Identity Work - Logo Design

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MSIS BASE LOGO DESIGN RATES


For individuals or sole-proprietors: $400 - $600
For Small businesses or organizations: $800 - $1,200
For Medium businesses or organizations: $1,600 start

HOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR PRICES FOR LOGOS?

A logo is much more valuable than a standard illustration so the price reflects the added value. Consider that this mark will be your company's identity and it will last, most likely, for the life of your business.

My rates are based on the standard reference book for pricing graphic design and corporate identity projects. It is the Pricing and Ethical Guidelines, published by the Graphic Artists Guild. I do discount the rates published for this type of work as they are published based on common rates on the east coast. East coast rates are usually higher than what the market allows for in the Pacific Northwest.

The rates for logo work are ultimately based on a designers experience and quality of work. Rates are also based on the size and scope of the logo requested and the budget of the client. I do negotiate with non-profits and smaller start up businesses. If you already have an exact idea of the logo you want with sketches this can possibly lower your cost as well.

Costs are based on preliminary ideas, posting your mark for review, the collaboration time, the subsequent changes, the finalizing of the logo, the file prep for each different format, preparing the logo to be digitally presented via CD and reflect all rights to the design.


OPTION: LOGO DESIGN HOUSES

Beware of the "cheap-o" logo.... you may get exactly what you pay for. You are not guaranteed a unique design with the $50-$200 logo from some of the new online logo houses. It is also highly possible that you will be paying for a mark that will be a twin to someone elses mark somewhere else. Some of these logo houses also have been known to use royalty free clip art, which can not be copyrighted and can end up costing you to correct or even replace your mark across your identity system. Some of these companies also charge to include the logo in different formats and/or on CD.


WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU HIRE MSIS?

You will get all the following on a CD:
The master files as AI (Illustrator) and EPS. These are vector format files. These files will be in a CMYK color format. Vector art allows you to reduce or enlarge a design to ANY size without losing detail or clarity. For home office use and some print jobs you will need TIFF and BMP files. These are pixel files and should have a DPI (dots per inch) of at least 300 dpi. These type of files lose their detail when enlarged but can be reduced. The last file types you will receive are JPEG and GIF. These are pixel files and are used for web design. They will be in a RGB color format. You will receive 72 dpi files for the Internet. The GIF file will be transparent so you won't get a white box around it when displayed on a web page.

You will receive all rights (copyrights) to your logo. You will get these rights in writing when you sign the required contract to begin work on your mark. These rights are transferred to you when you make final payment after final approval.


IDENTITY DESIGN

Adding an identity program to your logo is an additional cost. Designing the business card, letterhead and even envelope layouts are a higher priced package and these requests are bid individually based on the scope of the requests. Base costs for a new business card design and a letterhead design that will work with your new logo starts at $350.00.


LOGO MOCK UPS / WORK PROCESS

I work hard to provide a logo for my Clients that fits who they are and the image they want to present. I usually find success with my initial mock up presentions because I work hard to get a feeling of who my Clients are and I find out who their competition is.

My base rates presented for logo work allow for up to three mock ups if necessary. Additional mock ups are invoiced $150 per presentation. This fee is negotiable but this helps to cover my time if the Client is having a hard time deciding on a direction.

Usually I post my best design first for my Clients within 5-10 business days after receiving all direction, the contract and initial payment due. If the first design is not met with approval I will ask more questions and then present a new design direction within 5 additional business days.


WEB SITE / LOGO WORK

An exception to the above work process might be if I create a logo as part of a new web design to encourage the Client to see their business the way that someone else might view them if they had a new identity mark. This is only done for Clients that don't currently have a formal identity system in place or Clients that are considering a new logo.

This can be an effective way of not only presenting the best face forward on the web, but also encouraging the client to utilize a mark that will be cohesive across a business or organization's marketing efforts.

If the Client likes the work I present, I will then submit a formal bid and contract for job and begin the work of creating the mark in vector form and collaborate with the Client to bring the mark to a final approval and hand-off.

If the Client does not choose to contract for the logo presented - but agrees it is effective for the web site, then the mark will remain part of the web design and there are no additional fees.

* IMPORTANT: If the Client does not contract for the logo then the mark remains copyrighted to MSIS and may not be used outside of the web site. It is a copyright infringement to use this mark as a "template" or "idea" for a logo that the Client either recreates in house or has another designer create based on this mark.

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