Hiring a Pro: Logos and more!

September 22, 2008

Is it necessary for you to hire a professional designer to create your business logo?

Yes. Professional designers, like the staff of Studio 3 Design, have had extensive training in color theory, typography, layout, and design flow. These skills along with the ability to create vectorized digital artwork are key factors in creating clean, effective logos that represent your business in the correct way.

What are the steps in creating a logo design?

Step one: Find a Designer
Most metropolitan areas have a large number of designers, or design firms that are very well skilled in creating logos. A simple web search will bring up a large list of potential designers. Find a designer that has a portfolio showing samples of their work. You’re looking for clean, professional looking designs. It’s also a good idea to consider future projects when choosing a designer. Creating a partnership with a design firm that can provide multiple products will eliminate headaches down the road.

Step two: Agree on Price & Services
Not all designers are created equal. Prices for logo design do vary with location, experience and services offered. There is MUCH more to a logo design than just creating a sketch of the idea. Logo design prices can range from $500 – $1500 but keep in mind that you “get what you pay for”. A good comparison would be fast food vs. 4-star dining. You can certainly fill your belly for $3.00 but you won’t remember the experience nearly as much as eating at a restaurant with a great chef. (BTW; If you haven’t eaten at the Prospect Street Cafe yet, I highly recommend it.) A good designer will provide multiple designs that will include a design with your specifications in mind, and some unique designs that he/she has come up with based on his/her research.

Step three: Confirm file management, after the project.
When the final logo design is settled, the designer should provided full color, greyscale, and black & white versions of the design in 4 formats, minimum. Adobe Illustrator, .EPS, .JPG and .TIF. These 4 file formats will ensure that your logo will be represented correctly in every print or web medium imaginable. If your designer cannot provide these 4 basic file types, walk away. It will not be worth the effort. After the project is completed, ensure that the designer will maintain an archive of the original artwork. In the case of Studio 3 Design, the original artwork is archived and backed up on an offsite server. If you ever should need a copy of the artwork, or a different file format, Studio 3 Design provides this at no additional charge.

Step four: Print it.
Now that you have your logo ready to go, what do you do?
Storefront: If you are a retail establishment, or have a walk in store front, you’ll definitely want to get your logo on those windows. Work with you designer to determine the best way to showcase your new look. You’ve trusted him/her to create your beautiful logo, now trust him/her to make your entire storefront look its best. Studio 3 Design has created partnerships with local sign company’s and we know what materials will work best with your location.

Print: Business Cards, Letterhead, Brochure. Studio 3 Design can help you with business print packages that include all of the above. Our prices include the printing too. Contact us today to learn more.

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