Logo

A19B1C12

Looking to make a basic logo for a website.

Where would be the best site to design it - has to be decent quality though or would I be better getting a person with specific software to make it?

mneylon

Professional logo design has nothing to do with software - it's design - not programming

There are plenty of talented designers out there that could do a logo for you, though how much they'd charge you would vary wildly.

Alternatively there are sites like http://99designs.ie/

cormee

Blacknight wrote: »

Professional logo design has nothing to do with software - it's design - not programming [/url]

Having said that, if the designer says he's/she's going to be using raster graphics software (Photoshop, Paintshop, etc.) run a mile, they don't know what they're doing. It needs to be done with vector graphics s/w - Illustrator, CorelDRAW etc.

peejay1986

cormee wrote: »

Having said that, if the designer says he's/she's going to be using raster graphics software (Photoshop, Paintshop, etc.) run a mile, they don't know what they're doing. It needs to be done with vector graphics s/w - Illustrator, CorelDRAW etc.

That's an extremely sweeping statement. In certain circumstances Photoshop can be s better option. There are things that simply can't be achieved using Illustrator.

In saying that, it is vital that your designer would take extra measures to ensure that your logo is scalable, if using Photoshop.

Kenny Logins

peejay1986 wrote: »

That's an extremely sweeping statement. In certain circumstances Photoshop can be s better option. There are things that simply can't be achieved using Illustrator.

In saying that, it is vital that your designer would take extra measures to ensure that your logo is scalable, if using Photoshop.

If it can't be achieved in Illustrator, it may not be suitable for use as a logo.

Gordon

If it's a basic logo (as per OP), and presumably cheap, for a small website, there's no need to run a mile if someone mentions Photoshop.

Zascar

If you want to go really really cheap - try www.fiverr.com - I've got loads of logos done on there - and I've got some great stuff done for tiny money.

cormee

peejay1986 wrote: »

That's an extremely sweeping statement.

Possibly, but it's true in 99% of cases.

If you use vector-based artwork, your logo is scalable, no loss of quality when editing/saving, output quality, better manipulation tools, manageable file sizes, suitable file formats - the list is endless.

You'll find very few professional, formally trained designers who would ever consider image editing software for a task like that, but it *is* the tool of choice for people who download Photoshop and decide they're designers.

I'd imagine zero design studios use PS to create logo artwork. If I was interviewing someone and they said it was an acceptable tool for creating logos, it would be a massive red flag.

You could dig a hole in your garden using a spoon, but it's not the right tool.

cormee

Gordon wrote: »

If it's a basic logo (as per OP), and presumably cheap, for a small website, there's no need to run a mile if someone mentions Photoshop.

It also has to be "pretty decent quality", which I presume he means isn't a red circle with a bit of lensflare thrown in.

Gordon

cormee wrote: »

You could walk, but you'd still have been dealing with someone using the wrong tools.

If it wasn't for a basic, small website, with someone looking to spend a small amount of money I'd agree with you. Unsure of the specifics on the OP, however.

cormee wrote: »

It also has to be "pretty decent quality", which I presume he means isn't a red circle with a bit of lensflare thrown in.

That's a very ambiguous phrase though, could mean anything obviously.

A job I had involved making powerpoint presentations for clients, I showed one of them to my boss and she hummed and hawed and said "I just need it to be more 'WOW', can you just make it more 'WOW'?" I ended up creating an action on Photoshop to make the colours all psychedelic and skew the page and mess it up, assigned it to a function key, and stuck 'WOW' onto the key. WOW and 'decent quality' can mean anything.

cormee

Gordon wrote: »

If it wasn't for a basic, small website, with someone looking to spend a small amount of money I'd agree with you. Unsure of the specifics on the OP, however.

Yes but you don't know how the business is going to scale. I'd assume OP plans on growing it.

Gordon

You would assume, one would hope, but OP doesn't mention this.

cormee

Gordon wrote: »

I ended up creating an action on Photoshop to make the colours all psychedelic and skew the page and mess it up, assigned it to a function key, and stuck 'WOW' onto the key. WOW and 'decent quality' can mean anything.

Was that for a company logo or a graphic on a ppt? I can't imagine she plans on using it, indefinitely, on corporate material - advertising, tshirts, flyers, the side of trucks, the side of hot air baloons, trade exhibitions, etc.

Gordon

cormee wrote: »

Was that for a company logo or a graphic on a ppt? I can't imagine she plans on using it, indefinitely, on corporate material - advertising, tshirts, flyers, the side of trucks, the side of hot air baloons, trade exhibitions, etc.

Oh just a crappy presentation, content not a logo, just using story for anecdotal subjectiveness

A19B1C12

It's for a personal blog. A text only logo would be grand just needs to look decent and be scalable to diff sizes

peejay1986

cormee wrote: »

Possibly, but it's true in 99% of cases.

If you use vector-based artwork, your logo is scalable, no loss of quality when editing/saving, output quality, better manipulation tools, manageable file sizes, suitable file formats - the list is endless.

You'll find very few professional, formally trained designers who would ever consider image editing software for a task like that, but it *is* the tool of choice for people who download Photoshop and decide they're designers.

