This logo was made for a company that specializes in translating foreign languages. The mark was designed to be an interwoven ‘D’ that resembled a Celtic knot and specific attention was paid to the overall flow of the typeface.

Services provided

• Customer consultation to identify needs and branding strategies
• Creation of custom logo
• Delivery of work in several formats including black-and-white and web versions.

A few months go I was contacted by Justin Hartman of Tight Line Adventures, in Dillon MT who was interested in a new logo design. While communicating with Justin, it became very clear that Justin had put considerable thought into what he wanted for his brand identity. Below is an excerpt from one of his early messages:

“…I think the name and meaning of the business needs to be depicted in the logo somehow. ‘Tight Line’ in fishing terms means keeping a tight line connection between the rod and the fish…hence “Tight Line”. I was thinking that it may look good placed in the lettering somehow. A rod with a tight line? Lettering with a tight line? Something like that. Be creative with it and play around with the ideas. But I think it is necessary to play along with the “Tight Line” language.”

Justin also was hoping for a logo that had illustrative elements that could stand alone during his marketing efforts. It wasn’t long before I had come up with a rough logo design based on Justin’s input, along with a fair amount of creative tweaking of my own accord. The final logo design was essentially three custom graphic elements, (1) a drift boat with guide and fisherman, (2) a distinctive typeface, and (3) a trout stylized in the shape of an ‘e’.

Here is the finished logo design:

With the logo finalized, Justin was very eager to put it into use, so we got right to work designing the core elements of his identity – this included business cards, letterhead, and envelopes. By separating a few of the the graphic design elements of the logo, we were able to design an identity package that had great continuity and really emphasized the brand.

Justin’s finished identity package:

Soon after Justin’s identity package was finished, we also began designing his website and advertising brochure. These items both used the interchanging elements from the logo and identity to keep the look and feel of the marketing materials consistent. You can check out the Tight Line Adventures website at http://www.tightlinemontana.com, and you can have a look at his photo-filled brochure below:

At this point Tight Line Adventures had a very professional and well rounded marketing and branding platform, but Justin still had other plans. As a Montana outfitter and guide, Justin was well aware that his clientele often would purchase apparel (hats, shirts, jackets, etc.) as part of their Montana fly fishing experience. Knowing this, Justin choose to have his logo embroidered and screen printed on various clothing items to sell to customers, and to provide to his guides for further promotion.

Talk about branding power, these photos say it all!

Big fish and even bigger smiles!

Justin Hartman holding Jessica's freshly caught fish.

Another big trout with the angler wearing some Tight Line Adventures swag!

Not one to miss an advertising opportunity, Justin also had us design his logo and information into vinyl decals that he had installed on his vehicle’s rear window. When taking clients on drift boat trips down the river, Justin’s truck often sits at fishing access sites for hours at a time. Having the Tight Line Adventures logo on his truck allows him to advertise to the very customers he would like to attract, at areas they are already frequenting. It also looks sharp where ever he chooses to travel, and is a rolling advertisement for his services.

Window decals can be a great way to advertise your business.

Tight Line Adventures is a fine example of what to do when it comes to identity and branding. I think any business can take a page from Justin’s playbook – use your identity and branding when ever and where ever possible. Look for advertising and marketing opportunities and capitalize on them, only then will you realize the true value and potential that branding can have on your business.

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends. Also, if you have any questions about logo design, identity, branding, advertising or common sense marketing, please give Manifest Creative a call at 406-585-9406. We would to hear from you, and discuss how we can help your business as well!

Admittedly this article was intended to be very in depth and cover all aspects of the business card; from it’s origin in the 1500’s, clear through to it’s various uses in modern business communication. After doing some research, the choice was made to narrow the scope and stick to the title… just the basics!

Anyone in business should know that one of the most important components of making a connection and eventually closing a sale, happens to be leaving a good impression with the customer. It is this “impression” that leads me to write about a one of my favorite handy little business tools… the business card.

Author’s note: This article is part of the “Making a Name For Yourself” series.

Long considered a staple of modern business, having a business card is one of the most important considerations for a company of any proportion. When properly used business cards can go a long way in helping to add credibility when making introductions. Not only does a it give you a way to help introduce yourself and your business to others, but the information printed on the card provides the means for prospective clients to contact you after the initial meeting.

Of course person to person contact is not the only value the business card can provide. In fact, there are a number of ways it can prove itself useful. As an example, this extremely versatile business tool can be left in case of someone’s absence as a reminder that you stopped by. Additionally, a stack of business cards can be left in high traffic areas or pinned to bulletin boards for passers by to grab as they wish. It is in these types of circumstances that having a well designed and attractive business card becomes absolutely imperative.

