Tips for Using Your Logo Files Correctly

The following are tips to know when applying any logo to a brand. If you follow and consider the following you will make fewer unprofessional mistakes with your logo files. All Locke Design clients receive these tips in a book to make certain they look good every time they use the logo! After all, your designer can’t really police your brand, only you can do that.

5 Basic Tips for Effective Logo Use

1- Consistency in all materials is key

2- Put your logo on everything

3- Scale your logo proportionately

4- Use your fonts and only your approved fonts

5- Use your colors and only your approved colors

Scaling

It is important to scale your logo proportionally! A logo that appears stretched or distorted looks unprofessional, so scaling must be done correctly. To scale a logo correctly, hold down the shift key as you increase or decrease the size. This keeps the logo proportional. This is the most common armature mistake.

A great way to check yourself is to make certain the round characters, i.e. “o”‘s are perfectly round each time you scale your logo. That is if the font has perfectly round characters.

Notice how the logo in this stationery package retains its dimensions even though the size changes.

Bitmapping

A bitmap is any photo file.  When you try to enlarge a photo file it will look pixellated if not of adequate resolution.  Pixilation occurs when a bitmap image is enlarged too much and the individual pixels can be seen.  The image appears rough and looks very sloppy. This is the second most common armature mistake.

Notice how the large image appears pixelated.

Color shift

Color shift is inevitable in printing.  Colors will appear different depending on the substrate (paper or material printed on) and whether it is coated or uncoated.  Lamination causes more saturation in colors, which is why colors on coated substrates appear more saturated. Color shift is also caused by the use of difference devices to print different items.  Although the mixture of colors is the exact same, colors can appear to be different on two substrates placed side by side.  It is helpful to be aware of color limitations.

Note the brown colors on these printed pieces for our client Catherine Hayes. The brown shifts just a bit based on the paper type and printing method used.

Brand consistency

The most important thing in using your logo is to maintain brand consistency.  Using your approved fonts and colors keeps your brand consistent.  Varying fonts and mixing in different colors confuses the customer and weakens the brand identity. Coca Cola is a company that has excellent brand consistency.  The company colors, logo, and font are all the same on every product. Take a look here.

Example of a stationery package created by Locke Design. Notice how the logo shapes are applied throughout the design.

Find out more on Brand Consistency by watching this video from the Locke Design Channel by clicking HERE

Reversed Logo

Logos can be placed on solid colors, but it is important to consider the overall appearance when doing this.  When placing a logo on a dark background color it should be reversed out in white.  This makes it much easier to read.  You must use a Giff or EPS file to reverse your logo.

Notice how in this brochure design we have reversed the logo on the cover.

Color vs. Black and White Logos

Color logos should be used in areas where price is not paramount, such as on letterhead, signs, marketing materials and electronic media.  Logos must also work well in black and white to be effective.  Black and white logos should be used when price is a limiting factor because these logos can be reproduced inexpensively.  Use black and white logos when it will be faxed or xeroxed.  Black and white should also be used when screen printing because it is cheaper to print in one color with the screen printing technique.  Black and white can also be used for monogramming as well as on colorful photos or patterned backgrounds.

Embroidery

Some logos may have to be simplified in order to be embroidered because embroidery is made of stitches rather than ink.  To transfer your logo into an embroidery file you will need to consult an embroidery specialist.  This file is called a .dts file and cannot be provided to you by your graphic designer, as it requires custom digitization of the design.  When embroidering, the proportion of type may also have to be changed in order for the type to look good as stitches.

Visit LockeDesign.com for  more tips on graphic and web design.

What is Collateral Design?

Collateral design is printed material used to provide information about your business and give it an image.  This includes anything with a company’s logo on it to establish a visual brand.  Cohesiveness and consistency are imperative in this process.

http://www.youtube.com/user/thelockedesign#p/u/18/RPL3cAtEx1g

Business cards are the most powerful marketing tool.  They are the least expensive form of advertising, and provide a lasting, tangible impression after a personal meeting.  Rack cards are 4 by 9 inch advertising cards that are usually found in high foot traffic areas, such as hotels and restaurants.  These are effective because they, like business cards, are very inexpensive and leave a tangible impression.

http://www.youtube.com/user/thelockedesign#p/u/10/xKKbQd00LwA

Brochures tell others what you do and how you can help them through a booklet that grabs attention and makes the sale.  The point of these is to sell the service by providing a thorough overview that invites the client to desire the product, or more information about the product.

http://www.youtube.com/user/thelockedesign#p/u/8/XBN9mxzv4Lk

Package design is also a great aspect of collateral design.  This is a great tool to help get your target’s attention in a store, making your items jump off the shelf with designs that are functional as well as aesthetic, while enforcing a professional image.

On the other end of small business cards and rack cards is large format print.  This entails items such as billboards and posters.  These help your brand reach a wider range of customers, some being unknown to begin with.  It is beneficial to strategically place these larger formats in target areas of potential customers.

Sell sheets and catalogs provide an outlook into your product and service line.  A sell sheet gives you a talking point and a brief overview of your products and services so clients can come to you for product grouping.  A catalog is a more in depth perception of product listings, showcasing all of what the company offers and allows the customer to buy directly.  Direct mail is a multi-phased print campaign to mail to a specific targeted group to elicit a specific effect.  This is most efficient when coupled with another form of collateral, such as brochures.

When any combination of these elements is used effectively, your brand will be visualized as more memorable and professional.  A lasting impression will be established.

 

Click here for a view of Locke Design’s Print and Advertising Portfolio:

http://lockedesign.com/print_design/print_portfolio.html

Click here for a list of Locke Design’s Print Design services:

http://lockedesign.com/print_design/print_services.html