optimise your logo - kits and bits · optimise your logo: ... source files are the files that a...

Optimise Your Logo: 8 Practical Tips You May

Not Have Considered March 2017

Optimise Your Logo: 8 Practical Tips You May Not Have Considered

© Kits and Bits 2017 Page 1

What’s Included?

Logo Design 2

1. Source Files 3

2. File Types 4

3. Different Sizes and Shapes 5

4. Colour Profiles 6

5. Colour Codes 7

6. Fonts 8

Paid vs free fonts................................................................................... 8

Font Licences ........................................................................................ 8

7. Taglines: To have or have not 9

8. Brand Elements 10

How the Big Brands do it! 11

Xero ......................................................................................................11

Mailchimp ............................................................................................11

YouTube ...............................................................................................12

Ticketmaster ........................................................................................12

Getting a quote from your designer 13



Logo Design

Logo design is an exciting part of the business story.

It’s usually one of the first tasks we get done so we can start strutting around like a peacock

flashing our brand colours trying to attract potential customers.

We try to fit all our hopes and dreams for what we want our business to be into a single

image that for the most part will be displayed at a size no bigger than a matchbox.

The concept of my logo came from the idea that my services were foundational to

businesses. I saw my 3 services as ‘building blocks’ for small business that were usually not

implemented until further down the track making it more difficult for the business owner in the

long run. That inspired the tag line ‘turning stumbling blocks into building blocks’ and that

inspired my logo.

The concept I gave to my designer was “Building blocks and teal”.

I was really impressed when my designer returned my logo and my business name

‘Kits and Bits’ (which is a whole ‘nother story) also fit into the block/ box feel.

I was lucky, not all logo design experiences are the same.

I hope this eBook in helps you get the logo you want but you also get a logo that works for

you across multiple mediums and multiple purposes.



1. Source Files Source files are the files that a graphic designer uses when creating their designs.

Once the designs are complete, they will export them to formats that we can all use such as

‘.jpg’, ‘.png’ of ‘pdf’.

Vectors Files

Source files are often ‘vectors’. This enables the client to use the design in high quality

printing as well as re-sizing the design without reducing quality.

To test if your file is a vector, zoom in as far as you can. All of the lines on your logo should

stay smooth no matter how far you are zoomed in.

Some of the source files that designers would need to provide:

AI files (from Adobe Illustrator)

EPS files (enabling scaled printing)

CDR files (from Coral Draw)

These vector files are editable in professional software like Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw.

The programs required to edit them can be expensive and a steep learning curve so you

may not want to do them yourself, but future designers you work with will want them.

It’s important to have these if you ever want to make any changes to your logo without

starting from scratch.

Non Vector Files

These files are also created in design software but won’t sustain their quality when scaled.

PSD (from PhotoShop)

INDD (from Indesign – used for brochures, flyer or poster design)

Source: https://www.iconfinder.com

https://www.iconfinder.com/



2. File Types Designers can export source files into

all sorts of file types but the most

commonly used are;

Jpg and transparent png files.

You should get your logo in both

formats, because jpg is used for print,

while png is used for the web or

overlaying on coloured

backgrounds.

Case Study:

Living Wisdom has both a jpeg and

png version of their logo.

On a white background, generally you won’t be able to tell the difference, however when

using the logo on a non-white background, the png goes transparent and looks more

professional.

File Type JPEG Transparent PNG

White

Background

Dark

Background

Source: Living Wisdom http://www.livingwisdom1.com.au/

http://www.livingwisdom1.com.au/



3. Different Sizes and Shapes You should ask for different versions of your logo works as a banner (wide rectangle), and a

square (stacked) version or as a favicon (the little picture next to the URL in your browser).

It may feel like overkill when you’re starting out, but once you start doing different types of

marketing, you’ll be glad you got them!

Case Study:

Landscape Logo Stacked Logo

Source: Flawless Numbers http://www.flawlessnumbers.com.au/

Logos and brandingare so important.