It is on that note that I’d like to share some of the key components of what I believe makes a great business card… and some strategies that can help make your card stand apart from the rest.

Size & Shape

The standard business card is rectangular in shape, with 3.5″ wide by 2″ tall being the most common size. This allows for the card to be designed either horizontally across the full width of the card (like a credit card) or vertically (2″ wide by 3.5″ tall). The orientation of the design is totally a matter of taste, but the horizontal option has several advantages in most circumstances. There are no hard and fast rules as to whether a one or double-sided card is better than the other; again it boils down to your taste and unique needs.

Even though the rectangular card is the norm, there is nothing saying you must conform to this size and shape. In fact, there are a number of entities that decide on adopting unusual cards of various shapes and sizes. This may include rounded corners, die cuts, or even cards in the shape of animals or objects. Although the benefits of having a business card of a unique size or shape are that it will certainly stand out from other cards, one of the the drawbacks is that they are typically much more expensive to produce. It should also be noted that a card of unusual shape can be difficult to store in a wallet, Rolodex or business card holder.

It’s All In The Materials

When designing a business card considerable thought should go into the type of material that the card will be printed on. Your typical business card is produced on medium weight card stock, but there are multiple options to consider. Examples of some alternative materials can be cardboard, wood, plastic, vellum or even fabric. Now-a-days your message can be printed on just about anything and having unusual business cards can be a great marketing ploy.

No matter what your business card is printed on, is important to take into consideration how the card is going to feel in your customer’s hand. If your card feels cheap or flimsy, it could be argued that your business card is sending a subliminal message about the perceived quality of the very business itself… so be careful. That being said, having a business card that is sturdy and of high quality can result in a positive reaction before the person handing it out even says a word!

Pick Sides

When the size, shape and feel of the business card has been finalized, it is time to consider what message to convey on the card itself. One of the first things to decide on is whether to print on just one side of the card (single sided), or utilize both sides of the card (double sided). Here at Manifest Creative, we like to maximize the benefits of the card by taking advantages of both sides. Initially it will cost a little more to produce, but we believe the benefits of a two sided card far outweigh the cost. We use this as a general rule, the exception being that sometimes the material the card is composed of might not allow the use of both sides.

Start With A Logo

The most important design element on a business card is of course the logo or brand of the company, service, or entity that the card is being used to represent. When used correctly a powerful logo can be recognized at a glance, and in general the rest of a card’s design is formatted around the placement of the logo. It is a key piece of business branding and in most cases should be the main focus of a business card.

Some key factors to consider when placing the logo on the card are:

1. Make sure the logo is of good size and that it can be clearly read. It is important to pay special attention to colors and typefaces to make sure that your your message is conveyed clearly.
2. Try to only use one logo on a business card, some people get carried away and add the logos of associations or even other business on their cards. Remember this is your business card… why advertise for someone else? You need to have the confidence that your business can stand on it’s own.
3. Make the best use of the space provided. This means if you have a particularly wide logo, it would not make much sense to design you card vertically and vise-versa if your logo design is vertical in nature, you would limit it’s potential by placing it’s orientation horizontally.
4. If you are designing a double sided card (highly recommended), make sure the logo is evident on both sides of the card.
5. If a specific trademark, phrase or saying is associated with the logo, it is advised to include it in close proximity to the placement of the logo on the business card.

Now for the information

Once logo placement has been decided on, you can begin to decide what information you would like to provide on the card, and ultimately where the information will reside. Some common information that is utilized on most business cards consists of the following in relative order of importance:

1. The name and title of the person the card is promoting.
2. An address of either the business or person the card is portraying.
3. The pertinent phone numbers of the party involved which might include a cellular phone, business phone, a fax number.
4. If the person or business the card is promoting has a website (also highly recommended), it is no-brainer to include the web address or URL.

Additional Information

If you have the room available, we advise giving a brief description or list of the type of services the person or entity the card is being designed for can provide. This information should usually be clearly separate from the main information. Remember that it is important to keep this information to a minimum, as too much information on a business card can make the card graphically busy and difficult to read.

Inspect and Re-Inspect

Upon completing the design of a business card it can be tempting to quickly get the card printed and begin handing it out. We can’t stress enough the importance of looking the card over for errors several times before the project goes to print. Often in the excitement of getting the card finished it is easy to overlook even major errors. This can be a costly mistake, so make sure to get a few pairs of eyes to proof read your project before you even consider going to print.

