Logo Design
Guide for Business Owners
This is a quick guide which is written
for you, the business owner who’s looking to dramatically
improve his/her business in an easy, cost effective way and gain
more loyal customers. Give it a few minutes of your time and
make your move!
It's
unbelievable how some people ignore the importance of corporate
image. They think they don't need any branding work to become
successful in their businesses. This ignorance leads to great
loss of credibility and customer loyalty.
Try to answer
these questions honestly. If your answer to one of these
questions is a “NO”, then your company is in need of a corporate
identity workout. We assume that you already have at least a
business logo but even if you are a new start-up, read ahead for
important tips which would be helpful while making a decision
about the logo design company you will be working with.
The Test:
- Are you
truly satisfied with the looks of your logo?
- Is your logo suitable for your business?
- Is your logo suitable for your target audience (Potential
customers)?
- Is your logo design capable of instantly grabbing attention of
potential clients?
- Does your business cards provide a good first impression?
- Are you able to print your logo on promotional items such as
coffee cups,
T-shirts, mouse pads, etc.?
- Do you believe that if your logo is seen by someone today,
will the same person remember it tomorrow?
- So, is your logo just perfect and can't be improved anymore?
The Guide:
Here we list
what you should ask for, in plain words:
You
should ask for unlimited revisions and redraws of
your logo design concepts. Some design companies limit the
number of your change requests and you end up with a logo which
isn’t even close to what you’ve hoped for. Oh yes, you can’t do
anything at this point. You’re blocked! Because that was what
you’ve paid for!
What have
you done wrong?
You
expected too much for a low price. Did you think that you’d
receive some original piece of art for a funny 50 bucks?
Remember, only amateurs would charge such prices and you should
guess what you’ll receive. Don’t hesitate to invest some real
money for the successful future of your business.
You
should ask for industry standard file types so
that you won’t have any trouble when you send your logo files to
your local print shop.
You
should be asked about your business model and audience before
starting any logo design project. Check out how detailed these
questions are. Basically, the more details you are asked for,
there’s more chance of getting a focused logo. You should feel
safe that the design team has understood your needs otherwise
you will lose time reviewing logo design concepts made for “some
other company”, not yours.
Your
logo must not contain shaded colors and too much detail. Close
your eyes and think for the first three logos you remember. How
do they look? Simple and no more than two-three colors aren’t
they?
Your logo
must look good when printed using only one color on a white
paper. You can always have your logo’s different variations for
different purposes but you must be able to fax a coversheet with
your logo on it.
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Logo
Design Guide for Small Business Owners
Having a logo is really important. A
logo is a visual representation of your brand. Your brand is
your business, product or service. It's whatever you are out in
the marketplace.
All
businesses should have a logo. You need a graphical element that
captures the essence of your business and communicates an idea
to your prospects and customers. A sign that can be the core of
all of your marketing materials. You only have a few seconds to
grab someone's attention. A good logo can communicate a message
or intrigue a prospect to want to find out more.
Before you
decide you can't afford a good logo, be assured that this is
absolutely not the case! Ad agency's can be simply too expensive
for your small business budget. So what should you do? You've
just found a great alternative that's inexpensive and of a great
value.
You can get a
great logo for between $300 and $500 from Kaleido Graphics. You'll
get a variety of logo designs to choose from and you'll have
them within a week. Plus you'll get several rounds of revisions
to make sure you are completely happy with your final logo
design.
At the time
placing your order, we require you to complete a creative
direction worksheet that ensures our designs are strategically
on target with your brand. This is essential if you and we want
your logo to be a good representation of your business. If
anyone offers to design a logo for you without some form of
creative brief or direction worksheet, just don't do it!
If you don't have a logo, or if yours is
in need of a revision, check out our samples and launch your
logo design project when you feel is the right time to give your
business a boost!
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Successful Corporate
Logo Design
Following certain basic principles can
ensure that your corporate logo design is professional, easy to
remember and creates a great impact on its viewers while
successfully expressing the nature of your business.
A corporate logo design
should be highly instrumental in building your corporate
identity and should successfully exude the company’s attitude.
The viewers must have some idea about the disposition,
character, or fundamental values of your company through your
logo.
