What you are paying for
A logo price pays for design time: understanding your business, drawing first ideas, improving the one you choose, and preparing the final files. A simple logo with one round of changes takes less time than one with many ideas and many changes, so it usually costs less.
The work usually goes in this order:
- You describe your business, your customers and anything you already like.
- The designer draws a few first ideas.
- You pick one, and ask for changes.
- The designer prepares the final logo files.
Four things that change the price
The price of a logo changes most with four things: how many first ideas you see, how many rounds of changes are included, which files you receive, and whether other items, such as name cards or a letterhead, come with it.
- First ideas. Seeing three ideas takes more work than seeing one.
- Rounds of changes. Each round of changes is more design time.
- Files. A full set of files for print and screen takes longer to prepare than a single picture.
- Extra items. A name card, letterhead or envelope designed with the logo adds to the work, and to the price.
The logo files you should receive
Ask for at least one file for printing and one for screens. A vector file, such as AI, EPS, SVG or PDF, stays sharp at any size and is what printers ask for. PNG and JPG files are for websites, social media and documents.
It also helps to have a version in one colour, for times when your logo is printed in black or on a dark background.
A logo on its own, or in a bundle?
Many new businesses need more than a logo: they need name cards and a letterhead with it. A bundle puts these together at one price. When you compare a bundle with a logo-only price, compare everything that comes with each.
Our start-up packages are bundles of this kind: the packages page shows what each one includes. Ask us for a price for a bundle or a logo on its own.
Questions to ask before you pay
Before you pay for a logo, ask what exactly the price includes. These five questions cover what most small business owners need to know, and a clear answer to each makes quotes easy to compare.
- How many first ideas will I see?
- How many rounds of changes are included?
- Which files will I get, and in which formats?
- Will the finished logo be mine to use anywhere?
- What else is included, such as name cards or a letterhead?