At least once a day we receive inquiries from owners of small businesses researching graphic design companies to assist them with establishing a logo to get their business off the ground. As with any product or service, the potential customer will ultimately choose the option that they feel best suits their need at the time. When this decision could ultimately affect the overall success of your business, it is important to understand what you get when you consult with professionals.
Take this first step seriously & invest your money into what should be the key cornerstone of your business! A well designed, professional logo will deliver its ROI time after time. It's worth every cent!
Professional Graphic Designers will:
1.) Understand how your logo will need to be sized based upon the various platforms where you are using it.
2.) They are also able to share the different types of logo designs that would be suit your vision. Clip art logos do not cut the mustard!
3.) They are able to keep important things at the forefront of the process such as: Ease of rebranding or modernizing your design in mind for the future & choosing font wisely. For example, a cursive font may not stand out on an embroidered shirt for uniforms, or it may be harder to cut for vinyl graphic designs for windows or cars.
Your potential customers will judge the authenticity & credibility of your company based off the first impression that they get from your logo. You don't want them to assume that you offer low quality products/services because your logo is low quality. If you are unsure of the difference between Raster vs. Vector or CMYK vs. RGB, then it's probably best to start researching companies near you!
Raster: A raster image is made of up pixels, each pixel is a different color, arranged to display an image.
Vector: A vector image is made up of paths, each with a mathematical formula (vector) that tells the path how it is shaped and what color it is bordered with or filled by.
CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black is a subtractive color system used in color printing. It is also used to describe the printing process itself.
RGB: Red, Green, and Blue is a system that represents the colors used on a computer display. When Red, Green, and Blue are combined in varying proportions that can create any color in the visible spectrum.
A good rule of thumb: Web designs should always be in RGB and printed material should always be in CMYK.
Choose the right company. Be wary of online companies who promise to deliver a logo to you within hours for a low price. With each call, we like to take the time to educate our potential customers whether they chose to work with us or not. The design process is the most important & lengthiest part of logo creation. After the initial designs are in place, logo revision timelines are much shorter. Make sure that you have a designer that you can communicate & share ideas with each step of the way. Understand what services you are paying for, how many revisions are included and what type of files you are receiving in exchange for the price you are paying. A good rule of thumb to always keep in mind is: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Choose quality!
Al (Adobe Illustrator) Format: This type of file will retain its quality for editing & printing. In this format, you can stretch your logo to be as big as a billboard or as small as you need for a business card and it would still look good (not pixelated). Any sign shop or print company will ask for this format when creating T-shirts, paper products, vinyl designs etc.
JPG Format: Social Media & Website & email signatures.
PDF: Documentation
PNG: Wherever you need transparent background
EPS: Coral Draw, 3D, Autocad use.
Remember: Small businesses rely heavily on every impression that is made through networking & marketing. Give your audience a logo that makes you stand out, your customers can easily identify as your brand, conveys what your business does just by looking at the graphic or that could easily start a conversation!