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Tips for Business Owners: 3 Must-Do’s When Creating Your Logo

by | Sep 13, 2018 | Intellectual Property, Trademark

A recognizable logo allows you to advertise your business anywhere – on your storefront sign, website, business cards, employee ID cards, in-store signage, product packaging, print ads, social media accounts, and so many more places. It is a crucial part of branding, so businesses should take the time to ensure it is done right.

But before you commit to any concept for your logo, work with an intellectual property lawyer to do a trademark search. You want to ensure your logo design doesn’t conflict with existing trademarks.

I’ve seen companies spend thousands developing a top-quality logo and building brand recognition, only to discover a few years later that they must stop using the logo or cannot use it in certain jurisdictions. It’s much more cost-effective to protect your investment from the start.

Once you get the go-ahead from your IP attorney, here are a few deliverables to request from your graphic designer.

Your logo in a vector format

A vector file can be scaled to any size – from Twitter profile pic to billboard ad – without loss of quality. Other file types can end up losing quality when resized.

Vector artwork can also be converted to any file type (e.g., JPG, PNG, GIF), so you won’t need to hire a designer every time you need to use it for a different purpose.

A full-color version and a one-color version

There may be situations where your full-color logo simply doesn’t mesh well with the surrounding content. You may also want to use a one-color version to save money when printing, because full-color can be much more expensive.

Branding guidelines

This should include the PMS and CMYK colors used in the logo, so you can ensure the colors remain consistent, whether in print or digital formats. The guidelines should also share acceptable and unacceptable uses and variations of the logo.

Once you have the guidelines, don’t forget to use them! Send them to any designer who works on future projects using the logo to ensure it is done correctly. Consistency is important if there is ever a trademark dispute in the future, and it also aids in brand recognition.

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