A very common request designers must make from their clients is for the vector artwork file of their logo. If you’re lucky the original logo designer provided your client with a folder full of all the file types you could ever need for their logo. If you are not, then the following steps may help you achieve your vector art goal as they have worked for me for many years:
1) Ask for original designers contact info
If they can provide you with this then you should be home free, otherwise keep reading.
2) Ask by file type
Many times I began by asking my clients for an EPS, AI or PDF logo file. This is sort of a 50/50 gamble, because even though these file type are normally vector they can still be raster (pixel based) artwork. My palms always sweat as I zoom in closer and closer hoping and praying I don’t see pixels, but sometimes it happens so you have to revert to #3 below.
3) Try to explain what Vector means
While this is a good way to make you sound smart (nerd), I do not suggest going down this road. To many people outside of “the biz” this is just a bunch of jargon. “It’s mathematically based, so you can make it as big as you want unlike a rasterized artwork which can pixelate if it’s too large…” Honestly, they really shouldn’t be expected to know this either. Why would they? Maybe just send them this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics
4) Pluck out of a PDF
I can’t tell you how many times I have been able to get vector artwork from a PDF on a companies website. Simply Google “clientswebsite.com .pdf” and hopefully their will be a long list of PDF results to choose from. Find a PDF with the logo, download it, open the PDF in Adobe Illustrator (or other favorite vector program), and most of the time there will be the vector logo waiting for you. One drawback from this can be an old version of logo. I always double check artwork with companies logo shown on homepage before continuing. Another drawback can be the colors were converted to RGB or CMYK, which can be a problem if you need exact PMS.
5) For larger companies, Try Brandsoftheworld.com (or similar sites)
I use this site a lot for client when they have large company sponsors like Coke Cola or Mc Donald’s etc. Brandsoftheworld.com gives you access to most of the big brands around these days. For many of these logos come with a brand guidelines PDF is available so you can double check restrictions on scale, minimum spacing around logo, typefaces, etc. Sometimes I download complicated logos just to dissect and see how they were actually created. I should emotion just as the PDF has drawback so does this. Many of the logos on this site and others like it are outdated, so be sure and double check with logo on companies website.
6) Recreate it
I’m not saying you should tackle recreating the most complicated logos, but some logos are so simple that it might be your best option. To do this you should either be gifted in type identification or use whatthefont.com to determine typeface. If you have the typeface(s) great, but if not first see if there are free versions available. If you must purchase then discuss with client about adding to bill. Many times a typeface can be around $20, but some type families get in the hundreds! DO NOT try and recreate the type by hand. Typeface creation is an art form in itself and should not be attempted by amateurs like me. While recreating the logo is last on my list, sometimes it can be a lot faster than the back and forth process.
While many of the above solutions don’t necessarily meet the strictest brand guidelines they are much better than printing out 1000s of brochures with a pixelated logo. I hope that these steps will help you in your search for vector artwork.
