Ultimate Logo Checklist to Follow For Logo Submission

In the age of digital marketing, logos have become much more important. Designers now create logos in various forms and variations, so they must follow a logo checklist to ensure their designs are easily adaptable for different uses.

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Apart from designing, what is also important is that these logos are delivered to the clients in the right format. More often than, it happens that the logos are not provided in the right image format or in the right color format. This can result in huge problems each time the client uses the logo. Initially, designers were very professional about how to submit the final logo files. But today, some self-proclaimed designers are popping up almost every other day. All they need is a decent internet connection and basic skills in design applications. However, they lack the work ethic and understanding of proper design practices. As a result, they submit final logo files erratically, causing overall confusion. That’s why following a clear logo checklist to follow is essential to ensure consistent and organized logo delivery.

1. Does the Logo Resonate with the Brand?

The logo represents the brand’s visual identity, so it must reflect the brand in every possible way. As a designer, you likely started with thorough research and aligned your concept with the brief. However, client feedback, evolving ideas, or sudden inspiration may have taken the design off course. That’s why you need a logo checklist to follow to ensure your final design stays true to the brand and brief. Once you finish the design, revisit the brief and verify if the logo still aligns with the brand. This step is a crucial part of the logo checklist to follow before final submission. Make sure the logo represents the values, products/services, or brands by using the right visual elements like colors, fonts, and images.

2. Is the Logo Adaptable?

preserver-s=””>paces=”true”>Gone are the days when the logo was used in a single format in the form of print or other media. Today, logos are used extensively and that too in different formats across various mediums. As a designer, you need to ensure that the logo you have made is adaptable for all formats. Check the scalability of the logo to see how it will look when used in a large application. At the same time, also check how it will be used in a very small application. If need be, revisit the intricate designs you have made in the logo, as these will not be visible when the logo is used in a very small size. The same goes for font style, as a very thin font may not be legible.

3. Is the Logo Very Similar to Another Logo?

No client wants a copied logo — period. Yet, many amateur designers harm the integrity of logo design by copying or slightly tweaking existing logos and presenting them as original work. To maintain professionalism and creativity, designers must ensure originality as part of the essential logo checklist to follow. Hence, whenever you are submitting a logo, make sure to do a reverse image search of the logo on Google. You will get the nearby results. If you see there are other visually similar logos, then it is advisable that you revisit the logo to make it as unique as possible.

4. Can this Logo be Controversial?

It takes brands years of hard work and persistence to be formed. But it takes only one moment to break its reputation. History has been full of cases where brands have come up with a new branding style or logo and received intense backlash instantly. The overall tolerance of people is decreasing, and with social media, it is easy to create a hate campaign against you. To avoid this, you need to take a moment and analyze the logo checklist to follow and see if it is inclusive enough and will not hurt anyone’s sentiments. Furthermore, you need to ensure that the logo’s message does not discriminate against any race, sex, gender, or culture.

5. Does this Logo have a Good Story to Tell?

The core to good branding is good storytelling. Your story should be honest enough and clearly communicated so that all the users connect to it. This is also true for the logo. The logo is not just a combination of a few shapes; it is a visual representation of the brand. Hence it is important to have a good story for the logo. When you submit the logo, you need to provide the client with an explanation for the logo and the thought process that went behind it. Hence, you need to have such a strong element in the logo, and if you can’t incorporate one, you need to weave a convincing story associated with the logo.

6. Am I Using the Right Mockups?

As a designer, you’re doing a half-baked job if you don’t provide mockups along with the logo. Mockups are essential to help clients visualize how the logo will look in different applications. They also give designers valuable feedback on how the logo performs in various environments, making it a crucial step in the logo checklist to follow. But it is also important to use the right type of mockups depending on the brand. You should go for a mixed bag of mockups, from standard business stationery to hoardings, visiting cards, websites, and social media. If it is a B2C company, then you should also provide mockups that depict the packaging and labeling of the brand. Often, not using the right mockups can take away the thunder from the logo and provide incorrect feedback.

7. Providing the Logo in Right Structures:

The logo will not be just a simple image that you can send to the client. Once you have finalized the logo, you will need to create separate structures for it. For your logo checklist to follow, this will include:

and name, and also the tagline.</li>

i>preserver-spaces=”true”>Vertical / Horizontal Logo: Often, the client will need to use the logo in a different orientation, so y

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ou need to tweak the final logo accordingly. For example, the vertical orientation logo will look well on social media posts, but on the website header, the client will have to use a horizontal orientation logo.

eserver-spaces=”true”>Logomark: This is just the icon or the vector or the imagery of the logo. More than often, this is used on a standalone basis as the brand element on various mediums.
Wordmark: This is just the company/brand name in the text. The font styling is the same as that of the logo. The client may use this on applications where visual representation is restrained.
Favicon: This is the small icon that we see in the browser tab. This may or may not be the same as the logomark.

8. Providing the Right Color Variations:

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Just like you need to provide the logo in different orientation formats, you also need to provide variations in terms of colors. This is important as the client can use these variations depending on applications. This will include the following:

Full Color: This will be the base logo that has been approved by the client and theone that will be used the most.</li>

Inverse: Sometimes, you will need to use the logo on a darker background, which may require changing a few colors of the logo. As it may not come out well in this background. You need to provide an inverse logo option for use on darker or colorful backgrounds.</li>

Black: While clients usually want the logo in full color, some applications especially in print require using only one color. Hence, you need to provide the logo in full black option.

White: The all-white logo works best on dark or colorful backgrounds, opposite to the full-color option.

9. Providing the Right File Formats:

This point is what marks the difference between amateur designers and professional designers. Editable file formats include:

SVG – Designers prefer this file format because they can easily edit it using Inkscape, Illustrator, CorelDraw, or any other vector graphics application.

AI – Designers prefer this file format as most logos are created in Illustrator. This is also needed by the client to send to the printers as they generally work in this format.
EPS – This is another vector-based editable format and can work in Illustrator and even CorelDraw.
PDF – Another good editable file that works well if the client does not have to alter the logo much. The good part is that PDF is easy to view and use even for nondesign fraternity.
erver-s=””>paces=”true”>PSD – This format is for a layered Photoshop file, and it is a good idea to provide this file format as well in case the client wants to further use the layers.

As part of the logo checklist to follow, make sure you provide JPEG and PNG versions of the logo along with editable formats.

ata-preserver-spaces=”true”>10. Providing Extensive Logo Usage Guidelines:

preserver=””>-spaces=”true”>You will waste all your effort if you don’t support it with a well-drafted document that guides the client on how to use the logo files. Hence, providing the <a href=”https://medium.design/logos-and-brand-guidelines-f1a01a733592″>logo usage guidelines along with the logo is a must. You should explain each of the above logo formats and files in it and go a step extra and provide a list of do’s and do not’s for the logo. This will include how to use the logo visually. You should include the mockups in this document as well as they will support your case of explaining the logo usage along with the story and process of the logo making. Another recommended addition will be the font style that you have added. You can also add a mood board to this document and extend it from a logo guide to overall visual brand guidelines.

If you think your job ends once you get your logo approved, think again. Missing any critical points can waste all your design efforts. You might design a logo for one use, but the client could use it differently and spoil its look. So, bookmark this ultimate logo checklist to follow before submission.