Let’s face it: First impressions hold high value, especially in business. A strong brand identity is crucial if you want to stand out. Now, most entrepreneurs face the dilemma between investing in a professional logo illustrator or going down the DIY route. Let’s determine which road to take by understanding what’s at stake with these options.

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What Exactly are Professional Logo Illustrators?

Logo designers are skilled artists who create hand-crafted logos to visually communicate a brand’s identity and values. They may use pre-made templates and focus on a brand’s overall branding, which includes typography and layout design. On the other hand, logo illustrators are not your typical designers. They specialize in creating custom, hand-drawn designs with high artistic detail. 

Below are two logos: the one on the left was created by a logo designer, and the other by a logo illustrator.

Professional Training and Expertise

Logo illustrators typically have formal education in graphic design or fine arts. They are updated with industry trends and technologies. Furthermore, they are experts in ensuring a perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. 

Design Tools and Resources

Logo illustrators use industry-standard tools, such as Adobe Illustrator. They also invest in high-resolution monitors and graphic tablets. In addition, access to comprehensive font libraries and color palettes helps them create customized logos.

The Design Process

Working with logo illustrators usually involves collaboration in the design process. This aims to ensure that the final design meets a client’s requirements. It is as follows:

  • A discovery phase where the logo illustrator learns about your business, goals, and target audience. 
  • A concept development stage where the designer creates initial concepts and sketches based on your ideas.
  • The illustrator then presents concepts to you and will ask for your feedback and suggestions. This is where you and the designer will both refine the design.
  • The logo illustrator then makes the necessary adjustments based on what was agreed upon.
  • Once you approve the logo, the illustrator will prepare the final file.

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The DIY Logo Design Landscape

Designing a logo yourself is an inexpensive way of getting the work done. You can use various user-friendly tools that offer templates and other design elements. Perfect examples are Canva, Wix Logo Maker, and LogoMakr. These options can help you design a customized logo easily and quickly. 

Free vs. Premium DIY Options

DIY tools typically offer free versions that allow you to craft a logo for practically nothing. These are excellent for startups and small businesses with limited budgets. However, the free versions often have limitations, such as watermarks, limited use of design elements, and fewer customization options.

On the other hand, the paid DIY versions offer more advanced features, high-quality exports, and additional design resources. Using this route can result in a more polished and professional result.

Learning Curve Considerations

Almost all of these DIY design tools are made with the non-designer in mind. They offer friendly tools, mostly with drag-and-drop interfaces. Moreover, some may require a bit of a learning curve, but none are as complicated as what the pros use.

Also, you need to invest time in crafting and refining your logo, so be sure to allocate some of your time to these tasks. That said, be sure to understand that DIYing your logo design does not guarantee a unique and original output. 

Logo Illustrators vs DIY Design: Cost Comparison

In terms of affordability and costs, let’s take a look at what DIY design and hiring a logo illustrator entails:

Professional Logo Illustrator Pricing Models:

Below is a list of logo illustrator fees:

  • Flat fee ($500 to $5,000): A one-time payment for one logo design project. 
  • Hourly rate ($25 to $150 per hour): The price you’ll pay per hour the designer will spend working on your project. This varies depending on the designer’s experience, design complexity, and other factors. 
  • Retainer ($1,000 to $5,000 per month): The recurring fee for ongoing design services, ideal for those who need regular design work. 

The Hidden Costs of DIY Logo Design

Similarly, here’s what you can expect to pay for your chosen DIY design tool:

  • Software subscriptions ($10 to $50 per month): The costs for premium tools and features. 
  • Templates ($20 to $100 each): High-quality templates that you can use for a fee. 
  • Quality issues: You may need to hire a professional designer to fix or redo later.

Long-Term Value Considerations

When choosing between the two, consider the following:

  • Brand consistency: a professionally designed logo offers consistency and scalability.
  • Credibility: a high-quality logo enhances your brand’s credibility, leading to customer loyalty and trust.
  • Cost savings: A professional-made logo saves you on redesign and rebranding costs.

Time Investment Analysis

Alternatively, not everyone has the luxury of time, so consider the following when making a decision:

  • Logo illustrators: Expensive yet high-quality results, won’t take up much of your time.
  • DIY design: This can be the faster option if the tool has a low learning curve. you will need to allot time for doing this.

Quality Comparison

So, instead of explaining in words how DIY design tools differ from the works of a professional logo illustrator, we’ll show you:

The logos in the image below are from Canva. Notice the similarity in each of them, and if you go to the website, you’ll find many others looking the same way:

Below is one of Penji’s logo designs from one of our best logo illustrators:

A logo design that a DIY design tool won’t be able to replicate:

One more fantastic logo design from a Penji logo illustrator:

Why Choose Penji’s Logo Illustrators

While DIY design tools have merits, especially for startups and small businesses, there is an affordable option without sacrificing quality. That is the unlimited graphic design service Penji. Our fixed monthly rates allow you to request as many logo designs as you like from our talented logo illustrators.

In addition, you can also send requests for a wide array of visual assets, such as social media graphics, website design, digital ads, and many others. Watch our quick demo video here, or get our designers working by clicking this link.

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