When a new client gets in touch asking about logo design for their start-up, I understand their budget is often very tight. With AI logo generators that promise a polished logo design for a one-off subscription – or even free – within 24 hours, I can see why they are an attractive option. However, I know this potential client doesn’t quite understand what problems they could encounter by going down this route and what they will missing compared to using a graphic designer for their logo design.
This blog breaks down the real cost of an AI logo compared to the lasting value of using a professional graphic designer. I’ve compared the upfront cost, file quality, originality, style guides and the long-term cost.
Upfront Cost
There is definitely a higher upfront cost to using a professional graphic designer. For a full logo design from scratch, you would be looking in the region of £500+ for a freelancer, or £1000+ for an agency. This compared to a very low upfront cost of using an AI generator where you’ll often have to sign-up for a 1 month subscription of around £20 to download your logo.
So what do you get for your money…
High resolution files that can be printed
A graphic designer will draw your logo from scratch meaning they will draw it using vectors in a programme such as Adobe Illustrator. In drawing with vectors it means that your file will be created with shapes that use mathematical equations which allows for infinite scalability without losing quality. Vector files are often formats like .AI and .EPS.
Files that are created from AI logo generators are usually made up of pixels rather than vectors, these are grids of tiny coloured squares and when they are increased in size you are able to see each square more prominently causing a blurry or ‘pixelated’ look. Files that will look pixelated when enlarged too much are .JPG, .PNG and .BMP.
If you are unable to scale your logo larger than 4cm (ideal for a business card) you’ll never be able to print your logo in high quality on anything larger. You’ll mainly have a logo you can only use on the web. In the future you may require signage, embroidery on work-wear, roller banners, posters or brochures – for all of these items a graphic designer will request a high resolution or vector logo to make sure your items print at the highest quality.
A graphic designer will always provide you with a range of files for web and print. Plus, they will include the vector files for when you need to print your logo larger.
It’s not possible to ‘enhance’ a logo to make it better for print if it’s too small in the first place. It also isn’t possible to ‘save’ a pixel based logo as a vector file. The whole file would need to be redrawn in a vector-based programme, which will incur extra costs.
A logo that is unique, effective and memorable
To be able to design a memorable logo that represents your business, a graphic designer will understand your values, mission and target audience. They will also undertake research of your competitors, industry and themes you would like to use to ensure your logo is unique and effective. Knowing the planned purpose of the logo also helps with creating a solution that works for your business. There are many rounds of revisions involved in a logo design process and this means it would be highly unlikely your logo is the same as anyone else’s.
I’ve seen AI logo generators offering to ‘create a logo you’ll love’, however sometimes it’s not about what you love as a business owner – it’s about having a logo to represent your business. Also, an AI-generated logo will lack the uniqueness required to create a strong brand identity because the logos created are based on templates. AI pulls together information from vast libraries of common icons, fonts and patterns and remixes them to create 100s of logos in seconds – surely all these logos can’t work for your business! Your logo can end up looking very generic and similar to others. This can end up leading to confusion, hinders memorability and could result in legal issues through copyright or trademark infringement.
A style guide to inform the design of your marketing materials
Alongside your logo, a graphic designer will provide a style guide or more in-depth brand guidelines. This file sets out how to use your logo across your online and offline marketing materials to ensure consistency. By using the style guide to design items it ensures all items are branded and instantly recognisable as you. It outlines how to use the logo, the colour palette, fonts/typography, imagery guidelines and sometimes tone of voice. A graphic designer will also make sure the fonts can be used commercially in case you wanted to use the same fonts across your marketing materials.
Depending on what you pay for, you often won’t get a style guide with an AI-generated logo and you may not know you even need one. It can also be tricky to find out the colour palette that has been used and know what the fonts are making it difficult to create cohesive marketing materials.
Very low long-term cost
A business logo is a long-term asset and a well-designed logo should last for years. This means the cost per year is very low. Even years down the line, when you decide your logo may need a refresh, if you have the original vector files any amendments can be made easily without paying for a whole new logo.
If you’re using the logo you’ve had designed through an AI generator that is poor quality or doesn’t represent your business as it grows, you could have to undertake a full rebrand much sooner than you thought. If you’re already using your logo on your website and marketing materials it becomes more expensive again to get these items updated as well. A rebrand can cost 3-5 times more than getting it right first time.
Conclusion
So the real cost of an AI-generated logo isn’t the few pounds you might spend, but what you trade for that convenience. It means you’re going to blend in when you were looking to stand out, you risk building your brand on something that isn’t unique to you and your business won’t look professional if your using low quality logo files or you’re handing out marketing materials that don’t fit the brand. Whilst the initial low cost is attractive, the expense of a rebrand so soon can be far greater.
If you’re interested in a quote for professional logo design, please take a look at our logo design page or get in touch rosanne@silverstonedesignsolutions.com