Even thought this post is directed towards the buyer/client, I do hope that small design firms/freelancers can use the info to better explain to their client why a good logo does not cost $99.

Logo design can be highly under rated. Business owners may not understand how important a good logo is and how valuable it is to their business.

A logo’s design is “immediate recognition”… inspiring trust, admiration, loyalty and an implied superiority to competitors.  Knowing that a logo is the “face” of your business and the first message potential clients see, it’s difficult to understand why any business owner would leave this important aspect of their business to a design contest or cheap template site. Here are a few examples from our personal portfolio. These are clients who had used their previous logos for many years before realizing that the unprofessional look could be affecting their business image:

If you were an investor, which company would you be more willing to give $250k to?

The client’s daughter did the original logo. There was a notable sales increase within the first 6 months of contractors associating the product with the new professional logo.

Which logo is more appealing and appropriate for a local sub shop that started in the 50′s?

Now that you know the importance of a good professional logo, how much should you be paying for one? First of all, do not expect an immediate quote from a professional designer. They should not be able to give you a complete cost on the spot for several reasons. Expect a ballpark  until the details of the logo and the goals of the business owner are established. No project is the same, and every client differs. You can’t expect to receive an accurate quote until the designer knows exactly what you need.

All clients are not created equal, so all logo prices shouldn’t be set either. A small mom and pop store does not have the same needs as a medium company or a fortune 500 but the end use should be the same…to make that company recognizable as a professional entity and create a feeling of trust to their clients. For the business owner who has relied on the logo that cousin Frank did on a bar napkin that year he was in art school because you didn’t think you could afford a professional logo, I say, if you are a business owner of any size, you can’t afford not to have a professional logo.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Business Encyclopedia, the price for a logo is somewhere between $4,000 and $10,000. I personally think thats a pretty  high number because it clumps designer geographic locations, talent and client size into one unrealistic cost. If you spend some time searching the web for logo designers, you will find companies and freelancers offering good quality logo design for considerably less. Remember, less does not always mean inferior. I have seen $500 logos that have outshined $10,000 logos. It is important to view the designers existing portfolio and see what they are capable of. As important as skillset, ask what comes with that logo. Many great $99 deals have cost far more once the client pays for multiple formats, additional cost for business cards and letterhead or additional rounds of revisions.  A good logo designer will include multiple formats in the cost of the logo so ask your logo designer what file types are included in their price.

Your designer should supply AI (Illustrator) and EPS files for most professional print jobs. These are vector format files and should be in a CMYK color format. Vector art allows you to reduce or enlarge a design to ANY size without losing detail or clarity.

Some print vendors will require TIFF or  BMP files. These are pixel files and should have a DPI (dots per inch) of at least 300 dpi. 600-1200 dpi is best for professional printing. These type of files lose their detail when enlarged but can be reduced.

Lastly you should recieve JPEG and GIF or .PNG files for web and social media use.  They should be in a RGB color format. Ask your logo designer if they use web safe colors. You should receive crisp 72 dpi files.

Be sure and ask your logo designer about your logo colors. Ask them for the Pantone PMS color numbers or CMYK breakdown for each color. Ask if the cost includes a black and white version of your logo.

You should also receive all rights to your logo. Since a logo is a companies identity you will need to own all rights to get a trademark.

While I can’t give exact prices for a logo design because each logo designers circumstances are different and client size and needs are varied, standard logo design rates are based on 3 major components, designer experience, company size and application/distribution size. The majority of logo designs are created for small companies and individuals with limited application and distribution uses. Fortune 500 companies normally pay much higher logo design rates and use advertising agencies.

An individual or small company with small to average uses should be prepared to pay anywhere from $500 to $2000 for a top quality, professional logo package.