A little help, please

[mk162]

Although, sometimes when you tell them what it will cost to recreate the logo, they magically come up with a good version...but not often.

[Frog]

This happens almost every time I get a back full of sponsors.

It's amazing what even a $10-$20 invoice for re-creation can help find. 

And, it was no different in the days of ad-slicks. Once again, tucked safely away in a folder (albeit manila) called "art" or something similar, were numerous versions of the company logo.

[Dottonedan]

And besides, what business doesn't have a raw file format for their own logo?

Many of them do not have the files.
Many of them have a JPG file, and that is all they get from their "design firm", that they could place in QuickBooks header and stuff like that.

As all who are purchasing a logo should know, you should be aware of and be willing to pay for multiple versions/formats and production ready files of a logo to be included in to the price or additional fees should be expected if not initially agreed on and you want it later.  A requested 4 color process logo that needs to be converted as a 2 color logo comes with additional work. Mirroring that, a 2 color logo modified to now be a 10 color logo for a tee shirt comes with additional cost.

You pay for a "thing' and if you want additional "things", it cost additional money. It's just SOP. If you expect all of that in one price in the initial quote, then that should be put into the quote request.

[Frog]

but a low resolution jpg is rarely the agreed-upon final product.

[3Deep]

If a raw logo was done for a company, I thinking whomever created the logo does not want to give it up for fear they might run to another printer.  We done logo for companies and I gave them all kinds of formats of there logo for print, billboard,web etc, but I charge them for all that info so if they want to which printers fine.  I think only the smaller companies don't have there logo info as they didn't pay for it in the first place just got some shirts done and thats it, and years later don't have a clue.  Your larger companies 9 time out of 10 will have all that info at there fingertips as there logo is trademarked or registered.

Darryl

[Frog]

Logos, by their very nature, are generally a very different product than your average design for a tournament or family reunion, or even local landscaper or mechanic. When a true logo is commissioned, designed, and paid for, it generally becomes property of the client. That's the whole point! But yes, it all needs to be spelled out.

[stiggy]

Got it to open but it is a placed raster image (fairly low res) saved as a eps.

[screenxpress]

Yea, and the customer thinks since it's in that format, it's vector, just like you requested, lol.

[dburgessjr]

Thanks for trying though.  That order was cancelled shortly after I posted asking for help.  That company refused to pay to have the artwork recreated and we weren't doing it for free.  They swore up and down that the supplied artwork file was sufficient to complete the order.

[Fluid]

When that happens, you have them sign off on the art and the initial print. Charge $150 for the sample T so you aren't loosing money and they will see that their crappy art is well, just crappy.

Hate clients like that yet it was probably for the best. If that is how they are acting with that crappy art, just think of all the issues you would have down the road, like after printing the job. I can see it now.  "I want a discount". 

MEH

[stiggy]

Sometime I am going to lose it and "print" one of these so called ready to go files

[Command-Z]

It's not the job of the customer to know anything, that's your job. When this happens, you need to educate them on why you are charging for a rebuild.

A simple tour of your shop should do the trick. SHOW them what it takes to get the design on the shirt. They'll learn something and appreciate the extra attention.

And as for the artists and designers who create these logos, since, as Frog mentioned, the copyright is sold outright, then all files should be delivered to the client... When I design a logo, I provide a vector PDF with the logo in black and white and full color. Again, educate them that this file is what is needed for ordering shirts, signs, stationery, web banners, etc. Too many small screen shops and business card printers who design logos forget that fact and often don't provide a disk (or email) with the files, or charge enough for the logo creation, because they themselves are ignorant of the fact that copyright is what is being sold, not actual artwork or time. Logos are full copyright deals, and that's why they tend to be more expensive than just a design.

[Sbrem]

Like Scott, we educate the customer. If it's too boring for them, they'll have to pay anyway. My phrase is, "No, that's just crap in an Illustrator suitcase, it doesn't work that way." I then tell them to print it out on their color printer at 2x. When they see how awful it looks, then they know we're not giving them a bunch of jive... their ignorance is no reason to not get proper art. I usually offer to talk to the designer for them so we use "computer geek speak", and that's usually fine with them. After all, we want them to look good to their boss and us to get paid. Kind of "win, win"

Steve

[Fluid]

When I design a logo, I provide a vector PDF with the logo in full color.

I don't go with the B&W yet I do supply all art in vector if created in vector as a editable PDF or if raster I provide a 300DPI psd as well as a 72 jpeg & 96 png.

If the customer is a screen printer I supply the art in the format they ask, cdr, eps, psd, pdf, etc.

I agree with everything you say Scott and did the same.  A 5 min tour of the shop usually left the customer agreeing to any and all set up charges after understanding the entire process an given the time.  Makes them feel a bit special. 

sometimes short bus special, lol