Archive for the ‘Design Info for the Client’ Category

When I’m working with new clients, I typically need to ask them for a vector version of their logo. Most have no idea what that means and more often than not, they don’t even know where to look for one. Many clients that have very busy logos that don’t look good when scaled down or need to be black & white only.

If you are having a new logo made, you need to know the following information:

1. Your logo should be scalable. The best logos are simple with clean lines. If you have too much detail in your logo, it will look messy when scaled small.
2. Ask for a logo in black & white, color and reversed so you have a version that will work with whatever printed or web piece you may need in the future.
3. Be sure to get a vector logo as well as high-resolution JPGs. A vector logo is one that is created in Illustrator or Freehand. The file can be scaled to any size without losing quality and will always appear sharp. It also usually has a transparent background and can be placed on anything. The file extension should be .ai or .eps. JPGs usually have a white background, which makes it difficult to place over color or photos, especially if your logo is mostly text. JPGs are useful when a client needs to the logo in a Word document or something with a white background. A client can also view a JPG on any computer, but cannot usually open and view a vector file. JPGs can only be scaled down…scaling up will result in very poor quality.
4. A logo from your website will NOT work for printed pieces. Your logo on your website is only 72 dpi (dots per inch). You need at least 300 dpi for print. Since the web can’t display a vector logo, it will either be a JPG or GIF, neither of which can be scaled larger. While a print-out of your web page may look ok on when printed on your desktop printer, it is handled differently when printed on a press and will appear blurry/fuzzy.
5. Your logo tells who you are and should be safe-guarded from loss like any other business file. Put all these versions on a disk and in a safe place. Keep the designer’s contact info in case you ever need to refer back to them.

As a value-added service, Lolalu Design will always give you a logo designed to be scalable and in various formats with instructions on keeping it safe. I will also help you insert your logo in your email signature and give you instructions for other scenarios where you might want to use your logo.

If you don’t understand the difference between vector and raster, you’re not alone!

The majority of images you see everyday on your computer are raster-based. Raster graphics are simply a grid of pixels, with each pixel assigned a color.  When you zoom in on a raster image — like a .jpg photo of your family reunion — you soon see the pixels in Aunt Sally’s face (or was that acne?).

Raster art is terrific for photographs, because it can capture and show very realistic gradients in color – like the highlights and shadows in people’s faces.   Newer digital cameras can take very high resolution photos, so you have to zoom in a LOT before you see Aunt Sally’s pixels.

The downside is that the file sizes can be very high — in the 20-40 megabyte range — and image quality can be lost when the file is re-saved as a JPG.

Vector art is based on mathematical formulas – not pixel colors. So instead of a series of colored blocks to create an image, a vector art file is composed of “instructions” that tell the computer to show a curve with a given length and bend, an area of certain color, etc.These instructions take up far less space than an equivalent raster image — so a 40MB raster file may only be a 800KB vector file. That smaller size makes editing much more efficient, because your computer isn’t freaking out while trying to render your changes. And it  makes them much easier to manage and share.

The other huge advantage of vector is that the image is crisp no matter how far you zoom in. So you don’t have to worry about a graphic being pixelly when you blow it up for a large sign, binder cover, etc. Vector art can be viewed and printed at any scale — whether business cards or billboards!  As an .eps file, it can be read by any vector-based graphics program, and even imported into Microsoft Word as clipart. This means that the same logo file that looks great on a business card will also look great on a billboard.  The bottom line — for print design, a vector logo will always look and work best. Any design agency will typically start with a vector logo, but can easily export Web-friendly files from this format.

One more thing — a raster image will either be grayscale or CMYK  color for print. If you have a logo with one or two colors, you’ll still pay for a 4-color print process using a JPG or TIF image. If you use a vector image, you can specify Pantone spot colors and really reduce your printing costs!

If you only have a logo that is raster (JPG) based, I can help you turn it into a vector graphic that can be used on many different applications. Just contact me at anita@lolaludesign.com.

Have you ever talked to a graphic designer about a project but didn’t understand the terminology they used? Here is a list of common terms with their definitions as well as answers to some common questions.

Many people are apprehensive to talk to a graphic designer because they don’t want to appear ignorant.

Here is a list of common terms that can help you when you have that talk.

Bleed or Bleeding Edge
When a page or a cover design extends to and off the edge of the paper it is called a “bleed”.

In print design, the artwork or block of color must extend off the edge of the page. The artwork or block of color is then printed on larger-size paper. Then the printed page is trimmed to the desired size.

Block quote
A long quotation — four or more lines — within body text, that is set apart in order to clearly distinguish the author’s words from the words that the author is quoting.

CMYK
Stands for the colors Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black. In print design, colors are defined as a percentage of each of these 4 colors. For example, the CMYK abbreviation for the color black would be 0-0-0-100. In contrast, display devices (i.e. computer monitors) typically define colors using RGB.

DPI
Stands for dots per inch. DPI specifies the resolution of an output device, such as a printer or printing press machine. Print resolution usually runs from 300-1200 dots per inch on a printing press while images shown on display devices (i.e. computer monitors) are typically only 72dpi.

Flash
Vector graphic animation software from Macromedia that allows Flash graphics to look the same across all browsers, as long as the plug-in is installed. One of the advantages of Flash animations is their relatively fast download time.

FTP
Stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP allows you to copy or send files (HTML-documents, graphic images, spreadsheets) from one computer to another via the Internet.

