These cheap “do-it-yourself” sites (you) don’t do the research needed to make sure the logo you purchase is truly original and you usually get your logo as basically a JPEG which is not a good format for being able to shrink your logo for use on small projects to blowing it up for bigger projects.
Also, these “do-it-yourself” sites seem to be using images and clipart that has been originally created and designed by professional designers exclusively for that certain company that hired a designer. These designers DID NOT give their permission to have their work outsourced and/or used and sold to others through cheap “do-it-yourself” sites.
Why Hire a Professional
One reason to hire a professional is because a real graphic designer will consult with you to get an idea of what your needs are and will do the research to make sure that the logo you get designed will be exclusive. It will not be a copy of another logo.
When the time comes for your startup/company to get a logo, contract a professional designer to do it for you! The designer could be either a freelancer or one that works with a design agency.
Yes, it may take anywhere from a month, six months or more to get your logo through a professional designer, but in the end, the results will be credible.
Besides receiving your logo in JPEG format, your professional designer will deliver your logo to you in a “vector” format which is an editable and scalable version which you will be able to use in a variety of projects from placing it on, let’s say, a flash drive to a ginormous billboard without the logo losing its quality.
Also, in vector format, your printer will have no problem working with your logo with placing it on your product. Otherwise, they will tell you to come back when you have the right format.
Some designers might even be able to help you come up with a tag line or help you tweak the one you have. Ask your designer. Extra charges may apply.
The process that your professional freelance designer will go through usually involves…
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• Consultation/Question Briefing (what is your product/service, who’s your target audience, do you have a tag line, what colors are you leaning towards, how/where do you plan on using the artwork (copyrights), do you have specific images, etc.)
• Contract Signed (will state your project details, payment, deliverables, etc.)
• Deposit (some may ask for a deposit up front (usually freelancers) or they may send invoices (usually small and large design firms)
• Research (competitors, what similar companies logos look like, what does the target audience like, etc.)
• Design (concepts, layout ideas, typography ideas, colors, collaborative working process with client, etc.)
• Artwork Approval form (signed by client once they have approved the final artwork)
• Final Payment (final amount of the payment is due to freelancers)
• Client Gets Final Project (in b&w and color and as JPEG, TIFF, PDF and EPS formats, and either e-mailed and/or on CD)
Yes, it does take time to get a good, quality professional logo and you may pay hundreds of dollars or even thousands of dollars for a logo designed for you by a professional designer. That logo will be original and yours exclusively! It is definitely worth the time and the money!
Your logo should be unique to you and your business. It should evolve with your business. It will be YOUR IDENTITY!
Copyright Laws
If you buy a logo off a "do-it-yourself" site, you could be in trouble if you purchased a designers work without their permission (due to the designer not having given the site their permission to post any of their images and/or their work on such sites).
The designer owns all rights to the artwork they have created for a client unless they sign off on the contract or on a separate agreement that you (the client) have bought out the copyrights from the designer or the designer may “lend” the client a piece of their copyright.
For more information on copyright laws, you can view Copyright Basics for Graphic Designers on the AIGA web site.
