Logo/Graphic Setup Takes Time and Expertise

I want to answer a question we hear regularly. People ask why it costs to get their logo or graphic setup to engrave. Designers sometimes query why, with their high-quality, vector art work, we should charge for this.

The above illustration gives the answer – let me explain each panel.

First, I had a customer send me artwork from Google that he wanted me to duplicate and manipulate. I explained that we could not work with copyrighted material - the $250,000 fine is compelling even if the ethics aren’t - so he bought it.

Second, the artwork had to be digitized (changed from pixels to lines and points) and broken apart to remove the portions not wanted and get rid of the circle on the tee. Like most graphics programs, pieces are either above or below other pieces. They can be welded in various ways that will determine how the fill – which is the pattern chosen for the various sectors - will appear. The thing is a lot of skill goes into this step, grouping or layering incorrectly creates nothing but a mess.

Third, once the artwork is digitized and properly grouped/layered all the little lines that the diamond will cut need to be added. If you look closely at the third illustration, you’ll see at the bottom of the ball, the shadowing – which in print is just laid in color – needs to have that sector created  and made to be a background to each of those little dots.

The final step is to decide what sort of fill best suits the look we want to accomplish. There are lots of options – island, S sweep, line sweep, spiral and the reverse of these as well. Often it isn’t obvious which will achieve the desired look until several options are tried.

This ALL takes time to do well and I think we do it as well or better than anyone, so here again, you get what you pay for. We appreciate that you agree!