Your graphic designer has moved on and you’ve lost touch. Now your printer tells you they need the digital file of your logo for that upcoming brochure. What to do? Many people find themselves in this situation and must pay for costly re-creations, because they don’t have a copy of digital files for logos, stationery and other materials.
Remember, it’s much more professional to use consistent graphic elements in all of your marketing efforts. Here’s a list of things to get from your designer so that you always have what you need and can avoid reinventing the wheel.
Logo
Get two versions of the file:
- an original file, usually created in a vector-based illustration program such as Adobe Illustrator, which has graphic elements on different layers so that they can be edited
- a flattened (print-ready) version of this file saved in a format such as .eps or .jpg
It’s important to have the original, vector-based file because this file can be edited and scaled up in size (such as for a banner or billboard) without losing image quality. If instead your logo was created in a raster (pixel)-based program such as Adobe Photoshop, you will want to ask for the largest, highest resolution file available. Note that you cannot use the web version (low resolution) of your logo or other images in print materials.
Pantone Matching System (PMS) Numbers
You should make note of the PMS numbers for colors used in your print pieces. This ensures that you get the same shade of color, regardless of which print provider you use.
Fonts
Ask the designer to identify the fonts and/or provide the font files used in your logo and other marketing materials. If you do not provide a printer with the font files, a different font may be substituted and the text of your print piece will reflow to give you unexpected results. You may also wish to use the same font(s) in a future project.
Artwork or Photo Files
May sure you have a copy of any customized graphics used in your branding materials (e.g. special headers, backgrounds, custom illustrations) which would be time-consuming and costly for a new designer to re-create.
You should also retain any images purchased from a stock photography collection for use in your project.
Make sure to get original files. Images pasted into a Microsoft Word document are not sufficient!
Name of the Printer
To ensure consistent quality for reprints, keep the contact information of the printer who produced your materials.
Type of Paper Used
Whiteness and brightness of paper type varies and affects the quality of the final print piece. Know what type of paper was used for your print job.
