There are so many businesses that start out on a shoestring and have to cut corners, understandably. But if you're starting a new business, make it a priority to hire an experienced designer to create your logo for you. Require that they create a VECTOR based logo. If they don't know what that means, then they don't know what they're doing and you need to find someone else.
Let me digress for just a moment and define some terms.
When something is made in a vector format, it's created using solid shapes that are filled with one flat color. While some vector based logos and illustrations can get complex, they are still created from a foundation of solid shapes that have a distinct edge.
When something is a photograph, that is called a raster image or PIXEL-based. Pixel based graphics are made up of numerous tiny squares (or pixels). And when looked at closely, you can see that they break up as they enlarge.
I had a client recently that was sort of taken aback when I asked to take the photograph out of their logo and redesign it. They created the logo 12 years ago and have become quite attached to it over the years. They are the nicest people and this logo has some unusual sentimental value which can sometimes stand in the way of seeing things objectively.
What's wrong with using a photograph or "picture" in your logo? Three main reasons.
1. Photos are made of pixels. We've all seen photos that were blown up too big and they look like doo-doo. Well, same goes for a logo. It's limiting. While at the time of logo creation, you may think you'll just need it for letterhead and ads, 5 years down the road, you might need it for a poster. And that photo-based logo file is going to have to be rebuilt to look good at that poster size. (I hope you still have the original photo to scan.)
Then 5 years later, you decide to do a billboard, and your photo logo will have to be rebuilt again. (I hope you still have the original photo to scan again and I hope it's REALLY sharp.) But if you start with a VECTOR based logo, you can blow it up as large as your mind can imagine and it'll look just as good as it does on your business card. Plus, it doesn't require a terabyte of hard drive space to store. Not to mention all the time and headache of recreating it over and over again. It's that simple.
2. Photos aren't adaptable to a variety of mediums. In other words, photo logos can easily print on paper, but try embroidering a photo onto a hat or creating a wooden sign in front of your store or making a foil stamp or....
3. Readability. Photos are complex. Logos should be simple graphic representations of your business—just as clear and easy to make out at 2 inches as they are at 20 inches.
Start smart - go vector.
by Trish McCabe Rawls
