Logo Printing

There's more than money at stake. Insider tips that can save you a bundle.

By Kevin Lyons-Tarr, President, 4imprint, Inc.

Knowing a few basics about file formats and color can save you lots of money and headaches when printing your logo. Find out what file formats you should get when your logo is designed and learn how to manage your files to get optimum flexibility at the lowest cost.

Avoid Costly Mistakes

There's little room for error. One mistake could cost your company thousands of dollars or unmeasured amounts of credibility. No, we're not talking about accounting practices. We're talking about ordering a print job. It can be an overwhelming experience. Everything must be just right, from the text and image layout to the printing itself. The minute you sign your approval on a proof, you become personally responsible for the outcome of that project. For many companies, printing is a significant expense. If the job doesn't come out right, they can ill-afford to redo it. Unfortunately, it's primarily larger organizations that have professional designers on staff who can oversee such projects. In many companies, ordering critical collateral like letterhead and brochures is assigned to the sales staff or office manager. The responsibility is enough to give anyone butterflies, or at the very least, a headache!
Try: Here’s an area where networking comes in handy. Thinking of taking a new client to lunch at that new restaurant? Most of us would call a few business buddies to get their opinion of the place. People love to know that their opinion is valued. It’s the same with finding a trustworthy source for your custom print job.

Google the company name & read what people are saying. Ask friends for their opinion. If someone is distributing a product with a nicely printed logo, ask for their opinion of the printing company and ordering experience. Once you’ve narrowed down your printer choices, ask if they offer free product samples so you can see the print quality on the product that you’re considering

Learn the language

To make matters worse, the commercial printing and graphic design industry can be baffling to the average professional. Terms like screen, varnish, dot gain, and bleed get bandied about in the same way your computer technician waxes poetic about the external network connectivity or your DNS server configurations. This is technical stuff, and people study for years to learn the graphics and printing craft. Fortunately, most printers and graphic designers do a great job of holding their clients' hands through the process. But even with the most conscientious vendors, it can be challenging to understand terminology you aren't familiar with. So it's time to get educated. But, be forewarned. This paper isn't meant to be comprehensive and there are lots of digital and software enhancements that will soon make some of these issues transparent to you in the near future. But for now, it's a good idea to understand a few basic concepts that will make your next printing job go smoother.
Try: This is technical stuff. Those who create the graphics and print the logos have studied for years to learn the craft.

Do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask questions – more than once if need be. Then, give yourself a break. Nobody learns this stuff overnight.

File Extension

To maintain your logo's integrity and save money at the printer, you should have a basic understanding of file extensions. You've probably seen them thousands of times, but do you know what they actually stand for? JPEG Bitmaps = .jpg TIFF Bitmap = .tif Encapsulated PostScript = .eps Adobe Illustrator = .ai CompuServe Bitmap = .gif Corel Draw = .cdr OS/2 Bitmap = .bmp But that still doesn't explain much. Think of extensions as the descriptors of the software the images were created in.
Try: Become at least sight familiar with the file extensions currently being used at your place of business. Do you have the most current version of your chosen software?

Vector Basics

Images are actually created in two main file formats (not extensions): vector and raster. Vector images are line art. It's like drawing a sketch on a piece of paper. Each arch and curve and line is a vector. Vector graphics are sharper, more flexible, and can be sized infinitely with perfect clarity. Vector images are created using professional design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Corel DRAW, or Macromedia Freehand. These images will generally have a file extension of .cdr, .ai or .eps. Because vector formats are created mathematically, vector graphics can be resized without losing image quality. The formulas simply recalculate to scale and reproduce the lines based on the ratios between points.
Try: Even if the logo doesn’t need modifying, vector files may still be necessary for specialty processes such as embroidery or cut vinyl signs.

With laser cut signs, for example, the machine follows the lines of the vector image like a map, plotting from one point to the next. Laser cuts aren’t possible with raster images at this time. Instead the image has to be printed and then adhered to the sign base.

Raster Basics

Raster graphics, on the other hand, are bitmapped images based on pixels, or points of color that work together to make up a picture. Each point is individually defined, which make raster images work best for photographs or paintings because pixels can have more depth and texture. With raster images, the image cannot readily adjust itself to new sizes. Instead, when an image is enlarged the pixels (points of color) get farther and farther apart, creating jagged edges and uneven color. To identify a raster image, look for file extensions such as .gif, .bmp, .jpg, or .tif.
Try: Familiarize yourself with vector and raster logos by making it fun. Whenever you're at a stoplight, stuck in traffic, pumping gas, or just gazing out the window, make it a point to scan the horizon and identify any logos as being vector (that's my line) or raster (pretty as a picture).

Format Usage - Which is Best?

Since vector formats seem superior, why use raster images? First, high quality raster images capture more detail or visual texture than vector graphics. Raster is the appropriate format for photographs, photo-quality images, or for electronic display. The quality of raster images is referred to as resolution or dots per inch (dpi). Low resolution images have less dots per inch, meaning the dots making up your image are farther apart. Low resolution images, commonly 72 dpi, are ideal for web display. High resolution images, or 300 dpi, are required for printing. For web pages or email marketing, .jpg and .gif file extensions are best. Lower resolution images take up little file space and load faster on the screen. As indicated above, they lose image quality when expanded so they are not ideal if resizing is needed. For in-office printing or use in Microsoft Office applications, .tif files are most appropriate, though a high resolution .jpg can also be used.
Try: Consider your next print job. Can you identify which format will work best for your intended purpose?

Tip the Scale

It's best if raster file versions have been created from a vector parent file, especially if there will ever be a need to significantly alter the size. Again, vector files can be scaled up or down without losing image quality and are easily edited and manipulated. Say you wanted to embroider a shirt. For the embroidery to display properly, your logo may need some slight tweaking. The line thickness may need to be increased or the space between letters expanded in order for the stitching to appear its crispest. With a vector file, the designer can open the image and make the changes with a few clicks. With raster images, those modifications are far more challenging.
Try: Since it's often difficult to know whether a logo will someday need a size adjustment, request that all files be created with a vector format if possible.

Final Thoughts

Even if the logo doesn't need modifying, vector files may still be necessary for specialty processes such as embroidery or cut vinyl signs. With laser cut signs, for example, the machine follows the lines of the vector image like a map, plotting from one point to the next. Laser cuts aren't possible with raster images at this time. Instead the image has to be printed and then adhered to the sign base.
Try: Now it's time to put your new knowledge to work. Move forward with the confidence that the world of logo printing isn't as foreign as it once seemed.