Guides / Getting usable logos out of your sponsors
Getting usable logos out of your sponsors
Most of the pain in building a sponsor board happens before the layout starts. These are the things that reliably reduce it.
Ask once, ask specifically
A request for "your logo" produces a screenshot. A request for "a PNG with a transparent background, at least 1000 pixels wide, or a vector file if your designer has one" produces a usable file about half the time, which is a large improvement.
Give a deadline that is two weeks before you actually need it. Some will miss it regardless.
Say what it is for
Sponsors are more likely to send the right file if they know it is going on an A3 board and a projected slide. It also heads off the conversation where they ask why their logo looks soft.
When they send something awkward
A screenshot with a white border is fine, because the border can be removed automatically.
A photo of a sign or a shopfront is usable at small sizes but will never look crisp. If that sponsor is in your top tier, it is worth going back once to ask for something better.
A logo on a solid dark background should keep that background rather than have it removed, otherwise white lettering vanishes against the page.
A PDF or EPS is the best thing they can send, not the worst. Do not ask them to convert it to a JPG first.
The same logo, twice
It is normal to end up with two files for one sponsor: an old one from last year and a new one they just sent. Check before you publish, because having both on the board is a visible error, and the two files often look nothing alike.
Keep the originals
Keep whatever they sent, untouched, in one folder. You will need it again next year, and you will want the original rather than something you cropped at 11pm.
Do this automatically
Sponsor Wall does the sizing, background removal and tiering described above, and exports every format at once. Free to organise and preview.