Having a complete Logo Set will save your business time, money and hours of aggravation.
You might think that putting together a logo design is easy considering anyone with a computer and software can create one. However, designing a logo without using a vector graphics app would not be advised for several reasons. A professional graphic designer will channel their inner creativity and using an application such as Adobe Illustrator to transform their initial concepts and sketches into vector artwork file. This vector file will become the master logo file where all other file formats are exported.
You could never build a deck without the necessary carpentry tools so how would it be possible to build a business identity without the correct digital design files. Consider a Logo Set your “Digital Logo Toolbox” containing the files you’ll need to correctly display your logo in any situation, onscreen or flawlessly in print. Having a complete logo set at your fingertips will ensure you can send files instantly to your suppliers or share them internal with you staff. You’ll never have to worry about resolution issues, colours not print correctly or chasing after the “friend of a friend” who created your logo 10 years ago. Save this set on your hard-drive, send it out to all your suppliers and back it up on an external USB for peace of mind.
Here’s how your file set should look:
Your Logo Set folder should include both vector files for print (.eps, .ai, pdf) and raster or pixel based files for on screen viewing (.gif, .jpeg and .png). Your vector files should be saved in the following colour modes Pantones (PMS), CMYK, black and white. Where the raster files should use RGB, black and white plus the GIF and PNG files should be save with transparencies.
Vector Files for Print
Rastor Files for Screen Viewing
How to use your logo file set
Vector Logo Files EPS, PDF and Ai
As stated above, vector files are the Grand Poobah of the logo kingdom. A vector file is an editable, infinitely scalable graphic file, always used in print or when viewing your logo at its highest resolution and clarity.
These files are made up of lines and paths to create an image. EPS, PDF and Ai (Adobe Illustrator) files are all vector based. Most business owners will be able to view an EPS or PDF without any of the fancy design apps I might own. But Ai files are proprietary to the version of Adobe Illustrator it was created in. Unless you own the correct version of Illustrator you’re out of luck. I always include Ai files within the logo set, it’s the original master file and for suppliers that may require them.
Raster Logo Files JPEG, PGN and GIF
JPG, PGN and GIF logo files are mainly used for viewing on monitors/screens, web based platforms and applications. These files can be highly optimized to lower their memory requirements decreasing download and rendering times. Just remember that any optimization comes with a cost and files over optimized may appear pixelated or less sharp.
It’s a professional graphic designer’s responsibility to find that fine line between a crisp image and something pixelated when supplying you with final file formats. This is one of the main reasons why I advise clients against using gradients in their logo designs. A GIF file for instances when optimized will display gradients as color bands rather than a smooth transition of colors, but this is an entirely new conversion. With any raster image a.k.a. pixel based image, it is important to have a file on hand that is saved at 100% the physical size it will be viewed at. It’s impossible for a designer to determine these size requirements when creating a logo set so I always supply pixel based logo files both physically over-sized and at a resolution much higher than any native screen resolution. This ensures the client has a crisp image file that can easily be sized down, maintaining its resolution and clarity.
Hope these pointers help? If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact Mike I would love to field any questions you might have about logo’s or your files. Or just leave your comments below.
