Companies across the United States need to have solid logos to represent themselves to the general public, and creating a logo can be one of the immediate challenges for any new business. So when you need a logo for your company, how much should you be paying?
The truth is that the cost will depend on how you go about designing your company logo. Doing it yourself can mean you will have a minimal cost, but hiring a graphic designer or agency can mean that a logo could cost a couple of thousands of dollars.
It is also possible to buy logos from online logo makers that may be as inexpensive as $20 or use design crowdsourcing websites closer to $100. There are a number of variables factoring into how much you can expect to pay for a logo design.
Your Journey to Creating a Logo
When you are attempting to design your logo without any support, your process is still going to require some research, brainstorming, a variety of sketches, and possibly several different design concepts. All of these considerations are why custom logo packages can vary so wildly because the amount of time and effort necessary to get a job done can fluctuate wildly.
You first need to address exactly how you will be using your logo. A logo only being used digitally will be different from one that you plan on printing on business cards or other marketing materials.
Logos that will be used outside of the digital medium can change the type of logo file format you will use and the color variations you will need. Essentially there are two common categories for image files: raster and vector.
- Raster files are commonly used for editing images, photos, and graphics, and they are measured in dots per inch (DPI) with file extensions of either .jpg, .png, or .gif. Raster files are usually larger than vector files and contain millions of pixels with incredibly high levels of detail. This large size might impact device storage space and slow down page loading speeds, but you can compress raster files for storage and web optimization to make sharing faster and easier. Because raster files are based on a pixel grid, you will risk a logo becoming distorted if you change the image size.
- Vector files may be scaled to any size without losing quality. They work better for digital illustrations, complex graphics, and logos because the resolution of vectors remains the same when resized, so they are more suitable for a wide variety of printed formats. They can also be opened, edited, and saved in different programs with such file extensions as .ai, .eps, .svg, or .pdf.
While it is possible to make a high-resolution raster file work for your company, these files are typically not ideal for all applications. Vector files are again designed for logos and can ensure a logo looks its best across all different kinds of branded assets.
For color variations, you will want to have light, dark, and full-color versions of a logo for all of your branding needs as well as versions that have transparent backgrounds. Your exporting options for color will also range, with RGB being used for digitally displayed logos and CMYK being best for printed products.
Here are some of the different options you will have.
Making a Logo Yourself
When you want to showcase your own design abilities, then creating a logo yourself might be the way to go. You will still have to be capable of producing a logo that can be used across multiple channels.
You will usually need to first develop the logo design on paper and then select the best software that can help you give the logo life. Designing logos can be a challenge even for people with backgrounds in design, but doing it yourself does allow you to exercise creative control.
You can also utilize numerous online tutorials for help learning new software. Some examples include:
- Sketch — Sketch is only available on Mac OS X and costs $99 for a one-year license. It is a vector-based design software that lets you export a logo in various formats, including PDF, SVG, PNG, JPG, and EPS. Even though Sketch is becoming popular among people in the design community, it will not be right for print design needs because you cannot export logos in printer-friendly Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (CMYK) colors.
- Adobe Illustrator — Illustrator has long been the go-to app for many in the design industry because of the vector graphics, and it is built to work with other Adobe programs. This means that you are able to export your work in over 10 formats for digital and print use. An Adobe Creative Cloud membership will allow you to access this for $20.99 a month on an annual plan or $31.49 for month-to-month use.
- Vectr — Vectr is a free vector graphics editor that can be downloaded onto a desktop or used online. It offers helpful in-app lessons, and files may be exported in either raster or vector formats such as AI, PNG, JPG, and SVG.
- Canva — Canva offers multiple pricing plans, including Canva Free, which has no cost, Canva Pro, which is $119.99 a year, and Canva for Teams which runs $149.90 a year for the first five people. It has over 1,000 logo templates to customize and allows you to download your work as a JPG, PNG, PDF, or GIF.
Buying and Customizing a Logo Template
Using a premade template will eliminate some of the time and effort you need to create a logo from scratch. Since you must have software for customizing the design, many of the template logo files will be compatible with Adobe Illustrator.
You will still need a paid subscription to such programs. You also need time to alter colors and change the generic text to your brand’s name.
Some templates will come with more than just a logo, possibly including a branding package and social media designs. You will want to read a template description so you can know what you are getting, including all of the file types that are included.
One drawback can be that using a template might mean another person has a very similar logo to the one you choose. Avoid paying for a design that is being too commonly used.
Some of your options will include:
- Creative Market — Creative Market has more than 49,000 logo templates that range from only $2 to as much as $500. The cost will include a bundle that has two licensing options: standard for businesses not exceeding 500 sales and extended for unlimited sales. You will likely spend three times the listed cost for an extended license.
