More often than not when asking a client for their current logo, I am provided with a file format that is less than desirable for the project or situation.
Although this can be argued both ways, I’ve seen both instances where it was logo designers responsibility to provide the proper deliverables or the client was using an improper method of creating their logo.
Below is a list of deliverables you should be giving your clients and what clients should be getting from their logo designer.
WHAT SHOULD YOU GET: FILE FORMATS
Delivering a variety of file formats to your clients will not only leave them satisfied in the long term, but any designer who follows you will also be greatful.
Whether you are printing high quality, adding a logo to a website, or inserting your company logo into a Word document, there are various file formats that should be used over the other.
eps
An EPS file, or Encapsulated PostScript file, is a versatile vector format of your logo. In other words, you can resize your logo as big or small as needed without compromising the quality of the logo.
EPS is compatible in a large number of programs and is great for use with printed elements due to its high quality.
What’s it suitable for?
» Business cards
» Brochures
» Advertisements
» …anything that will be printed of high quality
jpg and gif
Although it cannot be scaled to a desired size like that of an EPS, JPGs and GIFs are great and preferred for internet use.
Due to their smaller file size, they load faster on the web and still look ’sharp’ to the eye when viewed on a computer monitor. I tend to create these files a little larger than most so my clients are able to downsize as needed.
What’s it suitable for?
» Websites
» Online Ads and Banners
» Email marketing and signatures
» anything ‘web-related’
tiff
A TIFF, or Tagged Image File Format, is a widely supported file format that works in just about any program. A TIFF is of higher quality than JPG or GIF, but not vector-formatted like an EPS.
Typically when sending TIFFs to clients I try to create them at a larger size, so if needed they can resize down or stay with the larger size for more versatility.
In certain cases, these can also be used for higher quality prints, granted they were created at 300 dpi and don’t need to resized larger than delivered.
What’s it suitable for?
» Microsoft Office programs
» standard printing for common use (ie. invoices, letterheads, etc.)
WHAT SHOULD YOU GET: COLOR (AND NON)
Full Color
This should need no explanation, but provide your clients with a full colored, CMYK file for the printed file formats (EPS, TIFF) and RGB for the web formats (JPG, GIF). This way they don’t experience strange color issues when printing and will save them money with their printers.
Black and Reversed Logos
A well designed logo should not only work in color but also in black and white (reversed-out) versions.
Make certain to convert your in-color logos to both black and reversed-out so your clients logo can work in ANY situation. Trust me they will love you for this one! For the most part I will create a color, black and white version in each of the first 4 file formats.
WHAT SHOULD YOU GET: FAVICON
Many designers I’ve questioned do not do this, but I’ve always felt like it added a nice touch to my logo services — something that makes me different from the next guy. 
A favicon, or “little logo” that appears in the corner of the address bar in a web browser, is a great way to compliment their logo on the web. It only takes a few minutes to create (in most instances) and your clients will be thrilled when they see their miniature logo on their webpage.
I’d love to know what you supply your clients with. Share your thoughts or additions to the list above.
Sponsors:
giving favicons is smart - i think if your client networks online, itd probably be smart to make them a logo avatar as well.
A pleasant side effect of ditching Quark for InDesign back in 2004 or so is that I also managed to ditch EPS and TIF files. These days, the only files needed are AI and PSD. Sending an additional PNG file for Powerpoint and other applications is good idea, but especially if there is a designer on the other end, just send the AI and you should be alright.
A great feature of InDesign is that you can import any image, and then turn off layers within the document. So instead of delivering 17 different logos, just send one Illustrator file with each version on a different layer. Easy.
Of course, getting a hi-res or vector version of a client logo can still be like pulling teeth. I wonder if they realise or just don’t care that they are sending me a postage-stamp-sized logo that has clearly been photocopied three times for use in their high-budget brochure. Crap in, crap out, as they say.
Great addition Liz. I’ll have to mention that to my clients as well. Thanks!
Great article Brian! I didn’t thought of the Favicon option (and Liz the logo avatar as well) so that’s something I’ll add to my list.
It still amazes me how many websites go without a favicon. As well, having a larger sized file is important. Resizing can be a serious hassle, so I’m always grateful when my illustrator gives me a large enough file that I can size it down to fit my needs.