You might save a few dollars
doing your own logo or getting it done from the next door boy
who knows the basics of designing but if you are serious about
your business you should always go for a professional logo
design firm. Your corporate logo is your identity, your
customers recognize you by your logo, so the more professional
and sophisticated your logo is the better will be your
customer’s impression about your company.
An ideal corporate logo
design should be simple and memorable. Corporate houses spend
thousands of dollars to ensure that customers remember them at
all point of time and a simple logo is the key to that.
From an economic and
usability point of view, the number of colors used in your logo
is important. Corporate logos are often required to be printed
for stationery. Using a one or two spot color logo can save a
lot of cost compared to printing a full color logo.
Once you are ready with your new
business logo, start giving it exposure, as much as possible.
Not only on your business cards and letterheads but also on your
packaging, pens and all possible goods. Wider exposure to your
logo will let people get familiar with it. You're on your way to
establish your brand.
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Logo Design History
The history of logo design and logos
dates back to Greece in ancient times. The word "logo" means a
name, symbol or trademark designed for easy recognition. Logo
design history had it's humble beginnings as a cipher consisting
of a single letter, and later a design or mark consisting of two
or more letters intertwined. The cipher may be either all the
letters of a name, the initial letters, or the surname of a
person for use on stationery, business cards, or elsewhere.
Many early Greek and Roman coins bear
the monograms or logos of rulers or towns. The most famous of
these early logos is the sacred monogram, which is formed by the
conjunction of the first two Greek letters of XR, S, T, O, and
S; (Christ), usually with the A (alpha) and O; (omega) of the
Apocalypse on each side of the coin. The Middle Ages were
extremely prolific in inventing ciphers for ecclesiastical,
artistic, and commercial use.
In the thirteenth century,
logo design evolved from simple ciphers to trademarks for
traders and merchants. These early examples of logo design
includes masons marks, goldsmith's marks, paper maker's
watermarks and watermarks for the nobility. Other related logo
devices are the colophons used for identification by publishers
and printers.
The emergence of the
information age changed the face of logos and logo design.
Today, the general public has become increasingly aware of
visual symbols, especially those used as trademarks. It is
important that the company logo look professional. Company logos
are the face of the business, not only to the public, but to its
employees and the company itself. Logos have become the front
line of the company, the corporate identity.
The mark of a good logo is
legibility and good brand recognition. Because of the diversity
of products and services sold by many businesses today, the need
for new, unique logos is even stronger. Since logos are the
foundation of a company's visual image, first-rate logo design
is vital. A professionally designed logo is a must for anyone
who has a business or product that they want to promote via any
medium.
Kaleido Graphics designers create company logos that
represent the forces that shape your company's vision, creating
a visual representation of your corporate philosophy and
attitudes. Our logos designs are a distinctive, memorable logo
designs that projects your rapidly growing, world-class
business.
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Logo Design Tips
A good Logo Design is what helps your
public remember your business. The right Logo Design can be one
of your strongest marketing tools.
To choose a
logo Design for your business, complete the following steps:
Give some thought to what you
want your business to represent in terms of quality, creativity,
and value. Check out your competition. What type of logo designs
are they using ? You don't want to be similar or your logo will
not differentiate your business from them.
Colors and shapes need to be
evaluated Check our Psychology of Color to help you
choose the right color for your logo. Are there any that would
provide negative or positive effects in your industry? Locate
one (or more) good graphic artists. Check out our Portfolio.
Providing them with the information about your business, its
name, and any other relevant information, contact us to design you a
number of possible logo designs.
Test market the logos with
family, friends, and potential clients.
Ask the logo designer artist to revise the logo based on the
input you have received.
Test market and revise one more time. If desired, trademark the
logo design.
Have your letterhead, business cards, envelopes signs and
packaging printed!
Check out our Packages.
Always add the name of the
business under the logo design. That helps customers in
associating it with your business. Logo designs do not
necessarily need be a graphic icon. Graphically customizing your
business name can also be quite effective. When using a Logo
designer, be certain to acquire all legal rights for present and
future use.
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Psychology of Color
You will need to take great thought in choosing the color you
want for your logo design to identify your business, once a
color is owned it will be forever associated with you and your
company. It can be just as important to your identity as your
logo design. If a shape provides a symbol, you should know that
color does the same.
