Tips and Advice: Low-Res .jpeg files

We’ve all been there…  Customer brings in a low resolution logo or image and wants you to set up and create a huge full color banner or graphic. Obvious solution: Redraw and charge for redesign. But is it worth it for a project that might not cover the cost for your time. Here are some options/steps to consider before a redraw.

Option/Step #1: (and probably the most important).

Educate your client- Explain the difference between high quality and low quality images. Between raster image files and vector files. Then show the differences. A raster edged image in comparison to a smooth edged vector logo. If you are printing ask for a higher resolution image. Sometimes an image at high quality can look good.

Option/Step #2:

Check different websites for their logo. Brands of the world is a good place to start.

Option/Step #3:

Search the companies website for branding materials with the client’s logo. PDF files are amazing finds for logo graphics. Also search websites that contain branding or press releases for the logo-owning company. PDF files can be multiple pages. Save the PDF and open in Illustrator and you will be able to page through the PDF file to the right page before opening it. I’ve found this incredibly helpful when looking for a college logo.

Option/Step #4:

Finding the correct font can be the most time consuming process in a redraw. Who wants to sit there and make text smooth or look something like what they have only to get done redrawing it and have them complain about how a leg of an A is different than the original logo. Frustrating! So… Try this, ‘What the font’ is an amazing tool. You can upload an image of the file and if it has a readable font or one that hasn’t been made specifically for that client it can match it. Otherwise there is another way on the same site (myfonts.com) that will ask you a series of questions about the font in question. I’ve found they come close.

Anything helps with logo recreation. Hopefully some of these tips will work for you!