In a big part of the world,people cannot read

French or English,but are great in

remembering signs.

Karl Lagerfeld

http://www.flawlessnumbers.com.au/



4. Colour Profiles Being able to use your logo on different backgrounds will give you more options when you

consider the range of different documents and purposes you may require your logo to

perform down the track

It’s useful to have a full black version, a white version, and/ or a greyscale version.

Case Study:

Naturally Nic has multiple colour profiles with both brand colours on transparent background

and white on brand coloured backgrounds.

Light

Background

Dark

Background

Source: Naturally Nic https://www.facebook.com/NaturallyNicWA/

Case Study:

Perth Spending Planners have both a monotone colour profile in black for use on light

backgrounds and white for use on dark backgrounds.

Light

Background

Dark

Background

Source: Perth Spending Planners http://www.perthspendingplanners.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/NaturallyNicWA/

http://www.perthspendingplanners.com.au/



5. Colour Codes Getting full Colour Codes from your designer will allow you to use your brand colours in any

tool such as MS Office, Canva, Photoshop.

As a minimum, ask for CMYK, RGB, and Hex codes.

If you do not have all the codes, but you have one set, you can convert the others using

these sites;

http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/color/rgb-to-cmyk.htm

http://www.color-hex.com/

Case Study:

Colour RGB Value CMYK Hex Code Pantone

R: 0

G: 157

B: 160

C: 1

M: 0.0187

Y: 0

K: 0.373

#009DA0 Pantone 320c

R: 129

G: 129

B: 129

C: 0

M: 0

Y: 0

K: 0.494

#818181 80% Black

R: 0

G: 145

B: 182

C: 1

M: 0.203

Y: 0

K: 0.286

#0091B6 Pantone 313c

R: 33

G: 186

B: 156

C: 0.823

M: 0

Y: 0.161

K: 0.271

#21BA9C Pantone 3275c

Teal

Grey

Blue

Green

http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/color/rgb-to-cmyk.htm

http://www.color-hex.com/



6. Fonts Generally, brands will have 2-3 fonts that they use on a regular basis. My brand uses Corbel

for headings and Century Gothic for general text.

These fonts should be used on everything you produce as a business; documents,

spreadsheets, social media, website etc.

If you’re using a different font than what’s in your logo, it’s a bit like

Paid vs free fonts Many fonts that designers use are paid fonts, so you could end up having to purchase the

font to use it on anything you create.

Ensure your designer provides you with any specialised fonts they use or that that they are

readily available online.

If you’re not sure what font is in your logo, then you can upload it to the Font Matcherator

and it will attempt to match it with free and paid fonts.

https://www.fontspring.com/matcherator

Case Study:

Crisp Crow Communications uses their brand font on all images

Source: Crisp Crow Communications https://www.facebook.com/CrispCrowCommunications/

https://crispcrow.com.au/

Font Licences Fonts are technically considered computer software, and just like any other software you

shouldn’t install or use it without a license.

https://www.fontspring.com/matcherator

https://www.facebook.com/CrispCrowCommunications/

https://crispcrow.com.au/



Desktop and Print Licensing

The most basic license that applies to most of the typefaces that come on your computer or

with any other software you install. This license allows you to use the font on your computer

and use it to make static images, such as designing something for print or merchandise. This

applies to everything from business cards, flyers, calendars and pens.

WebFonts and Licensing

A webfont is formatted slightly differently so that browsers can see and render it properly

without it going fuzzy.

Open-Source Licensing

Open-source or free fonts can be used for most things (although each designer or platform

will have specific terms).

7. Taglines: To have or have not Many brands spend as much time on getting their tagline right as they do their logo and

then have it embedded in their logo file for eternity.

This is not ideal for all purposes,

Case Study:

Source: Gail O’Keefe http://www.gailokeeffe.com/

Case Study:

Source: Online Social Butterfly http://onlinesocialbutterfly.com.au/

As the logo gets smaller, you can see the tagline becomes difficult to read.