The Printing Process

Once the design of the card has been extensively proof read and finalized, it is time to look at getting the cards printed. At this time you have a few options to choose from, and for your convenience we have outlined some of the main advantages and disadvantages of each.

Print Your Own: The most inexpensive route is printing the cards yourself with a high quality color printer and business card paper that is readily available at most office stores. Cost is the biggest advantage here, and this option also allows you to print in small increments with the flexibility to make adjustments and changes as necessary. The drawbacks are that the cards can often feel low quality and are fairly susceptible to damage and fading. They also have the tendency to wear out quickly and are easily torn.

Find a Printer: Although finding a local printer can sometimes be a hassle with getting pricing quotes and print deadlines, the end result is usually a rewarding experience. The benefits of using a local printer are that you can usually see and feel the texture and quality of the materials you will be printing on. Some printers even have the ability to add special customization to business cards such as embossing, raised ink, metallic coloring and foil stamping. It should also be noted that you will have a relatively high high degree over the control of your project and you will normally end up with a nice high quality card. The drawbacks are that there is usually a minimum number of cards to purchase (typically 500 or more), and this type of printing can be somewhat expensive.

Leave it to your Designer: Since most people will contract a graphic artist to design the business card, often the designer will handle the printing as well. This is usually the best choice because a graphic artist is familiar with the appropriate programs, terminology and requirements associated with professional printing projects. These designers are also aware of issues that might arise during printing. It is also important to note that most designers have affiliations or relationships with printers and can sometimes get special privileges or savings. Your graphic designer might also be resourceful enough to know of other printing options that can offer incredible savings and printing options that a local printer simply cannot match.

Here at Manifest Creative we obviously believe having a designer handle your print project is generally the best option. The only drawback being the associated cost involved, but even that expense usually becomes a moot point once it is realized how having someone who knows the printing process and who can handle all the details for you is worth. After factoring everything in, this option usually saves time, money and frustration.

Hand ‘Em Out

The best part of having your new business cards are handing them out and seeing the responses to your efforts. We recommend having stashes of your business cards everywhere. Try and remember to have at least a few on you at all times… keep some in your vehicle, keep a healthy stock of them in your purse or wallet, put some in a Ziploc baggie in your gym bag… you never know when you will need them!

Don’t be stingy with your cards… give them to your relatives, your friends, and to each and every new person you meet. Leave small stacks of your new cards at places that will allow it, and make sure to pin a few up on your favorite bulletin boards. Remember to be conscious of using your card as a tool as frequently as possible. After all, you never know where your next sale or important contact may come from, but if you have a business card with you when it happens… you will be ready when it does!

May we help you with a business card design?

During the life span of most companies, the business card will usually go through a handful of card designs. During this evolution it is important to take notice of things that worked well and things that perhaps did not. Every now and then try to ask someone to review your cards and listen carefully to what they have to say. These reviews will prove to be an incredibly valuable resource when it comes time for the next re-design.

Speaking of re-designs… or new designs… or any designs for that matter… feel free to give us a call to schedule a design consultation any time. Here at Manifest Creative, we would enjoy the opportunity to put these business card basics to work for you. We will do our very best to provide you with a stunning business card that when completed is ultimately anything but basic!

Throughout time as craftsmen and skilled artisans made or sold their respective goods or services, it has been customary for the trades-person to either sign or brand their work. As time went on and competition between similar products or services became more fierce, the need to separate oneself from competitors became increasingly important. It became apparent that establishing a unique look to a name or brand provided a means for consumers to quickly identify with a particular supplier, and thus pick it out from it’s competitors. This “look” or “brand” is now commonly referred to as one of the most important four letter words in business lingo… the logo.

Author’s note: This article is part of the “Making a Name For Yourself” series.

So here we sit in the 21st century, and as far as the logo is concerned not that much has changed. Modern businesses still have the need to brand their products and services, and it all begins with the design of an effective logo. These days we very seldom see a brand that has actually been burned or stamped into a product. However, it is still quite difficult to look around and not see some sort of logo somewhere.

Today major corporations are known to spend millions of dollars establishing their logo and building brand awareness as a major part of their corporate identity. These logo things are everywhere; on our clothes, on our vehicles, on signs and billboards and even in our bathrooms and showers! They appear in all shapes, sizes and colors… you can’t avoid them, and there is seemingly no escape from them.