- Adobe Spark — Adobe Spark has hundreds of logo templates that are free. You must pay $9.99 per month for Adobe Spark software to edit them. Adobe Spark specifically caters to users who have a solid design sense and want more control in designing their own logos.
- GraphicRiver — GraphicRiver has almost 58,000 templates, with low-grade templates costing about $10. The higher-end bundles will be around $200. Most non-exclusive logo packages cost $30 to $50 and come in vector-based files.
- Etsy — Etsy lets you find several logo design templates ranging from $15 to $250. Some sellers may customize a design for an additional price. Be careful with the file type you will receive because you want to get a source file or a vector file you can make changes to or scale as needed. Some sellers offer files in Adobe Illustrator or Canva.
Using an Online Logo Maker
You do not always need to purchase or learn design software because logo makers can be one of the cheapest options available. Some websites will not charge anything to use the service because you will only pay when you are ready to download a logo file.
An online logo maker such as Looka may be able to generate multiple logo variations using basic information about a company and design preferences. You can edit and tweak mockups as you choose.
While logo makers cost less, the quality of your designs can also differ significantly. Despite having free options, paid options are more likely to give you the correct files necessary to confidently use a logo.
You also get customer support with the most paid options. Looka offers a basic PNG logo package for $20 or $65 for a high-resolution logo package that has PNG, EPS, SVG, and PDF files.
You are also able to purchase a subscription to the Brand Kit offering many different templates for invoices, branded flyers, business cards, and social media graphics.
Using Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing acts as a sort of contest in which you will post a detailed logo brief to a designer community, including the price you are willing to pay for a design. Freelancers will then submit their designs for the chance to be picked.
After a design is finalized, a designer sends your logo to you in multiple file types. Some of the crowdsourcing options include:
- 99designs — At 99designs, seven-day contests will be divided into two rounds, qualifying and final. You will get the chance to give designers feedback and have up to two weeks to review the final submitted designs before you choose a winner. Logo packages can range from $399 to $1699, with the most expensive option being limited to top-level designers. You must pay for your design contest upfront, but there is a money-back guarantee.
- DesignCrowd — DesignCrowd lets you set a three, five, or 10-day deadline for a design contest and also provides a detailed design brief. You can launch a contest for $129 and get as many as 50 designs from a handful of designers. This also involves a money-back guarantee.
- DesignHill — Crowdsourcing a logo on DesignHill begins at $249, while top designers will cost $699. You can also choose your contest duration and will have to pay the costs upfront.
Hiring a Freelance Logo Designer
When you hire a freelancer, you may get to work with an expert who can create a professional logo design. You will also get to see multiple concepts.
Depending on your chosen designer’s skill, a logo might cost anywhere between $250 and $2,500. When you are selecting a freelancer, you should note their experience and how they bill (some want hourly pay while others earn by project).
Freelancers with less experience can cost less, but your process can also be more stressful. You have several different platforms to find freelance logo designers.
- Dribbble — While Dribble has a free basic membership, searching for designers for hire costs $299 a month or $199 per month for basic designer search packages. You can use the platform to set how much you are willing to pay, the type of work you need, and the experience level you are seeking. Designers will set their own hourly rates, which may range from $15 to $200 per hour based on their experience.
- Fiverr — With Fiverr, you get to set a style, file format, price range, and design deadline. You must pay a designer upfront for their work, and the cost will typically be in the $25 to $150 an hour range. Fiverr has three packages, basic, standard, and premium, and each own comes with its own design and file download options. As it relates to simple logo design, packages are usually $50 to $100.
- Upwork — Upwork considers itself to be the biggest freelance exchange in the world, and most designers here charge between $10 and $200 per hour. Your basic account is free, but there is a 3 percent transaction fee. When you upgrade to a pro account, Upwork will handpick freelancers for a flat fee of $500 and an additional 20 percent transaction fee. Upwork also lets you hold your funds in escrow, meaning designers have to complete jobs to be paid.
Hiring a Logo Design Agency
This is generally the most expensive logo option for companies. Agencies can charge anywhere from $2,500 for a basic logo design to $5,000 or even as much as $10,000.
When you are considering hiring an agency, you need to consider the deposit, because you may have to pay as much as 50 percent of the cost for a logo design before an agency begins to work, your contract, which not all agencies ask you to sign but when they do can put you legally on the hook for paying the full fee after the work is complete, and the time involved, meaning that you might have to give an agency a little more time to complete a logo.
Other Costs You Need to Consider
When a logo is complete, you may want to use your customized designs on social media and business cards. This can add more costs that you will have to keep in mind.
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SERP Matrix specializes in many digital efforts, including logo and graphic design. We have an experienced graphic design team that can work with you to produce a professional design that you and your customers will always remember.
You should also be aware that SERP Matrix offers professional photography services. Turn to us for help with landing page design and testing.
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