently get the attention of your customers. And above all originality, an original logo design can greatly impart a remarkable signature for your company and as well as leaving a remarkable image for your customers.

Mainly, launching a corporate identity is considered to be the vital part for your overall marketing strategy. Advertising can aid to help you do a research and develop an identity that will best suit your company and set your business at a distance form your competitors. This can be simply attained through a corporate, business and professionally logo design services.

In advertising your companies' identity, the design, impact and presentation matters. Thus in order for your company to be able to meet with all your needs you can seek for professional help. This advertising corporate identity logo design companies can provide a customized identity that will make your business ahead.

In addition with the extensive services provided by the professional companies around you can attain to achieve a good search engine placement for your site and good print materials for your promotion. With this enumerable beneficial advantage given for sure you can attain to turn your prospects and visitors into potential clients.

About the Author: