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How Much Is A Great Business Logo Really Worth?

Posted: Sunday, August 22, 2010

A great logo can help a business project a positive image while a bad logo can bring a negative impression about a company. If a logo is the company spokesman, how much is it really worth? Cheap logo designs are all over the Internet - logo designs under $150! $99 logo designs, $75 logo designs, $49 logo designs and even lower! You will easily find a wide range of prices for logo design on the Internet.

Be careful of cheap logo design offers, some designers may be using clip art. A logo design that includes a royalty free piece of clip art cannot be copyrighted. That same piece of clip art could be used on dozens of other logo designs. A designers portfolio should be displayed and there should be a wide variety of logo samples. Some logo designers charge one flat fee for a logo with no questions asked.

Can you imagine Coca-Cola purchasing a logo design for $99? All designs are not equal. Some logo designers charge additional costs for extra colors, extra modifications and extra preliminary designs. How much is a logo design really worth? A logo design is more valuable to a company than a single spot illustration. A logo has more value than just the hours spent on creating it. It becomes the companies identity.

Professional graphic design rates average anywhere from $30 to $75 per hour. If you see a logo design priced at $125 and that designer charges $50 per hour for design work, do you assume that they spent 2.5 hours on your logo? That price would include the time spent to contact you, the research done on your company and competition, the preliminary ideas, the changes, the finalizing of the logo, the file prep for each different format, sending the logo, billing and allowing you to have all rights to the design.

So how much time was actually spent creating your logo? Many professional graphic designers would be hard pressed to create a top notch illustration for under $150 let alone a creative, well designed logo. So beware of logos priced under $150, you may get what you pay for. There's even more confusion about logo pricing.

Some designers base their logo rates on several of these factors: Logo Modifications - You could get charged for each time you want a change or modification to your logo. If a logo designer asks the right questions, does the research and stays in close communication with the client there should be no need for major changes during the creation of a logo design. Be a good communicator and explain to the logo designer exactly what you want your logo to be saying about your business. Extra Colors - Printers charge more for extra colors.

If a logo designer charges more for a two color logo than they do for a three color logo, get a detailed explanation as to why. A logo designer should be able to decide for you the correct amount of preliminary designs it will require to create your perfect logo. An example would be asking for a yellow duck logo design and changing your mind to a red dog design once the logos are presented to you.

Adding an identity program to your logo is a legitimate cost. Designing the business card, letterhead and envelope layouts are normally a higher priced package. You should receive camera ready files for each design.

There is a standard reference for pricing graphic design and corporate identity projects. Any logo designer can purchase the book. A professional graphic designer would have a tough time supporting a family and a studio designing all of their logos below $200.

I'm not writing this to give exact prices for a logo design because each logo designers circumstances are different. The standard logo design rates are based on two major components, company size and application or distribution size. The majority of logo designs created over the Internet are created for small companies and individuals with limited application and distribution uses. Fortune 500 companies normally pay much higher logo design rates and use advertising agencies. My conclusion is that the value of a logo should be based on a few
important criteria:

1. Experience of the logo designer
2. Size & budget of the company using the logo
3. Scope and usage of the logo
4. Difficulty of the design

An individual or small company with small to average uses should be prepared to pay anywhere from $300 to $1500 for a top quality, professional logo design. What's included with your logo? You will then have to pay another graphic designer or printer to create the correct files. Be aware of what file types you will be needing and ask your logo designer what file types are included in their price.

The most common file types needed are AI (Illustrator) and EPS for most professional print jobs. These are vector format files. These files should be in a CMYK color format. Be aware that not all colors translate well on the Internet, especially GIF files. Ask if the logo designer used web safe colors. You should receive crisp 72 dpi files for the Internet. Be sure and ask your logo designer about your logo colors. You will need this information each time your logo is printed. Ask your designer how long they keep your logo on file in case you lose your versions later down the road.

You should also receive all rights (copyrights) to your logo. How long have they designed logos? In closing let me say that the information above is a personal opinion and is taken from years of searching logo design web sites and reading books on graphic design. An advertising agency handles logo design on a larger scale and incorporates an entire corporate identity service. Their logo design rates are many times higher than a graphic designers.

