As a freelance designer working with small and start-up companies I often work with clients who have established their brand but need to develop a web presence and additional print materials. This is where the original art for an existing logo becomes important.
Occasionally, a new client will have an older business card that they want to reorder but no digital files. Or, they have a .jpg file (a flattened graphic on a white background). These items are mostly unusable in their current state and need to be recreated as high-resolution vector graphics by their new designer. I have even had clients tell me that they had a special font created or purchased for their logo (by said previous designer) but they don’t have the font because the designer owns it!
Three things you should ask your logo designer:
- Will you provide print and web resolution files for my logo as well as the original vector artwork or layered PSD file?
- If using a commercial or original font, will you provide me with the font suitcase for future use in print and web materials relating to my business?
- Can you provide a grayscale version for Black + White publications?