A company logo means a whole lot more: it represents not only the company’s ideology but can also be a symbol of the strength of a company’s branding. To a graphic designer, the challenge lies in producing a logo that expresses this. Statistics show that the logo design of 94% of the world’s most famous brands do not indicate what product they are actually selling. What that tells us is that a company does not have to rely on the product they are selling, but have used their name to create a reliable brand, and a brand that is consistent with its products gains a good reputation. Logos fall into three different categories: iconic, illustrative and typographic.

Iconic logo’s feature both wording and a picture, while typographic designs use only words and are favoured by more traditional or conservative companies. Illustrative logo’s are created by using only a picture or graphics ,so need to be extremely clear and are also one of the hardest types of logos to get right.

There are a few general rules to remember when designing a company logo.

• Make sure the lettering and typeface are clear and easy distinguished.
• Keep the design simple but memorable. Unique designs can be effective if they aren’t too complex.
• A logo must suit the company. It should be able to grow with the company, so that in 50 years’ time the logo is still appropriate.
• It must be able to be applied to a wide range of mediums.
• Keep the logo colour limited. Logos with too much colour only make the designs too busy, which leads to confusion.
• Never use clip-art or base logo’s on existing designs. Apart from this being illegal, it conveys poor work ethics.
• Ensure the finished product is balanced. This means that it has a good combination of graphics or wording with good contrasting colours.

It is important that you do a bit of research before starting the design. Look at competitors from the same field and work out what makes their logo so effective. By comparing the different logos, you can be sure to design a logo that is unique to the field – which is a sure way to stand out from the crowd. If possible, find a symbol that represents the company on another level. The Nike ‘swoosh’ symbol is a perfect example – apart from being a simple and memorable design, it also has mythological ties as it was created to reflect the wing of Victory, the Greek Goddess. Never incorporate a by-line within the logo, and try to avoid using big words.

Interestingly enough, over 52% of the world’s most recognisable logos use 6 letters or less in their design, while a further 62% of these restrict the design to one word only. Another interesting fact is that 52% of top recognised brands use a solid background, while 40% use blue as the dominant colour. But the most important thing to remember is to make sure the logo suits the company it is designed for.

Is it time to print your logo on some signage? Contact Wild FX Signage & Print today.

The post Company Logo: The Do’s and Don’ts appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

Effective marketing is a game-changer for businesses nowadays, it is not enough to just provide quality products or services as most businesses operate in a competitive market. You need to tell your consumers why they should choose you and what you can provide for them.

Print marketing is an effective and engaging communication tool that plays an incredibly strong role for both businesses and consumers. The significance of having a well-recognised brand and good print marketing can dramatically increase sales, grow businesses and engage potential customers. Having something tangible can help sell your products or services and creates customer interaction and engagement. The fact is most businesses want to make money and marketing yourself is an essential channel to reach that end goal.

1. Business Cards

Business Cards are an obvious one as they display basic information about a company or individual. This often includes the name, phone number, title or company, website, tagline, and social media handles. You can hand out Business Cards anywhere including networking events, trade shows, meetings, and conferences. You should also place them on your desk or reception area so visitors can easily take a card for reference later. Being prepared with personalised Business Cards adds some legitimacy and professionalism to your business.

2. Brochures

Brochures are an integral part of your branding process and identity. They are a vital communication piece about your products and services that a potential customer can take with them. It keeps the face of your business/brand in their hands as well as their heads, reminding them of your services. Brochures are often folded into a pamphlet or leaflet for easy storage and transportation. They usually contain images, text, and various design elements to show your brand’s look while offering detailed advertising information. Brochures are easy to hand out and are great for people passing by who could be potential customers. Brochures are so versatile and can be mailed, included in packaged orders, or you hand just them out at meetings and events.

3. Banners

Banners are perfect for advertising your event, products or brand right where the action happens. With eye-catching designs, they effectively broadcast your message notifying consumers of a sale, special, or promotion. Banners are very versatile and can be used anywhere in your desired place for effective marketing. They can be easily folded and packed into your suitcase making them an ideal travel companion! In addition to getting people’s attention and sharing information about an event or promotion, Banners can help to grow brand awareness. If people constantly walk or drive past your banner they are likely to take notice and become familiar and remember your brand.

4. A-frames

Businesses should definitely take advantage of passing foot traffic by using signage such as our A-frames. Our A-frames allow you to change your message as many times as you like or need. Many businesses are frequently changing information about services or products, this type of signage is certainly a great investment. When placed strategically with eye-catching designs, they effectively broadcast your message notifying consumers of a sale, special, or promotion that will surely make an impression and draw in customers.

