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*Sigh* It has been quite a day... and to top off the thunder and lightning that absolutely drives me batty, I had a most exhausting back and forth with a client who isn't getting that the logo she says she wants is not a logo. To avoid more confusion, I decided to send her a list and I am going to repost it over and over again. And maybe once more.

What it IS:

• A visual representation of a business, a part of your brand
• Simple
• A vector image that can be resized without pixelating (i.e. those little jagged squares and blurs you get when you resize a picture)
• Looks as good in black/white/gray scale as it does in color
• Simple
• Created in programs such as Illustrator; or a very talented designer can do it in a program like Photoshop
• A very labor and time intensive project that involves the designer AND the client; therefore,
• Is an investment in your business and should be budgeted for accordingly.
• Did I mention simple?
• Can be put in front of any background or on any element.
• Looks good online AND in print

What it's NOT:

• Photographs or stock images/clip art
• Dependant on having a color background or texture elements
• Extremely busy and have a lot going on
• Created in Publisher, Word, PaintShop, etc.
• Changed every time the wind blows

Not only is your logo a representation of your business, it also tells the public how seriously you take your business. A true designer interprets your vision/mission statement into a visual element. I'll get into designer vs. desktop publisher in another MiniMizz post, but just because one can use design software does not mean they are a designer.

A good logo is not inexpensive - most designers I know charge $400 to $1,500 to start; if you want the source file so you can change the colors and stuff yourself, add some more to that figure. Artwork that will be used commercially may add more to that rate. Of course, if that is out of your budget there are sites that you can create your own logo BUT keep in mind that other businesses may/will be using some of the same variations that you do. If you don't intend to grow your brand, then that method is perfectly fine.

Your logo should also be made available to you in 72, 150, 300 or 600 dpi (dots per inch). The 72 and 150 dpi is good for online use, the higher numbers are used for print. Be sure that the designer you hire has a contract that spells out how many mocks and revisions are included in the rate and what file formats you will receive. Most common files will be jpg, gif and png (for transparency) or eps; if you are going to have the source file it will be psd or ai.

Hopefully this will help just one person to understand what is minimally involved in creating a logo.

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