Image: Annie Mole on Flickr

Can we talk about logos for a moment?

If you’re in business, you need to understand your logo, know what it should look like, and be prepared to use it in everything you do. I want you to understand different file types and what they might be used for.

Because you want your logo to represent your company everywhere, it needs to be able to go anywhere.

Now, if you haven’t yet designed a logo or wordmark, great – you can take these ideas into account when you do. It will make life much easier for your designers and/or suppliers. If you’ve already developed one, make sure your designer provides you with guidelines for use and a few varieties to use under different circumstances.

Be prepared for different coloured backgrounds

Your logo needs to represent you just as well on a black background as it does on a white background. Further, if you can make it work on a coloured background, all the better. Often times, you can’t simply take a coloured logo and place it on black. Does your logo reverse out in white? What does that look like? Do some colours remain?

What if your logo is blue and red, but someone wants to include your logo on top of a photo of blue sky? Is there enough contrast between the blue of your logo and the blue of the sky?

Global BC has done exactly what I’m recommending here:

I recommend having the following files to choose from:

• Full colour logo for use on standard white background
• Black and white logo for use when a) printing with only black ink or b) to use on light colours
• A reverse and/or partial-colour logo for use on a black or dark colour background (Global BC above has both)

Note: If you choose to greyscale your colour logo for use when printing only in black, that’s fine. Just make sure it’s a conscious choice. I’d recommend using an all-black version instead as you get more punch. It’s more eye-catching.

Colours and various production processes

Different production methods require different processes.

Print Production

Photo: Kofoed on Flickr

Print production may use standard Pantone Matching System (often referred to as a Pantone or PMS) colours or CMYK Process (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black inks blended to create almost every single colour of the rainbow – referred to as 4-colour process). When a logo is developed the designer will typically use Pantone colours to create a specific shade that would, ideally, be unchanged across all mediums. Pantone is a type of ink, so from press to press, location to location, the colour doesn’t change. Process colours can change as the blends of the 4 colours can vary slightly.

If you have a colour logo, you need to know the Pantone colours it was created to be.

You should always have a digital version of your logos in their original Pantones. Your designer should also create you one with the closest possble combination of CMYK values to match the original Pantone as closely as possible. Yes, you could just use Illustrator or Photoshop to convert the files, and if you didn’t have one created in CMYK that’s your only option, but the CMYK recipes in the Pantone books aren’t always the best fit. Regardless, you should have a version in Pantones and a version in CMYK values for printing.

Sometimes you hear about 2 colour printing, or 3 colour printing. This is a process of printing that uses only pantone colours to create something. You might use 2 or 3 colour printing to create company letterhead or other stationery. If your logo is 2 PMS colours and black, you can use 3 colour printing – your two PMS colours and Pantone Black. Then, you have consistency every single time.

Alternatively, when you get into printing full colour books or brochures, you may choose to use 5 or 6 colour printing, which is usually CMYK process colours (4 colours), plus one or two pantone colours to get your identity exact regardless of what’s going on in the photos and what corrections need making on the press.

Digital Production

Photo: Editor B on Flickr

For web, TV or photograph quality reproduction, you’ll need your logo in RGB format. That’s Red, Green and Blue pixels. This is less precise because the appearance will often change based on what peoples’ screens and TVs are set to display. However, when printing photograph quality, you can do your best to ensure a colour match by having a proof run. When using your brand identity you want the closest match possible. Coca-cola won’t settle for their red being any less than perfect every single time and you shouldn’t either.

Here is the colour information Global BC provides to anyone using their logo. They do actually have a specific RGB value as well as Pantone and CMYK versions:

What about embroidery? Or vinyl decals? In those cases, you’ll need to select each colour yourself using the closest possible match to your Pantone colours. Ask your embroiderer for their thread colour books or your sign supplier for their vinyl samples to select the closest match.

About vector art and file types

What is a vector file anyway?

Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon(s), which are all based upon mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics.

Vector graphics formats are complementary to raster graphics, which is the representation of images as an array of pixels, as it is typically used for the representation of photographic images.[1] There are instances when working with vector tools and formats is best practice, and instances when working with raster tools and formats is best practice. There are times when both formats come together. An understanding of the advantages and limitations of each technology and the relationship between them is most likely to result in efficient and effective use of tools. [Wikipedia]

Vector files can be expanded exponentially; they’re not limited by resolution or size.

Here’s Kashi’s logo:

You can tell it’s a vector file because all the individual lines and curves can be selected.

You NEED to have vector art readily available to you. In fact, you can’t possibly have a Pantone version of your logo without it being vector art. You need a vector graphic to create cut vinyl; you need a vector graphic to embroider something. You need vector graphics to easily create background-free gif files (so that groovy gradient background on your website or blog actually shows up behind your logo) or place in multi-layered photoshop files (without your graphic designer having to do way more work at your expense).

Please ensure you always have vector files ready to send out to your suppliers. A vector file is typically an Illustrator (.AI or .EPS) file though it could have been created in another format. Please note – saving something as .EPS in Photoshop or Illustrator will not make it a vector file. You need the original.

JPEG or TIFF files are fine for use in print, provided they’re at least  300 DPI at final output size. FYI any file that is only a few kb in size is NOT appropriate for printing. A JPEG file may not be as good as a TIFF of the same size if it is significantly compressed. Whenever you’re printing anything on paper or some other substrate, you should go straight to your vector art.

JPEG or GIF files in RGB colour are used for web or TV. When sending your files out for external production, send the highest resolution size possible and let the person doing the production set the size (resolution will always be 72 DPI for screen output, but size will vary based on how much of the screen they want your logo to take up).

A few don’ts…

• Don’t save a JPEG file as an .EPS file and send it out when asked for vector art.
• Don’t ever send a logo embedded in a Word file. You’ll look foolish.
• Don’t use raster image (or photograph) in your logo or wordmark because it can’t be a vector ever. You will not necessarily be able to use it for certain large format production. If Richard Branson offers you the opportunity to throw your logo on the side of his plane, you won’t be able to make it happen.
• Don’t keep the very very latest Adobe CS4 file versions only – not everyone has the latest software package as soon as it comes out, so you want a version that is compatible with 2 or 3 previous versions.
• Don’t let anyone stretch or skew your logo. Not even a little. If you don’t look out for it, no one else will.

A recap about logos, colours and file types

You want to have 3 or 4 versions of your logo for use on different coloured backgrounds. You want each of those 3 or 4 versions to be able to be used in Pantone ink, CMYK process and RGB colours. You want the original vector art at your disposal. That’s it, really.

If anyone has anything else to add, feel free. Obviously there are a million more details on every one of these topics, but I think everyone in business needs to know and understand how their own corporate identity is being used.

Your logo is a key component to creating and establishing an impactful brand. Make sure you’re getting it out there and using it wisely. When you have questions, ask them. It’s your brand; it’s who you are and what you stand for.