5. Custom Stickers

Let’s face it, the fact is that people just really like stickers, and if your stickers are creative and attractive enough, then they’ll be sticking them on anything and everything. Sticker marketing commands the viewer’s attention and can be placed virtually anywhere including walls, windows, cars, computers, backpacks, sidewalks, doors and machinery making it a powerful, low-cost marketing tool. When you apply a promotional sticker on something you’re essentially endorsing that brand. In other words, anyone who sees the sticker will see it as a personal recommendation, turning the sticker into a form of word-of-mouth marketing.

Looking to get some printing or signage done for your business? Contact Wild FX Signage & Print today.

The post 5 Must Have Marketing Items For Your New Business! appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

In this day and age, we pretty much have relied on the convenience of technology in acquiring and keeping people’s contact details. But the downside of this convenience is that it makes these business transactions impersonal, and kinda ingenuine.

Creative treatments to different brand identities have spawned different business card design trends over the years.

1. Letterpress

Letterpress business cards are made using a traditional printing press technique that’s been around for centuries. The manual labor and intricate effort that this method requires truly make it a timeless craft in itself.

The standard, modern printers you’re probably familiar with mixes ink and prints them flat on paper almost instantaneously. On the other hand, letterpress machines leave impressions on paper. These impressions can be embossed (raised on the card’s surface) or debossed (sunken deep within the card’s surface), giving it a more tactile and textured look. In print, letterpress machines offer limited colour options, but this makes letterpress business cards simple and minimalistic.

Although printing with this method is time-consuming, letterpress business cards are appreciated for their detail and effort, making them more valuable than standard printed business cards.

2. Risograph print

Like letterpress business cards, Risograph business cards use an old printing method by using the Risograph machine. Referred to as “Riso” by its adoring cult following, Riso machines create stencils and print on paper one colour at a time. This results in exceptionally vibrant, textured prints that are hard to replicate.

These machines are similar to photocopying machines, in a way that they are both great for mass printing due to their speed and very low cost. This instantly became popular with artists and designers in the ‘90s and its influence is evident in the art scene to this day.

3. Stamped

Taking manual business card printing methods to the next level, hand-stamped business cards are made by using rubber stamps with an ink pad to leave a mark on a blank card or virtually any surface. Manually stamping your cards give them a crafty and distinct character. This method of business card making is also one of the easiest methods because all of the tools that you will need are portable and making them is very quick to do, you can even make a freshly printed card on the go.

Another benefit of hand-stamped business cards is its versatility. The stamp can be used for other purposes other than making business cards, like marking letters, postcards, package designs, and practically anything you want to leave a mark on.

While the first three business card design trends were focused on their printing methods, the next three designs are embellishments and are decorative in nature. These designs can certainly add some personality to your business cards.

4. Paint-dipped

As the name suggests, this type of business card design involves dipping business cards in any type of paint; usually dye, watercolour, or acrylic. The colour from the dipping paint gives plain-coloured business cards an accent colour. And because dipping them by hand isn’t completely controlled and consistent, each and every single card comes out slightly different from the rest, which makes them truly one of a kind.

5. Foil

Foil business cards are known to have metallic foil impressions as embellishments. These business cards use metallic gold, silver, copper, or even rose gold impressions to give them a sleek and shiny finish. The end result gives an elegant design that makes business cards look expensive and luxurious, making them perfect for luxury brands.

6. Painted edge

The painted edge design is about putting coloured ink on the side edges of each business card. While most business card designs only play around the front and back sides of the card, this design makes the most of the entire business card by putting colour on the side edges as well. This makes it look more playful and distinguishable—even if you can’t see what’s written on the card itself.

7. Clear plastic

What makes clear plastic business card design different from the rest on this list is that its strength primarily lies in the card’s material: see-through plastic. Plastic business cards are unique, modern, and most importantly, more durable than most business cards. They can be completely transparent, opaque, frosted, or even tinted with colour. Putting coloured plastic business cards against a light source also leaves an interesting coloured shadow.

To conclude…

Business cards may be old fashioned but these design trends elevate them to the modem world through innovation and creativity. More than just a business tool, your personal business card is also an extension of your brand and personal identity. This allows other people to recognize you or your company’s identity, making way for trust, which can result in good and lasting business relationships.

The post Unique Business Card Design Trends For 2021 appeared first on Wild FX Signage & Print.

Let’s face it, unless your business looks professional, your customers are going to go straight to your competitors.

It is easy to understand why small business owners would choose to do these things on a budget. The only problem is that they will need to fix this later on and it will cost a lot more.

Graphic design most certainly requires a creative expert. Getting a good graphic designer that understands what works so that your products and services communicates.

A good graphic designer will know what your competition does and they will take your ideas into mind. Then deliver a number of creative solutions to get your message across to your customers.

One of the many important aspects of developing your logo and artwork with a graphic designer is that it is created with the right software so that any printer can print it. You will also get your artwork delivered to you in the right format.

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