It is important to understand
the psychology of color choices. A good color selection can help
make an identity system more effective, while a poor color
selection can actually damage your company's image in the eyes
of the public.
Colors evoke feelings and
represent ideas. In logo design all designed knowledgeable and
appropriate use of color is critical.
The effects of color in logo
design differ among different cultures, so the attitudes and
preferences of your target audience should be a consideration
when you plan your logo design of any promotional materials.
The power of color is
something that most people are unaware of - in fact, few are
unaffected by it. It is quite important that we live with the
colors that best suit our personalities so that we can enjoy a
more contented and healthier life. Colors affect people in many
ways, depending upon one's age, gender, ethnic background or
local climate. Certain colors or groups of colors tend to evoke
a similar reaction from most people - the overall difference
being in the shade or tones used.
Psychologically and on its
own, white is the color of cleanliness and purity, truthfulness,
youth, simplicity and innocence. White has become a very popular
background color in web sites, because it offers the best
readability on screen.
Market researchers have also
determined that color affects shopping habits. Impulse shoppers
respond best to red-orange, black and royal blue. Shoppers who
plan and stick to budgets respond best to pink, teal, light blue
and navy. Traditionalists respond to pastels - pink, rose, sky
blue.
Cool colors have passive, calming qualities that aid
concentration and can create a mood of peacefulness and
tranquility, reducing tension.
BLACK & GRAYS: Elegant, formal, seriousness, rich, authority, distinctiveness,
boldness, practicality and a corporate mentality.
BLUES: Faithfulness, reliability, authority, coolness, dignity,
security, trust, belonging.
Deep blues: Serious, analytical, academic, regal.
Pale blues: Fresh, calm, ethereal, clean, cool.
BROWNS & BEIGES: Natural, earthiness, authentic, utility, woodiness and subtle
richness.
GREENS: Environmental, health, freshness, motion, wealth, natural,
tranquility.
ORANGES: Warmness, fun, energetic, cheeriness, cautious, hazardous, warm
exuberance.
PINK: Femininity, softness, innocence, health.
PURPLE: Spirituality, sophistication, costliness, royalty and mystery.
RED: Strength, vitality, aggressive, passionate, assertive, intense,
courageous, insightful.
YELLOW: Positive, illuminated, tropical, healing, discovering and
cowardice.
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Why you need a good Logo?
Because, a good logo design is what
helps the public remember your business. A custom created logo
design can be one of your strongest marketing tools and it is the most valuable asset of your company.
To get a great logo design for
your business, complete the following steps:
- Give some thought to what you want
your business to represent in terms of quality, creativity and
value.
- Check out your competition. What type
of logo designs are they using? You don't want to be similar
or your logo will not differentiate your business from them.
- Colors and shapes need to be
evaluated. Are there any that would provide negative or
positive effects in your industry?
- Check out our portfolio.
- Provide us with the information about
your business. Our Project Description page has most of the
questions we'd like to get answers for. You fill out this form
when launching your design project. - We get back to you with
different logo concepts.
- Test the logo design concepts with
family, friends and potential clients.
- Ask your dedicated logo designer to
revise the logos based on the input you have received.
- If desired, trademark the logo design.
- Have your letterhead, business cards
and envelopes printed on quality papers.
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Creative Idea's
At Kaleido Graphics, we strive
to imbue all of our creative ideas with such power in order to
produce results beyond your expectations.
Our team of creative
designers begin by gaining insight into the core of your market.
What prompts your customers to react, what drives them to trust
you.
There are many factors that
affect the success of your business for sure. We are proud to be
able to offer the best visual experiment to you and your
clients. The most important decisions to be made are the font
and colors used in your logo. They must express the feeling you
want them to convey. Don't worry! We know what looks good and
bad and we are aware that even something which looks great might
not suit your business.
From the design of logos to
corporate identities and brand systems, Kaleido Graphics focuses on unifying,
consolidating and delivering a consistent message.
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Letterhead and
Business Card basics
With your letterhead and business card,
you first begin to build relationships with the people who will
make your business a success. With a little creativity, you can
turn these run of the mill materials into the kind of marketing
tools that keep the mill running.