While reducing it to this size is not recommended (or even likely), it is a great example of

what happens when we use logos with taglines in ways that it will be seen from a distance.

For example;

A PowerPoint with a single projector and a large audience.

Signage on a car

A Banner at a conference

http://www.gailokeeffe.com/

http://onlinesocialbutterfly.com.au/



8. Brand Elements If you have any brand elements (icons,

backgrounds) in your logo or brand, ask

your designer to provide them to you in

separate image files.

You can then use these on your website,

on social media and other graphics.

Case Study:

Adroit Business Solutions has the gradient

coloured star from their logo as a separate

element as well as the star in a single

colour profile for all of the brand colours.

Source: Adroit Business Solutions http://adroitbusiness.com.au/

Case Study:

The Nourishing Nut extends their brand with complementary brand elements including; the

acorn from the logo, a squirrel holding an acorn and other “natural” elements in brand

colours that can be used in marketing materials and social media.

Source: The Nourishing Nut http://www.thenourishingnut.com/

Good design adds valuefaster than it

adds cost

Thomas C Gale

http://adroitbusiness.com.au/

http://www.thenourishingnut.com/



How the Big Brands do it!

Xero

Source: https://www.xero.com/content/dam/xero/images/about/downloads/xero_logo_guidelines.pdf

Mailchimp

Source: https://mailchimp.com/about/brand-assets/

https://www.xero.com/content/dam/xero/images/about/downloads/xero_logo_guidelines.pdf

https://mailchimp.com/about/brand-assets/



YouTube

Source: https://www.youtube.com/yt/brand/using-logo.html

Ticketmaster

Source: http://media.ticketmaster.com/en-au/img/static/styleguide/TM_ExternalStyleGude_v1.3.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/yt/brand/using-logo.html

http://media.ticketmaster.com/en-au/img/static/styleguide/TM_ExternalStyleGude_v1.3.pdf



Getting a quote from your designer Comparing quotes from designers across referrals, Facebook group recommendations and

Fiverr is like comparing apples with oranges and pumpkins.

When starting your business, dollar value will likely be front of mind but to get it right the first

time so that you don’t have to waste money down the track, here’s a checklist for you to use

when requesting quotes so you can compare apples with apples.

Starting Point

I have;

An existing company name.

An idea of what I want.

A sketch of what I want.

I need;

A creative name for my business.

Designer to come up with my logo concept.

My current logo refreshed.

Development

I want the designer to;

Fully understand my business and philosophy.

Provide more than a single concept.

Provide a single concept.

“Zhoosh up” the concept I have provided.

File Formats

I am prepared to purchase;

The source files.

A need high resolution JPEG.

I need a high resolution transparent PNG.

Color

Please include;

Full colour codes including Pantone, CMYK, RGB and Hex

A full color logo as well as; spot color and black and white or greyscale versions.

A complementary colour scheme of up to 2-4 colours to keep all my branding

consistent.



Fonts

I would like the fonts to;

Only be readily available free fonts that I can use on my PC/ Mac

Be Paid fonts that I can install myself for less than $___ (e.g. $100 AUD)

Include a simple complementary font I can use for general text in documents etc.

Brand Elements

I would also like complementary brand elements I can use as backgrounds or highlights

using;

The same iconography from my logo.

Different images than my logo.

Revisions

I would like the opportunity to;

Make multiple revisions until I’m happy.

Make 2-3 revisions with clear communication about changes.

Hit the “I feel lucky” button and go with the first concept.

Timeline

I need my finished logo within;

2 weeks

4 weeks

6 weeks

8 weeks

Longer

You also need to be mindful of your role in the development of the logo. If the designer

needs feedback from you along the way, the longer you take to respond or if your

communication is unclear, the process will take longer.

Good Luck!

I wish you every success in getting a logo that reflects your business personality and

philosophy.

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