Kitty,
Appreciate the comment. I’ve always thought of the favicon addition to my services as a little touch of something special. Something a client can reflect on and say, “Now, I’m glad we went with this guy!”. It’s the little things that get clients excited, so why not do them.
I agree that the favicon is a really nice touch that I had never considered. Good write-up overall. Very informative.
Hey Brian, great article!
In my case, I give clients one more thing that I consider really important and that should go with a logo whenever possible; and it is the logo usage manual/guidelines.
This manual is a small reference guide that contains the following: logo concept analysis/logo creation process and argumentation, color usage (cmyk, rgb and pantone - if its the case), clean zone, logotype sizes (standard and minimum), logotype (elements) proportions, black and reverse color, typography study/selection and logo protection guidelines.
This manual is a smaller version of an identity manual, which usually contains the guides for all the rest of pieces that conform an identity pack. It is important for the client since it contains all the guidelines needed for an adecuate and effective logo positioning and recognition over time.
In my case this kind of work is always included in the project quote, even for small projects. Providing this piece is a common practice for big studios and agencies, but I was taught at college (10 years ago!) that even as a freelancer I should deliver it for keeping my work as professional as possible.
It´s true this is a big “extra”, but also an important piece in the logo creation/handling process.
Hope you find this useful
Cheers!
Favicon is a great nice touch. Mega-dope article! Including the reversed out icon is something that some people might forget. What about a alt logo? For example sometimes you see NIKE under the swoosh, sometimes you don’t. I’ve always thought an alt logo is a nice touch. Especially when you have a pictogram and a wordmark in a logo. Curious, what do you think about ’em?
That’s a good point about the favicon. I hadn’t thought of that before.
I also make sure to give clients a brand standards cheat sheet. This gives them the power to pass along the necessary information to future users of the logo.
One thing I try to make sure of, when I give the .gif, I add white space around the logo. How often have you seen logos with a white background completely cropped down on a colored Word or PowerPoint document?
Good article. This all sounds familiar but in my experience the need for multiple files has been reduced by the years.
In most cases the client himself only needs a RGB versions of his logo so he can adopt it to his Office applications. A jpeg or even better in png if the logo is not a perfect square.
I don’t really see any need for a tiff file. At least I try to avoid it. But surely the logo in CMYK Illustrator eps, ready for placing in ID or Quark.
Then for most other needs I give him one pdf file in CMYK (made from Illustrator) with all the versions, pantone, cmyk, b/w. Usually the client does not need this file for his own use except for reference but sends it to printers etc. The file can be opened by Illustrator and serves as a kind of guide and source for all the needs. If somebody really needs a tif or anything else later it can easily be made from that guide.
In a nutshell:
A. RGB jpg or png
B. CMYK Vector eps
C. CMYK pdf file with variants
D. Favicon is a nice optional touch. Usually I would offer it to the client later.
Corey,
I’m glad you brought that point up. Yes, there are plenty of times where the logo “bug” can be used without the actual text, so yes, providing your clients with that as well is a great solution. Thanks for adding that.
Wow, I didn’t even think of any of these … a favicon is a nice touch and having more than one format seems like the best way to go as well. Thanks for the article.
Good tip on the favicon.They are super easy to make with some of the favicon generators out there on the net.
Another good thing to include would be a text file that explains what all these formats are to the client.
Niki,
Any generators out there that you prefer or would recommend? Also, you could pass the post along to the clients as well
Don’t forget SVG and PNG! I work mainly in Inkscape, so SVG is great there.
You know recently a client provided me a logo to use on the black background of their site. And guess what, the logo was an oversized jpeg with a white background and black text. Lucky for me I was able to invert the colors, but I mean, come on!
my recent client almost jumped of his chair when he saw what exactly a favicon means and how it looks like… thou he didnt paid extra to me but a good relation was build and i m sure he is going no where else wid his other project
Hi, that was some great advice. I usually prefer png files as they are lossless in quality.
It is very annoying when a logo is saved in a low quality gif or jpeg to save size. Majority of users who will possibly check out your website use broadband and a few extra kbs wont make them unhappy.
Thanks
Good article, thanks and good additional advice from the readers too.