This onslaught is perhaps the best reminder that any business; be it small or large, must have an eye catching and easily recognizable logo. A strong and recognizeable business image is more important now than ever before. In fact, with the average American viewing more than 3,000 advertising messages per day, having a distinguishable logo is one of the most critical investments any business will make.

With all of the importance bestowed upon the humble logo, we decided that it would be a good idea to break down the key elements that together create a great logo. We will also outline some of the common mistakes and pitfalls when designing one.

Start with a Sketch

Grab a pencil, some paper, and a large eraser and then go to work! Sketching your ideas out on paper will help you visualize the logo and take the concept from an idea into a shape. It will inspire and provide you an excellent opportunity to brainstorm. It also helps to provide direction for your graphic designer and will help to weed out ideas that are less desirable.

When you’ve got a good sketch, or least a good idea, then it is time to go digital and see your logo really take form!

Print vs. Web

In today’s marketplace, a logo must be easily recognized on various forms of print materials, as well as on a TV or computer screen. The general rule is to design the logo for print applications first, and then to adapt the print logo to meet the needs of multimedia. This is particularly important, because what may look great on the web can often get muddied and difficult to discern when printed out.

Keep it Simple

Think about some of the most popular logos throughout history. What is a common tie they all share? The answer is simplicity… and it’s a beautiful thing. Often when designing logos, designers get carried away with intricate designs that look stunning when viewed at five or more inches wide and with the millions of colors that today’s computer monitors are capable of displaying. Generally, this leads to problems down the road.

What really needs to be taken into consideration is how that logo will look when it is forced to change and adhere to certain reproduction standards. Does the logo degrade if it is shrunk down considerably? Is the logo still effective when reduced to black and white or gray scale coloring? If the main focus of a logo cannot be recognized at less than an inch wide, or if the brand is indiscernible when it’s colors are converted, then it is rendered essentially useless to your business.

Size Does Matter

A great logo should be easily recognized whether it is printed extremely small – like perhaps on the body of ballpoint pen, or excessively large – like on a billboard or semi-truck trailer. The success of any logo can be greatly attributed to it’s ability to be scalable to nearly any size, thus enabling it to be adjusted to fit to a wide variety of applications. If the logo’s design limits how small or large it can be, that in turn retards the logo’s ability to be effective over a broad range of possible mediums.

Size, as it refers to resolution, is also very critical when it comes to logo design. Usually the size of a logo’s resolution is measured in DPI (Dots Per Inch). When using a logo on printed materials the printer will generally insist that your logo be a minimum of 300 DPI to ensure a high quality print. On the other hand, the same logo can be used on the web with just 72 DPI; which is fine for viewing on a monitor, but is far from ideal for high quality printing. Click here for more information concerning DPI.

Proper File Formatting

Even a well designed logo is useless if it can’t be used, displayed, stored, transferred and edited. This is why all logos should be either designed as, or converted into vector format. Even logos that are hand drawn should be scanned and converted to vector format before the logo is actually considered complete. There are several distinct advantages of doing this, such as the logo being scalable, movable and editable without losing the quality of the image.

Essentially there are two choices of formatting. The optimal choice in logo design being vector graphics and the latter being raster graphics. This article is not the place to outline the properties and advantages of either format, but such information is readily available.

When saving the logo, remember to save it as several different file types. Be sure to properly edit and save as an EPS, PDF, TIFF, JPEG and GIF. This will ensure that the logo can be used across a wide variety of platforms and programs. For more information on various graphic file formats click here.

What’s Your Type?

Some of most common and respected logos are simply unique or distinct typefaces with slight graphic alterations. Most logo designs begin life as a particular font or typeface, and this is where a majority of designers derive their creativity from.

When a suitable typeface is found, then it is a matter of seeing how the spacing and arrangements of letters come into play. Sometimes certain letters in a logo may be rotated or skewed to produce a desired effect, or perhaps a single letter or series of letters might be typed in a contrasting color.

When choosing a typeface, keep in mind that certain fonts can give off a softer, more feminine feel; while others offer a sharper, more masculine tone. When used effectively, the good use of typography can work wonders in creating a custom logo. A truly exceptional logo begins conveying a sense of what a company or product is, even prior to the product actually being experienced!

Icons are Ideal

Although many popular logos don’t employ any graphic or icon, there are an equal or possibly even greater number of logos that do. Using a distinctive graphic element or symbol can sometimes be more recognizable than the accompanying letters that make up the logo. Examples of these powerful elements are the Macintosh Apple, the Nike “Swoosh” and the Chevrolet Bow-tie.