GIF
Stands for Graphics Interchange Format. GIF images are the most widely used graphic format on the web. GIF images display up to 256 colors. Not recommended for print due to low dpi.

Grayscale
An application of black ink (for print) or the color black (for the screen) that simulates a range of tones. Grayscale images have no hue (color). In print design, a grayscale graphic image appears to be black, white, and shades of gray, but it only uses a single color ink.

JPEG
Abbreviation for Joint Photographic Experts Group. File format for full-color and black-and-white graphic images. JPEG images allow for more colors than GIF images and are usually smaller in size. Not recommended for print due to low dpi.

Kerning
The horizontal spacing between the letters in a word.

Leading
The vertical spacing between lines of text.

LPI
Abbreviation for Lines Per Inch.

Masthead
A masthead is a graphic image placed on top of a web page that tells end users what page they are on. Masthead images can contain photos, text, shapes, and/or image maps. A masthead can also be at the top of a magazine cover or newsletter.

Meta-tag
Meta-tags are HTML tags that can be used to identify the creator of a web page, what HTML specifications a web page follows, the keywords and description of the page, etc. The most common use of a meta-tag in online marketing is the keyword and description tags, which tell the search engines that index meta-tags what description to use in their search query results.

Native File
A file in its native format, such as: InDesign (.indd), Photoshop (.psd) or Flash (.fla).

PDF
Stands for Portable Document Format. Created by Adobe Systems in its software program Adobe Acrobat as a universal browser. Files can be downloaded via the web and viewed page by page, provided the user is computer has installed the necessary plug-in which can be downloaded from Adobe’s own web site.

PPI
Stands for pixels per inch. PPI specifies the resolution of an input device, such as a scanner, digital camera, or monitor. Web page resolution ranges from 72-96 pixels per inch.

Resolution
The resolution of an image is an important factor in determining the attainable output quality. The higher the resolution of an image, the less pixilated it will be and the curves of the image will appear smoother.

RGB
Stands for the colors Red-Green-Blue. In web design and design for computer monitors, colors are defined in terms of a combination of these three colors. For example, the RGB abbreviation for the color blue shown below is 0-0-255. In contrast, print designers typically define colors using CMYK.

Royalty-Free Photos or Images

Photos, graphic images, or other intellectual property that are sold for a single standard fee and may be used repeatedly by the purchaser. Typically with royalty-free clauses, the company that sells you the images still owns all of the rights to the images, and they are allowed for use only by the purchaser (i.e., the same images cannot be used by another company or individual without repurchase).

Rights-Managed Photos or Images
Rights managed images are considered as the “traditional” way to purchase photography. The images are essentially rented from the photo agency or individual photographer and a price for a specific use is negotiated. An additional fee will be added to the cost of the image rental if it is used for any other purpose.

When purchasing rights managed images, you are paying an extra cost to have the photographer or photo agency “manage” who has the “rights” to the image. This option provides extra comfort knowing that a direct competitor or any other industry won’t be plastering the same images on their campaigns.

Sans Serif
A style of typeface that means “without feet.” Common sans serif typefaces include Arial, Helvetica, AvantGarde and Verdana.

Serif
A style of typeface that has “little feet.” Common serif typefaces include Times Roman, Garamond, and Palatino. The following graphic image shows serif typefaces.

Spider/Robot
A software program that search engines use which visits every site on the web, follows all of the links, and catalogs all of the text of every web page that (a) contains text, and (b) it is able to visit or crawl.

Vector Graphic
A graphic image drawn in shapes and lines, called paths. Images created in Illustrator and Freehand (graphic design software) are vector graphics. They can be made into any size and not lose quality and is the preferred format for logos and symbols. Usually an EPS file.

Now that you’re armed with some terminology, here are a couple of commonly asked questions and how I answer them to my clients?

“It looks different on my screen.”
A client might ask for a specific Pantone colour from their Pantone swatch book. The designer sets the file exactly as is required, yet when the client sees an example on their computer monitor they are disappointed that the colour isn’t the same. Why is that?

Brightness, contrast, colour settings… all monitors have them. Unless two monitors are calibrating to the exact same settings then the colours will always appear different. The best way to colour-match is using printed proofs, and even then, your choice of paper can critically affect the colour of your printed product.

“Can you use the image from the website for our brochure?”
Sourcing images can be very time-consuming. Many clients will believe that an image they find online is perfect for their print job. However, in order to look clear, web images must have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi). Print work, on the other hand, requires images to have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.

“Can you give me the brochure (business card, booklet, etc.) file when you’re finished so I can make future edit?”
Many designers do not release source files and require the client to go through them for any future changes or projects. There are very good reasons for designers not to release source files for some projects. For example, a Flash animation file will show exactly how a the animation was made. Giving these to the client would divulge work process and trade secrets, which probably took hundreds of hours to learn. Likewise giving a client a layered Photoshop file would be akin to a chef giving away the recipe with the meal. It is generally understood in the design world that the client is buying the finished file, not the components or instructions that went into making it. If you need the source files, make this clear to the designer prior to receiving a price quote, as the designer may have special pricing for clients requiring a template. Make sure you are clear on this before you choose a designer. You also have to be sure you have the appropriate software to open the file as well as some knowledge about how to make changes.

If you have other questions about graphic design, please email me and I will be sure to give you an answer to you can better talk to a graphic designer.