Logo Files: Versions Of Your Logo That You Should Own
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
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