Establish your
identity. Use the graphics and text on your letterhead
and business cards to show and tell customers who you are.
Because they will accompany many of your other materials, keep
them as clean and simple as possible.
Create a logo-less
logo. If you don’t have the budget for a custom logo,
try representing the idea behind your business with a
combination of two simple clip art symbols.
Include a "benefits"
tag line. A statement that explains what you do and how
it benefits your customer keeps your business card working for
you long after your first contact.
Turn your business
card into a mini-brochure. Its simple, just add a
headline and brief text to the other business card basics your
name, title, organization, phone, fax, office hours, and your
on-line and mailing address.
Limit the number of
fonts. Too many fonts make your materials visually
confusing. The general rule is: don’t use more than one serif
font and one sans serif font family per document (serif fonts
have "feet," sans serif fonts do not). Use bold, capitalized,
and italicized text sparingly and it will have a more pronounced
effect when you do.
When you think that it's time
to hire professional graphic artists to do the job for you, Kaleido Graphics is ready to
serve you.
Use your business cards in
smart ways to gain more business
Here are just some ideas on getting more mileage from your
business card:
- wear it
as a nametag instead of the one handed to you at the door of a
function
- wear it
as a nametag when you visit customers and suppliers if
appropriate
- give it
out whenever the opportunity arises - if you want to be
subtle, ask for someone else's card first, then return the
favor by presenting them with one of yours
- give out
more than one and inviting people to pass them on to others
- where
appropriate, leave some with a related business (and perhaps
offering to do the same for them)
- pin your
business card on notice boards, where appropriate
- always
have some with you
- Checkout our
affordable & effective logo design and stationery packages.
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Letterheads Design Packages & Tips
For many businesses, a great letterhead package, with stunning
business cards, is the most critical of marketing materials.
Along with an effective logo, a letterhead package lends
credibility and respectability to the business it represents.
Want to make a great impression? Want to look like you've been
in business for many years? Start with a convincing letterhead
package and business cards.
Making a Good
Impression
All the marketing materials you produce for your business should
sell for you. That includes letters and business cards.
Sometimes your business card is the only impression a potential
customer has of your business before they contact you. A first
rate business package, including your letterhead, business cards
and envelopes, should make it easy for your prospect to
understand what you do, the quality and value your business
offers.
Cost
Looking for embossing, four color or foil on your letterhead
package? These special treatments look beautiful and make a
spectacular impression. If you're looking to make a great
impression, but you don't have such deep pockets, there are many
ways to trim costs back. Standard two color letterheads and
business cards can be affordable and striking. Are you a
start-up? We can make you look like a seasoned veteran. Are you
seeking a new corporate image to match your success. When Kaleido Graphics designs your new look, everyone will sit
up and take notice.
Design
There are a countless ways to lay out your letterhead, envelopes
and business cards. Want a look that is fresh and innovative? We
can do it. Looking for a conservative corporate image with
flair? We can do it. Is quirky and creative your style? We can
do it. No matter what your look, consider an inventive approach
to your business card. Two sided, fold over and mini-brochure
business cards are both cost effective and stand out from the
crowd.
Getting Started
Once we have submitted and you have accepted our estimate, we
will begin the layout process. Kaleido
Graphics has a
time-tested, tried and true secret method for determining your
letterhead package style preferences. This means you won't be
dependent on imprecise descriptions of your vision. After all,
our job is to take your vision from the abstract to the
concrete, from an idea to reality. We know how to do this in
such a way that we are sure to hit the mark and give you layout
proofs you love.
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Custom Envelopes
Envelopes
Commercial business envelopes come in several standard sizes and
are normally expressed by a number such as #9 or #10. See the
chart below for a list of the most common sizes. Most business
envelopes are manufactured using 16 lb. to 40 lb. paper stock.
Personal envelopes are also available in a wide variety of sizes
and colors.
Commercial Envelope Measurements
Commercial business envelopes sizes are often referenced by a
number such as #9 or #10. The chart below includes all of the
most common types used by printers today.
