Save yourself money with the right logo.  By that I do not mean all of the marketing fluff that comes with trying to sell you logo design, or branding, or whatever other term is thrown out these days when it comes to a logo.  What I mean is how that logo or brand is delivered to you, the client.

The best example I can provide is when I was working on a project for a local company.  This project was one which involved sponsors who would email their logos to have included in the final piece.  Without fail, I ran into many issues, and as you might expect, I received just about every file type known to man, many of which were unusable.  For those that were somewhat usable, they still required work.  It took work to extract them from a format that could not be used.  In one case, I was provided a Word document as a hi-res logo.  When I explained the format that was needed, I was told that the company did not have that.  Yet I had seen uncountable advertisements (including billboards) for this company.  Someone, somewhere had to have it! The sad thing was that the hi-res files that others had to create never made their way back to the company.

So that meant more work. And what happens when your designer works?  Yup, you pay for it. And if you do not correct the problem at hand, you will continue to pay for it until it is fixed.

If you have a brand, you should have that brand saved digitally in a variety of popularly requested and used formats.  If your logo requires a specific typeface, you should have that handy as well.  Many designers (and I am guilty of this, too) will throw out file types when some clients might not necessarily know what they are referring to. Here are some of the more popular file types:

• EPS:  An EPS file is probably the most important one to have.  Since it is a vector file, it can be scaled large without sacrificing quality. With the EPS file, any designer could convert it to the format they need without spending any extra time in doing so.
• AI: The AI file is the native Adobe Illustrator file which contains editable and unflattened content.  This file, like the EPS file, can be scaled but also allows the designer to make changes.
• PSD: This is the native Adobe Photoshop file.  Similar to the AI file, it usually contains editable content.
• TIFF: A TIFF file is another type of flattened image.
• PDF: Depending on how your image was saved as a PDF, it could still contain vector data and a hi-res image could be used from it.

Formats to frustrate your designer:

• PUB: Microsoft Publisher files, while they do have uses, are not suited for hi-resolution printing.  So if your job is going to press and you have a Publisher file, it will have to be reworked.  A logo inside of a Publisher file may have to be recreated at hi-res.
• DOC: Microsoft Word documents are similar to Publisher.
• Web-sized: Typically, a GIF or JPG saved from the web, or for the web, are not easily used.

So what would I recommend?  Take a look at the files you have and create a brand pack containing an EPS, PSD, and PDF if you have them.  If you do not have any of these, it wouldn’t be a bad idea at all to have someone create this for you. If you have specific uses for your brand (i.e. It cannot be placed on a certain color background) then having that usage document handy, along with the logo files and typefaces will make your designer happy.

And with a happy designer, they are not spending extra time formatting your logo and actually working on your project.  That saves time.  That saves money.

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/bizior

Communications with clients has become a very complex and tangled web with the introduction of social media.  Social media is great as it can drastically increase your marketing reach, it also expands the number of ways you are able to be contacted.

How is this a bad thing, you ask?

Perhaps it is not actually that bad.  However, unmanaged, it can easily turn into some wild and unruly beast.  In reading Heather Vreeland’s blog, I see where she is upgrading…herself.  While all of the upgrades from 1.9 to 2.0 are great, the last tweak to her operating system was the one that really stood out the most.

“Funneling the avenues in which I can be reached :: I love Twitter and Facebook, but I can’t manage those inboxes in addition to my email. So, if you follow or friend me, try to contact me at heather@atlantaoccasions.com if you want to talk biz. I use my social networks primarily for business, but not necessarily as a point-of-contact. You’ll get a quicker response from me if you reach out via email.”

This stood out primarily because last week as super hectic for me and my business partner.  Preparing for a big weekend event does not mean your client’s needs are put on the back burner.  It does not mean you stop your company while you prepare.  It does not mean you stop communication.  It means you work extra to ensure your event goes off without a hitch while not allowing for any slip in normal business processes.  During this week, I had received contacts via Twitter direct message, Flickr mail, Shuttr messages, and Facebook all coupled with the usual barrage of emails and phone calls.  I always start returning phone calls first, then emails, and the social media contacts follow.  Overall, it can overwhelm you, and do it quick.

So… how do you want to be contacted?  If you prefer to be contacted via phone or email, then that is something you need to make clear.  I am not saying that you should ignore anything else that comes through but there is nothing wrong with replying, then kindly reminding your contacts that if they need a more prompt reply then phone or email will do the trick.