A. 5 Steps to Good Graphic Design
In this economy when you need a project done within the field of graphic design its important that the graphic designer you choose be versatile, fair, and a great communicator. Here are five things a good graphic designer should do.

1. Communicate effectively- A graphic designer should listen to his client and periodically show the client early drafts of the design project, to ensure that the client get what they want. Often times Graphic designers lack the communication to find mistakes before they become problems, and follow the changing ideas a client can have throughout the design process. As a graphic designer, I have found that the client many times will want to change the design to meet their expectations, and if there is a lack of communication throughout the design process, a designer and client will make more work for themselves.

2. Do the job right the first time- Just like everything else in business time is money. Communication is key to ensure that the project follows the requirements, and stays on task. If the design or project is not what the client envisioned, steps need to be taken to provide the final product, within reasonable time frames, and a discounted, or free charge for service.

3. Charge a fair price- In this economy its important that your graphic designer charges you a fair market value price. Payment methods and quantities are a must in the design service world. If a designer suggest all payment upfront, there is a chance that their dedication to the project has already fallen short of the cost for the project. Schedule smaller fraction payments, with required status reports, to ensure that they designer is on track, and will continue to dedicate the designer to work on track towards the finalized project, and still striving towards the final amount. Staying flexible with fees and payments, keeps a valued relationship between client and provider. many graphic designers will continue to land steady work, by providing an inexpensive, time effective, and desired product.

4. Follow the client's needs - Many graphic designers mistake graphic design for artistic design and try to put too much of their own creative mark or spin on a project when the desired work is much simpler. Designers should stay on track with clients needs, and communicate exactly any questions the designer might have regarding the level of freedom one has towards creative cart blanche.

5. Be passionate and have fun with the design- No work done by a designer should be painful. Clients do not want to have a design, that is created with limited passion towards the design. Even if you really love the artistic, and free expressive style of graphic design, give your simple creative side a chance to breathe. The client is paying the designer to take care of all the little things in the design.

B. Why Should You Go For Custom Logo Design?
Whenever you like a particular product or company your brain associates itself with the designs of the logo of that company. Not only the design of the logo, your brain also associates itself with the jingles that accompany advertisements of famous products and organizations. The same is applicable to a business logo design too. One small error in the design will remain stuck with the company forever and by the time they either realize or are pointed out the flaws in the design; it is too late to make amends. One should always seek the services of professional logo design services to ensure that they get the custom logo design they are seeking for.

There are many professional logo design companies who will create a professional logo for your organization, but even they require some information and feedback from your end in order to create a perfect logo. If you are looking for someone who can render a professional logo design, it is recommended that you take the help of advertising agencies. Get more valuable information about being a custom logo design for your organization. Remember, your logo is your organization's mascot and it represents your organization, hence it is important that it has a unique and custom logo design that stands out from the designs of the logos of your competitors.

In order to create a custom logo design using these programs using this software, one has to first select any design from the software's collection. Simon is a graphic designer and creative writer on various business related topics which help others to start up and boost up their business. Get more valuable infologin4mailsrmation about combinations of the logo to one that suits the standard colors of the company for which the logo is being designed.

Most professional companies have their own unique color combination that is used in all their stationery and the same should be followed for their custom logo design. Once all these steps have been completed, the entire image can be exported as a graphic corporate logo design,best logo design,company logo design,custom logo design file and can be sent to the printers for printing on letterheads, visiting cards and other official stationery. What the users of this software do not know is that the same program is being used by tens of thousands of semi-professionals all over the world to create some other custom logo design.

They are being termed as semi-professionals, since no graphic professional worth their salt will ever use such programs with pre-designed logos. There is one more important point that one should remember when getting their logos designed. The image of the logo should appear to be a part of your company. Try to add elements in the design that shows the nature of your company's business.

A famous example is that of a gramophone record company. Their logo depicts a dog listening intently to the horn of an old gramophone player. Can you imagine how many things does this logo depict? The record goes to show the logo is that of a company that deals with records. Remember, the logo is the heart and soul of your company and they are the biggest and most important representatives of your organization too. 365 days a year, the logo of your company keeps reminding people about the presence of your company through your organization's ads, letterheads, visiting cards and gifts.




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