Recently, a new client was having a challenging time locating a vector version of their logo to share with us.
A vector logo is made up from points and lines and can be scaled indefinitely without losing quality. Vector logos are important because they allow flexibility of sizing, placement, optimization and the highest level of overall usability for your graphic designer. When we place this logo format into our design software it allows us to reproduce the logo crisply for both print and digital marketing platforms. If you zoom into a vector logo file, it will remain crisp and not become pixelated.
If you’re reading this article, perhaps you’re searching for a vector version of your logo this very minute. You’ve come to the right place! The information below should help you gather or recreate a vector version of your logo so your graphic designer can start your project.
Read our article: “What’s the Difference Between a Vector Logo and Raster Logo?”
It’s standard practice for graphic design companies to request a vector logo from new clients. Sometimes a client will have a hard time finding it, though. The common vector logo formats are .ai, .eps, .svg and occasionally .pdf. Some of these formats are not always visible within standard MS Office software so clients often overlook them, even if they were originally sent to them.
If you zoom into a vector logo file,
it will remain crisp and not get pixelated.
The typical “culprit” files that many clients send us are .jpg, .png and sometimes .gif. The problem with these raster formats is that they are made up from pixels that cannot scale up efficiently. They are mainly digital-screen friendly and less so for print. Depending on the usage and the file, these formats might work just fine but are not always ideal. See the two close-up samples of the Trillion logo below. The first image is an example of a raster logo which is made up of little squares called pixels. The second image is an example of a vector logo which is made up of points and lines (and can be scaled and resized without losing quality).
Here’s what you should do if you can’t find a vector version of your logo:
Look for .ai or .eps logo files, common vector formats
Sometimes the answer is right in front of you in the form of .ai (Adobe Illustrator) or .eps (encapsulated post script) files. These vector files require design software such as InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator so you may not be able to even view these formats on standard PC computers. If you have a file ending in these extensions, email them to your graphic designer to see if they will satisfy their vector logo request.
Try looking for recent packaged files from you graphic designer
See if you have any archived or .zip project files, commonly referred to as “packaged” projects, from your previous graphic designer. In the folder of files, there will be an “images” folder to look for the vector logo formats. You can also try doing a search for terms such as “.eps” or “.ai” and “logo” to see if that yields anything for you.
Locate a recent PDF of a printed piece
One of the craftiest ways of locating a vector logo is through a PDF file of a previously printed brochure or advertisement. This is what we did for our new client. With the help of Adobe Illustrator (your graphic designer will have this software), you can extract a vector logo from a PDF file. To confirm if things are looking good for you, zoom into the logo and if it remains crisp (see examples above) odds are the vector logo is embedded in the file and can be extracted by your graphic designer. That’s great news for you.
Have the logo recreated as a last resort
Sadly, as a last resort, you may need to have your logo manually recreated. After it is redrawn, you will have all of the flexibility of a vector logo. A graphic designer can help by redrawing the logo. This task will be easier especially if you have higher resolution .jpg or .png files of your logo so details can be seen and replicated. The process can take a few minutes to several hours depending upon the complexity of your logo.
Need help with your logo?
If you’re frustrated with your existing logo and are considering a refresh or redesign, give us a call at 908.219.4703 or complete our simple form and we will reply promptly.
