Logo file preparation services

What to send

Files prepared by audience

Colour conversion done carefully

Converting a logo between screen and print colour modes is not just a menu option. Some bright screen colours cannot be printed exactly, and automatic conversion can produce dull or shifted results. A careful service chooses print values deliberately, ideally using references from previous print jobs or a swatch guide, and records them so future suppliers can match.

Where colours have never been specified, the service can propose values for your approval.

How the service runs

1. 01

   Review

   Master file checked; gaps in versions identified.

   Output: File plan

2. 02

   Prepare

   Variants built and colour values set.

   Output: Approved variants

3. 03

   Export

   Formats and sizes for each audience.

   Output: File library

4. 04

   Hand over

   Organised folders, read-me and colour values.

   Output: Supplier-ready set

Embroidery and digitising

• Simplified artwork

  Bold shapes and limited colours, prepared as vector art.

• Digitising

  The embroiderer converts artwork into a stitch file for their machine.

• Small text

  Very small lettering may not stitch legibly and may need enlarging or removing.

When the master needs work first

If the only master file is a low-resolution image, it needs vectorizing before a full set can be prepared. A good service will say so rather than exporting blurry files in many formats. Combining vectorization and file preparation in one job is usually more efficient than doing them separately.

Quality checks before handover

A careful service opens each exported file to check it: vector files contain real paths, text is outlined, colours are in the correct mode, transparent backgrounds are truly transparent and small icons are still legible. These checks take little time and prevent the frustrating discovery that a file sent to a printer does not work.

Ask whether the provider will test a file with one of your suppliers before finalising.

Platform-specific sizes

Social platforms, marketplaces and app stores each request their own image sizes, and these change from time to time. A provider can prepare files for the platforms you use now and explain how to export further sizes from the master if requirements change. Listing your platforms at the start avoids gaps.

Choosing a provider

• Asks about your suppliers

  Files will be tailored to real needs.

• Checks the master first

  Avoids exporting poor artwork in many formats.

• Explains colour choices

  Shows care with print and screen values.

The read-me note

A short note in the top folder explaining which files to use for print, screen and icons, with colour values and the font names, answers many questions from staff and suppliers. It is a small addition that makes the set usable by people who have never seen it before.

When suppliers change

New printers, sign makers or developers can be sent the relevant folder straight away. Because the files come from one master, results stay consistent whoever produces them.

Keeping control

Store the finished set in a shared folder your business owns, not only in the provider's archive or an individual's inbox.

Engraving, stamps and other special uses

Laser engraving, rubber stamps, etched glass and debossed packaging usually need a single solid colour with no fine lines or gradients, sometimes as a positive or negative version. Mentioning these uses at the start lets the provider prepare suitable artwork alongside the main set, rather than adapting files later for each supplier.