I always tend to send out logos with logo guidelines which is usually a simple PDF document. This shows how the logo should be represented on a number of media, colours variations of the logo and colour mixes.
Some designers I know don’t do this. But it shows that you are professional and that you’re willing to go that little bit further to make the client happy - if you make the client happy, you have potential work in the future.
Ariel,
I completely understand your frustration. But even though your client “handed” you the logo, it’s possible that their previous designer had not provided them with the right files and formats. But I’ve been there with you numerous timese.
Aslam,
Good to hear your client reacted positively to the favicon. They love the little things!
Kumail,
PNG is another great file format to provide clients. And you are right, I tend to use a combination of PNG and GIF on the web, depending on the situation.
Jennifer,
Thanks! I appreciate the comment.
Abbas,
Guidelines is thought I’ve never considered until now. Great addition to the list, thanks.
Maybe worth mentioning that putting a JPG into an EPS doesn’t make it ‘vector’
Had some people who put a 50kb JPG logo into an EPS for print… had some laughs.
@abbas - hey if you dont mind can u pls send me one of your old guidelines pdf, it will help to make mine and wow a client or two - me@aslammemon.com
– thanx a ton
Good post Brian!
I find that instead of EPS, PDF is a more versatile delivery file format for high-end, press-ready files.
And let me add my voice to the above: a guideline doc, usually called a “Standards Manual”, is absolutely indispensable. All large corporations have these—it’s how they keep their branding consistent across multiple service providers (ad agencies, pr firms, printers, packaging designers, etc). As designers, we spend a lot of time thinking through our design process, and designing an identity is especially time-and-thought consuming. Putting together a document for your client that outlines the correct and incorrect ways to use their new identity not only ensures that the identity is used in the way you intended it to, but also illustrates your thought process to your client. More than a favicon or avatar (which are fantastic tips, btw), a standards manual shows your client that you’ve gone the extra mile, have really thought everything through, and worked hard in order to make their work easier. It makes them even more confident in having made the right decision to pay you lots of money for “just a logo” (heh).
My standards manuals usually include a description of each file I’ve handed the client, as well as usage guidelines with copious visual aids: how much space to leave around logos, when to use what version (CMYK, RGB, K, REV), how corporate communications (such as PowerPoint, Word Docs, etc) should be branded, pitfalls to avoid (using their full colour logo on, say, a hot pink background, instead of the reversed version), how typography should and should not be handled (including recommended typefaces), etc.
The more comprehensive the standards manual, the more impressed the client, in my experience. Even when you include it in the original work order, as part of the list of deliverables, they hardly ever expect a 20-plus page document (a PDF, of course) that they can then distribute to all their employees and service providers.
The key is to have an effective process to get the best design and make the client as happy as possible. Sometimes it’s hard to see eye to eye on creative projects but that just creates more of an exciting challenge, as long as both designer and client can communicate well.
@Pablo: Wow, I’m glad I suscribed to the comments. Thank you for your nice tips.
Great post, we would really appreciate your feedback on our recent logo design work:
http://tinyurl.com/MyInfoMatrix-Logo-Design-AEC
We will be launching officially in late Feb early March. This is the beginning of a fresh portfolio.
Following you on twitter, and bookmarked this blog nice and high in my priority blogs. We are just starting out, and our lead designer has inspired me to immerse myself into design more than I ever imagined. Thank you Bren.
That was an interesting logo process Pavan. I liked the end product.
I’m lucky to get logo’s I can work with, so I usually end up editing them for my purposes.
Giving a client a favicon in the package is the designy/digital equivalent of getting a free order of garlic bread with your pizza! Yup, I’ll be ordering from Jo-bob’s pizza again reeeeal soon. Even if the pizza wasn’t that good, YOU GET FREE GARLIC BREAD! woohoo!
It’s the little things that count. And if the pizza WAS good, then there’s no question, Jo-bob’s is goin’ on speed dial
Wow, I’m currently revamping my logo packages and this information was exactly what I was looking for. I traditionally offer EPS, TIFF, JPG and PNG but now I’m thinking about including the favicon or avatar since most of my clients are web-based.
Great post!
The only formats I prefer are psd, jpg, tiff, and gif. All of the other funky formats that clients may have in use are nt my cup of tea.