Size Width x Length
#6 1/4 3 1/2" x 6"
#6 3/4 3 5/8 x 6 1/2"
#7 3 3/4" x 6 3/4"
#7 3/4 3 7/8" x 7 1/2"
#8 5/8 3 5/8" x 8 5/8"
#9 3 7/8" x 8 7/8"
#10 4 1/8" x 9 1/2"
#11 4 1/2" x 10 3/8"
#12 4 3/4" x 11"
#14 5" x 11 1/2"
Substance Weights for
Envelopes
16 lb. Used for overseas
air mail envelopes.
20 lb. Used for commercial envelopes where strength and
opacity is not a factor.
24 lb. Used for most open side official and commercial
envelopes.
28 lb. Used for most open and catalog envelopes and large
(i.e. 11, 12 and 14) size commercial envelopes.
32 lb. Used for heavy duty envelopes and clasp envelopes.
40 lb. Used for large envelopes, heavy duty envelopes or
envelopes used for storage and frequent reference.
Envelope Types
Commercial - Commercial envelopes are normally used for
letterhead, invoices, statements, direct marketing mailings, and
reply mail. Come in cartons of 2500-5000.
Booklet -
Booklet envelopes (open-sided envelopes) are often used to mail
annual reports, brochures, sales literature and small documents.
These types of envelopes are normally used in high volume
because they can be automatically inserted. Come in cartons of
500-1000.
Catalog -
Catalog envelopes are used to mail catalogs, large booklets and
other high weight articles. Catalog envelopes (open-ended
envelopes) do not have the machine insert option. They are often
hand packed. These type of envelopes often include a metal
clasp. Come in cartons of 500-1000.
Invitation -
Often used in formal occasions. These types of envelopes are
characterized by their pointed flaps and enclosures. They can
come with or without an embossed (raised) border panel. Come in
cartons of 2500-5000.
A Size -
Announcements, small booklets, brochures, less formal
invitations, and promotional pieces. These envelopes have a
square flap and come in a wide range of finishes and colors.
What happens most often is enclosures are produced custom to fit
within the envelope. For this reason they do not have raised
panels. Come in cartons of 1000-2500.
Shipping/Packaging - These types of envelopes are typically used for, guess what,
shipping items.
These are the types that most envelope companies will offer:
Paperboard, Tyvek, Corrugated, Bubble, and Plastic.
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Corporate Stationery Design
1 Double check contact details
If there is a typing error anywhere on your stationery design,
you really don't want it in your phone number or
address. Triple check the contact details and then triple check
them again.
2 Print business card names in one color
Names and individual contact information on business cards
should be in one spot color (or black of using full color
printing). This makes it much cheaper to change when the company
changes staff and need new business cards
3 Avoid unusual stylish dimensions and shapes
Printers are designed for standard sizes of paper. Envelopes are
designed for standard sizes of paper. Wallets are designed for
standard sizes of business card. Filing cabinets are designed
for standard sizes of paper. Need we go on?
4 Print it all together in one go
Arrange for all of your stationery to be printed at the same
time. Use the same colors throughout and spend much less than
if you produce it piecemeal. Also, your colors will match from
one piece of stationery to another.
5 Invest in good quality paper / card
For a comparatively small increase in cost, corporate stationery
can really stand out if it is produced on good quality paper
which will look and feel superior to the standard photocopier
paper.
6 But Specify laser safe stock
If corporate stationery is going to be used in a laser copier
then make sure that the paper used is suitable for this purpose.
Not all of the high quality papers are suitable for laser
printing.
7 More is less
If unsure of how much stationery is needed, make estimates
higher rather than lower. Once a print job is set up the unit
cost is relatively cheap. It can be expensive to rerun a print
job at a later date because you run out of stationery.
8 Cater to faxing
If you are planning to use letterheads for fax purposes then
reserve a space to print 'Fax Transmission' and other fax
details near the top.
9 Leave plenty of room for references
If letterheads include space for recipients' references, plenty
of room should be made available for the purpose. Some company
references can be fairly lengthy.
10 Design to Template
If the stationery is going to used with letter or fax templates
included in a Word processor (such as those included with
Microsoft Word) then the design should fit the templates.
Research this first since it could save you time and money in
the future.
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SURVIVAL GUIDE: QUICK GRAPHIC DESIGN REFERENCE 