I'd imagine zero design studios use PS to create logo artwork. If I was interviewing someone and they said it was an acceptable tool for creating logos, it would be a massive red flag.

You could dig a hole in your garden using a spoon, but it's not the right tool.

Don't get me wrong, whenever a client approaches me for a logo design I was always aim to use Illustrator. Over 90/100 logos I design would be vector based as they need to be flexible/scalable. However, as said already on here, it's only really essential depending on how the logo will be used.

If the logo is only to be used for a blog, website or small scaled print, then there's not really an issue. Completely ruling out Photoshop and labelling it as wrong shouldn't be done.

Most design agencies wouldn't entertain someone who's looking for a logo, on a tight budget, for use on a blog, so naturally they'd mostly use Illustrator. Aside from this, I know two high profile agencies who actively use Photoshop for specialised logo design. It's not the common practice, but it's not a no-go.

Like I said, i you know what you're doing, what you're designing for, and the limitations you're working within, then you shouldn't have an issue.

KonFusion

OP, this forum is generally for web design, not logo design. Though I think you've been given suitable suggestions so far, such as fiverr etc, considering the lack of information and requirements you provided.

Finish up your drinks, it's near closing time.

cormee

peejay1986 wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, whenever a client approaches me for a logo design I was always aim to use Illustrator. Over 90/100 logos I design would be vector based as they need to be flexible/scalable. However, as said already on here, it's only really essential depending on how the logo will be used.

If the logo is only to be used for a blog, website or small scaled print, then there's not really an issue. Completely ruling out Photoshop and labelling it as wrong shouldn't be done.

Most design agencies wouldn't entertain someone who's looking for a logo, on a tight budget, for use on a blog, so naturally they'd mostly use Illustrator. Aside from this, I know two high profile agencies who actively use Photoshop for specialised logo design. It's not the common practice, but it's not a no-go.

Like I said, i you know what you're doing, what you're designing for, and the limitations you're working within, then you shouldn't have an issue.

If you are designing a logo for someone, part of that service must be future-proofing it. Your output should work well on the side of a pen in a single colour, and as I mentioned earlier, as an extreme example, the side of a truck in full colour.

You need to consider two colour versions, reverse versions, monotone versions. And if anyone came to me suggesting using Photoshop, my money would be on them not having considered any of these likelihoods.

If a client comes back to you a few years later, looking for any of the above versions, and if you have to recreate your artwork you did it wrong in the first place. It's as much about efficiency as it is about providing a professional service. It shouldn't be about what tool suits you best, it should be about which tool suits the job best

There are dozens of very good reasons to use Illustrator over Photoshop, and not one single one to use Photoshop over Illustrator. So why not do yourself and your client a favour and do it right first time, regardless of the budget?

peejay1986

cormee wrote: »

If you are designing a logo for someone, part of that service must be future-proofing it. Your output should work well on the side of a pen in a single colour, and as I mentioned earlier, as an extreme example, the side of a truck in full colour.

You need to consider two colour versions, reverse versions, monotone versions. And if anyone came to me suggesting using Photoshop, my money would be on them not having considered any of these likelihoods.

If a client comes back to you a few years later, looking for any of the above versions, and if you have to recreate your artwork you did it wrong in the first place. It's as much about efficiency as it is about providing a professional service. It shouldn't be about what tool suits you best, it should be about which tool suits the job best

There are dozens of very good reasons to use Illustrator over Photoshop, and not one single one to use Photoshop over Illustrator. So why not do yourself and your client a favour and do it right first time, regardless of the budget?

Cheers. Like I said before - if it's done correctly then there's no problem. Use the right software depending on the project. No designer can future proof anything without having the necessary information from a client. Should that information outline future growth/uses for the logo then by all means, a vector logo would have to be recommended.

We clearly don't agree on this and we're discussing this is the wrong forum anyway. My issue wasn't with your preference to Illustrator, more so you sweeping blanket statement that anyone who uses Photoshop for logos is wrong. If that's the case then many of those at the top of their profession are wrong. Each to their own I suppose. We work in a creative industry with different viewpoints after all.

cormee

peejay1986 wrote: »

Cheers. Like I said before - if it's done correctly then there's no problem. Use the right software depending on the project. No designer can future proof anything without having the necessary information from a client. Should that information outline future growth/uses for the logo then by all means, a vector logo would have to be recommended.

We clearly don't agree on this and we're discussing this is the wrong forum anyway. My issue wasn't with your preference to Illustrator, more so you sweeping blanket statement that anyone who uses Photoshop for logos is wrong. If that's the case then many of those at the top of their profession are wrong. Each to their own I suppose. We work in a creative industry with different viewpoints after all.

OK, two closing points and I'm done

1/ It's the designer's responsibility to get the brief they need off the client, but I am in the business long enough to know that's far easier said than done.

2/ I think future-proofing should not need to be stipulated. The designer should assume it's a requirement.

A19B1C12

KonFusion wrote: »

OP, this forum is generally for web design, not logo design. Though I think you've been given suitable suggestions so far, such as fiverr etc, considering the lack of information and requirements you provided.

Finish up your drinks, it's near closing time.

OK, I saw computer and design and I figured I should ask in here.

Thanks everyone