But there are programs and methods to change current logos into preferred formats. So, it’s usually not a big deal.
Great article, thank you!
Thankyou so much for this post! I recently got my first logo design job and wasnt sure what files i needed to send them. This has helped me a lot
Thanks! It actually answered to some questions that I had in mind. Great post!
instead of an .ai file we generally will provide a PDF file - also make sure to convert all the fonts to outlines / paths. 1) PDF - 2) PNG - 3) JPG - 4) EPS
Great article. We have added one thing to the deliverables in addition to the spot-on list here: an iphone icon: http://www.newcityexperience.com/in-the-works/ncm-on-the-iphone/
Brian,
Great suggestion and well worth the mention. With the rise of mobile internet browsing an iPhone icon makes perfect sense and a great addition to a logo package. Thanks!
Ana,
Glad you found value in the post. Best of luck with your logo designs and as always, thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the article Brian - good things to keep in mind.
I usually send; JPG, PDF & PNG by default, but most clients end up requesting the EPS just because they’re conditioned to ‘require’ it. Maybe its my settings, but the EPS export seems to band gradients on me (i probably need to look into that).
I offer 3 detail levels of ’style guide’ but only for an additional fee. Within the 2 bigger style guide types I also include a handful (3-6) of ‘purchased’ royalty free images for them to use. I try to make one of them a vector of some kind. Only costs a few bucks extra and clients are generally thrilled. The other benefit is that the brand you created is matched with good quality imagery that carries the right tone.
These are some good tips.
I think its important to give the client different variations of the logo also, like horizontal and vertical (If available). Also, perhaps show them how it should be applied to different formats. You don’t want a really nice logo set up badly on their website or business card.
I think it is real important to remember not to send is at an AI or PSD file because a lot of the time you can’t transfer files between mac and pc. And also, there are still designers who use Quark out there. The easier for the client the better.
with the price of a logo the client gets a formats cd with popular formats in several sizes (only one size for vector formats). I don’t usually output gifs anymore, I provide pngs instead. They also get a logo guide with printing and copyright information. Lastly I offer logo tweaking for free for the first six months after final payment. Best intentions aside, you don’t know for sure how a logo is going to work until you use it. I offer them a free tweak if a color doesn’t work out right, they need to add a slogan, etc. No free redesigns. That is a whole different fruit.
GREAT article! I will definitely think of your post next time I create some images. What do you think of PNG files? Where do they fit in? I tend to use them a lot (for almost everything).
Chris,
PNG is another great file to include, and have recently been including it among my design services. Thanks for the addition.
Great article and comments! I think there is a boundary between providing just the logo and providing a brand solution with guidelines, typefaces, images, document templates and mockups of various kinds. I think its a scale that you place yourself somewhere along depending on how much you charge and what kind of clients you are dealing with.
I also think it pays to make your package specific to that client and add value. Setting them up things like well-laid out word templates for documents they use regularly (minutes, fax, letters etc) makes them feel more looked after. A client like a restaurant might have a specific need of a menu. I often go into restaurants that print their own menu (lots of good restaurants do this, perhaps because it changes so frequently depending on the ingredients that are at their best and in season) and you can tell they aren’t the most sophisticated users of Microsoft Word.
Ask what they want and give it to them… in a variety of formats of course!
Favicons are worth their weight in gold… Sortof like magic holy water to sprinkle on.
People are always impressed.
hey guys I know this is really late but there was a question about a favicon generator and I found one here
http://www.chami.com/html-kit/services/favicon/
although I think its easier to just make one in photoshop/illustrator by making a 16 x 16 image in the .ico format
(plugin needed - http://www.webdesign.org/img_articles/10135/icoformat.zip)
again, sorry for the lateness and great post Brian!
Brian esta muy interesante tu sitio he leido varios de tus artículos y me parecen de mucha calidad . Gracias por compartir tus conocimientos. Me cayo de maravilla la información de los procesos que se deben llevar a cabo a la hora de enfrentar un nuevo proyecto.
Gracias por compartir tus conocimientos
Saludos Mary
Nice tips for customers who use the logo design service for the first time.
I’m looking for a designer for my company logo. your article has cleared a few thing up for me.