Doubt about the Visual Identity files to be delivered to any client

[Daniel Zamora]

Happy day everyone, sorry for the inconvenience but I have a big doubt about the professional work field of graphic design.

I have searched the internet for information in blog articles and on YouTube, and they all seem to agree on something that has me frustrated.

When you do a visual identity work, to deliver the logo you have to send the client a folder with several files.

And I always read that you have to deliver the original editable file in .Ai format, because Illustrator is the most popular in the market due to Adobe's monopoly.

But the question is, is it necessary to deliver the original editable file? And in case I only want to work using Affinity Designer, which files should be delivered?

Let's suppose that the logo will be printed, so it must be in CMYK profile.

I look forward to your help, thank you very much.

Sorry for my ignorance on the subject, I am a newbie.

[thomaso]

Hi @Daniel Zamora,
Welcome to the Affinity forums!

There is no general, valid rule or clear law that answers your question. Instead you usually will/should/have to discuss + clarify the required data and their file format, dimension & resolution, colour space & profile, etc., ideally as part of the job description and contract, especially if one item of a project influences your workflow of another project in a certain job (e.g. logo development -> letterhead, business card -> corporate design manual -> website, flyer, poster, brochure, advertisement, signage, fair booth, etc.).

For professional design work in the sense of officially paid orders you need to distinguish two types of clients:

• Your client = the direct, final user of your potentially final produced design work.
• Your client = another designer, department, agency etc., most often without direct contact to the final client.

• In the first case it is unusual to deliver the original layout document data. Instead you deliver files that are required for the final use of your design work. For instance logo files in CMYK + RGB and as PDF + PNG or JPG in various dimensions which can be implemented by your client's employees themselves in their documents, but not your original layout documents. If you don't just do layout/design work but also take care for production, e.g. printing of flyers or brochures, then you need to deliver neither the initial layout document nor the print data to the client but screen files only for an unambiguous preview of your work with all its details in the according quality.

• In the second case your work will get completed, finalized, improved, modified etc. by other people after you finished your work. For these people it is of course required that you deliver data which are editable and compatible with their software. If you want to satisfy their needs you try to create your documents in a comprehensive and efficient way and avoid redundant, superfluous, confusing or misleading content or settings. Especially if you don't know each other it is useful to ask for common habits, workflows or possibly unexpected requirements.

• And there may be a combination: You have done a job successfully directly for a client and months or years later this client asks you to deliver your original documents because they want someone else to do some modifications. Then it is also up to you how this deal gets formulated and paid for you and the client or their new designer.

[Daniel Zamora]

9 hours ago, thomaso said:

Hi @Daniel Zamora,
Welcome to the Affinity forums!

There is no general, valid rule or clear law that answers your question. Instead you usually will/should/have to discuss + clarify the required data and their file format, dimension & resolution, colour space & profile, etc., ideally as part of the job description and contract, especially if one item of a project influences your workflow of another project in a certain job (e.g. logo development -> letterhead, business card -> corporate design manual -> website, flyer, poster, brochure, advertisement, signage, fair booth, etc.).

For professional design work in the sense of officially paid orders you need to distinguish two types of clients:

• Your client = the direct, final user of your potentially final produced design work.
• Your client = another designer, department, agency etc., most often without direct contact to the final client.

• In the first case it is unusual to deliver the original layout document data. Instead you deliver files that are required for the final use of your design work. For instance logo files in CMYK + RGB and as PDF + PNG or JPG in various dimensions which can be implemented by your client's employees themselves in their documents, but not your original layout documents. If you don't just do layout/design work but also take care for production, e.g. printing of flyers or brochures, then you need to deliver neither the initial layout document nor the print data to the client but screen files only for an unambiguous preview of your work with all its details in the according quality.

• In the second case your work will get completed, finalized, improved, modified etc. by other people after you finished your work. For these people it is of course required that you deliver data which are editable and compatible with their software. If you want to satisfy their needs you try to create your documents in a comprehensive and efficient way and avoid redundant, superfluous, confusing or misleading content or settings. Especially if you don't know each other it is useful to ask for common habits, workflows or possibly unexpected requirements.

• And there may be a combination: You have done a job successfully directly for a client and months or years later this client asks you to deliver your original documents because they want someone else to do some modifications. Then it is also up to you how this deal gets formulated and paid for you and the client or their new designer.

Hi @thomaso ,

 

Thank you so much for the time you took to answer my question, it has really helped me and I am completely grateful. Blessings and success to you and the Affinity forums community.