If using a icon or graphic as part of a logo, the graphic should also somehow tie into to the product it is being used to represent. This is not necessarily true in all cases, but as a general rule it is a good idea. After all, even though the proprietor of a cat litter company may be head over heels in love with an icon of a dog… it just doesn’t make sense to include that dog icon as part of the cat litter logo!

Just as with all the other elements we’ve described in this logo development article, it is all about simplicity. The most popular and time-tested logos in the world have the simplest and most easily recognizable shapes… do you really think this is a mere coincidence?

Color Is Key

The use of color in a logo can be profound, yet can be wasted if the logo can’t be identified when converted to black and white or even gray scale. When designing with multiple colors it is important to realize the usefulness of contrast and the impacts it can have on the overall design. Having good contrast also helps when the logo must be reproduced without the use of color.

When using colors, it is helpful to be at least somewhat educated in color theory as well. This is important because certain colors evoke subliminal feelings, emotions and meanings in some consumers. It should be noted that some businesses pay special attention to the importance of color, and have extremely rigid specifications on just what color a particular logo can be.

Again we emphasize the importance of keeping the use of color simple as well. At the very most, a logo’s color palette should be kept to five colors or less.

Timeless Beauty

For any logo to defy Father Time, some forethought must go into it at the very beginning. As with anything else, it is entirely possible for a logo to go out of style. It is extremely important to avoid getting caught up in trendy fonts or overly stylistic design. Think long-term and ask the following questions: Is the logo you have today going to be effective ten or even twenty years from now? Will your logo require massive revisions or possibly even an entire redesign to stay in-line with the times? Can you afford to revise all your marketing materials if your logo goes out of style?

Test & Roll-Out

When you think you’ve got your logo complete, think again. Make sure you show it to friends, family, co-workers, and complete strangers. Ask for open and honest feedback, and use that feedback to make adjustments. When it comes to making those changes, remember to use the collective response of your entire study group and to not make severe adjustments based solely on the opinions of one or two individuals. Also, try to not let your feelings get involved, in other words don’t let pride get in the way.

After all the changes have been made and the logo is finalized it is time do one last thing… celebrate! Take some pride in your achievement and put your new logo on everything! I suggest that you write a press release and send it to all the local publications. If it is applicable get some vehicle decals made, or perhaps even order some stickers and pass them out. After all, you have a brand new exciting logo to show off to the world… so get started!

Other posts in the “Making a Name For Yourself” series:
• Logo Development and Strategy
• Business Card Basics
• Letterhead & Envelopes
• Brand Building for Beginners

In the field of graphic design, identity is a term that often gets thrown around loosely, and as designers we assume that everyone just automatically knows what we are talking about. Well as I recently found out, that is sometimes not the case. Let me explain…

The other day I was in the middle of exchanging business cards with a prospective client. After inspecting my bright orange card for awhile, she looked at me inquisitively and asked, “Your card lists one of your services as Business Identity. What is Business Identity… and just how does it relate to my business?”

Well that question got me thinking, and so over the next few weeks Manifest Creative will be diving into the subject of identity, the many facets that can help define it relating to business in the modern marketplace. In this series we will inspect the many pieces and parts that collectively make up the identity of a business or entity. Let’s begin…

If you were to go to dictionary.com you would find the first definition of the word identity to be exactly as follows:

i·den·ti·ty –noun, plural -ties.

1. the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions: The identity of the fingerprints on the gun with those on file provided evidence that he was the killer.

Now that is all good and proper, but for the everyday person I find the above definition lacking, perhaps even a bit vague. To sum it up in laymen’s terms, identity is simply the defining characteristics by which something or someone is recognized.

When it comes to establishing a Business Identity, these defining characteristics can be made up of any number of things including custom logos or symbols, the use of a particular typeface, a specific color scheme, a radio jingle, a recognizable voice, or even the recognition a mascot or celebrity can provide.

As graphic designers, we use the term identity to pertain to specific materials that help a business make a great first impression – and better yet, a memorable one. A basic identity package usually includes developing a logo design and then applying the logo to custom business cards, letterhead and envelopes… these are the staple materials for nearly every business.

One of the key factors in establishing an identity is continuity throughout all marketing materials. In other words, making sure that all your visual materials share a similar look and feel. This in turn is one of the first steps of branding, and the foundation of how you market your business.

That is all for this installment of the Business Identity blog… In upcoming installments we will continue our in-depth look at identity, and dissect each of the individual parts of an identity package. Check back soon as we investigate each part and share the features, options and advantages of them in detail.