More importantly, how does your client or potential client wish to be contacted? If they have ended up following you on Twitter or added you as a friend on Facebook, that might not infer that is how they want to be contacted.  It might just be that they want to learn more about you, your company, or follow what is happening with your company.
One last note here would be the difficulty in tracking follow-ups.  I save just about every email.  If it is client related, I save everything.  It becomes a challenge to refer to conversations on Facebook, Twitter, as well as email.  Having everything in a single place makes tracking when I followed up much, much easier.

There is still nothing wrong with picking up the phone and talking to someone.

Start with the Printer

More times than not I see clients who have a vision and general direction for the project  but not quite sure about how to launch the creative process to bring it to fruition.  My recommendation is to begin with the printing company.  While many projects, such as flyers, postcards, business cards, etc. all have the same basic design specifications, different print vendors could request the files in a different format.  If it is a special project such as a billboard, banner, product label, or anything of the sort, find out from the printer how they need the files delivered to them and what the specifics are.  Giving this information to the designer will save them time in the long run.

If your project is for the web, such as a front end interface, banner, or other graphic, the same rules apply.  Design projects are often times governed by the specs that drive them, so the size of the banner ad, actual size limitations, file type, etc. are all important components that need to be addressed before the designer can get started.
Saving time translates to saving money.

Meeting

If you have not met with the designer before or just need some face time setup a meeting to talk over the project’s details.  Have some examples from similar projects showing what you like and don’t like.  Both of those prove vital when creating the first mockup.  E-mail and phone conversations and always convenient, but there are times when a meeting over some coffee gets everything on the table.  Meeting affords the client and designer the opportunity to sketch out ideas and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Project Files

One challenge to the overall design process would be obtaining quality files to work with.  By quality, I mean hi-resolution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_resolution) images.  At some point, your designer will be asking for hi-res images or files, which are typically 300DPI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_per_inch).  If you have these, that is great and you have moved your project along a little quicker.  If you don’t, let the designer know.  Some files can be upsized (to a limit) but there are some files that simply have to be hi-res.  Working on a brochure, you certainly do not want the main image, which carries the first impression, to be pixilated and of low quality.

My project is not going to be printed so I don’t need the hi-res files, right? Well, that would depend.  I would argue that any designer would prefer to have a very large file that needs to be sized down rather than a small file that has to be sized up.  So starting with the larger file will always prove to be the best path to take.  Also, your web project could easily carry a side project with it that might end up being printed.  Your website special advertisement might need a rack card, postcard, or flyer to assist your marketing efforts.  Starting with the hi-res files saves the designer time in having to seek that out.

I have enjoyed services such as YouSendIt.com to transfer larger files and save burning discs, mail, etc.

Deadlines

Be specific about when you need the project.  Typically when I see ASAP it means that the job is rushed but there is no hard and fast deadline to work against.  This can cause unwarranted tension on the entire process.  Should the job be a rush job, state that up front, but attach a date to it, even if you need to set that internally prior to speaking with the designer.  However, remember to build in your printer’s time as well.  If the printer needs a week to print, bind, cut, etc. then build that into the deadline so that the designer can get the files to the printer in time.  If the project is for the web, build in some proof time as well.  A behind the scenes link to the project online is great to give everyone a chance to see how it will work without being live to the public.  Adding a small fudge factor will be good just in case something unforeseen arises during the process.

Proofing

Even in rush jobs, the proofing stage is critical.  Missing something important, not catching a spelling error, or anything of the sort can be costly and cripple the final piece.  While this is vital in print, it is equally important for web work, though easier to change with web related pieces.  When you get the proof from the printer, it should really be that final piece of mind that everything is in place and ready to go.  Adding pages, changing photos, or working on copy is tougher the further the project goes and more costly.  Build in a proofing stage and ensure all of your ducks are in a row.

What about Designers?

Clients, this article is not solely for you.  If you are like me, you want a happy client, a paying client, a returning client, but also a great portfolio piece.  Running through the checklist above makes most of that possible but most importantly it helps alleviate any questions that can prohibit you from working efficiently. Chances are, your clients will not want to hear about how you are not getting what you need.  It is your job to walk them through the process and how you handle that can make or break you for future gigs.  Set expectations early, offer clear and friendly channels of communication, while also remaining firm on the type of input needed to turn around a quality product.

What I would recommend, if you are not already doing so, would be creating a check list or project form.  The document that I use contains the client contact information, project details, how the file will be delivered, specs, and any pertinent notes relating to creating the project.  In red, there is the deadline.  These hang on a project board until invoiced and provides a great way to track open projects while keeping relevant information together.

Related Links & Helpful Reading

• How to Get on the Same Page as Your Freelancer
• How to Get Quality Results on a Project You Needed Done Yesterday
• 5 Ways to Save Money on Freelancers
• Freelancers vs. Employees: What To Expect