How Much Does Logo Vectorization Cost?

The short answer

Vectorization is priced by how much drawing the logo needs. A simple text logo takes far less time than a detailed mascot, so it costs less. Here's how our pricing is set up:

All tiers include AI, EPS, SVG and PDF files and free revisions until approved. You get a confirmed price after we've seen the artwork, before any work starts.

What affects the price

Amount of detail

Every curve in a vector file is drawn with anchor points. A bold wordmark might need a few dozen shapes. A mascot with fur, shading and an outlined banner can need hundreds. That's the biggest single factor.

Number of colors

Each color becomes a separate set of shapes that has to line up with the others. More colors mean more work, especially if the artwork is going to be separated for screen printing.

Lettering

If the font can be identified, the text is quick to rebuild accurately. Custom or hand-drawn lettering has to be redrawn letter by letter, which takes longer.

The quality of what you send

A sharp PNG is easy to trace by hand. A tiny, blurry image or a photo of a sign means the artist has to work out what the original looked like. It can almost always be done, but it may move the job up a tier.

Auto-trace vs. a hand redraw

Very cheap or instant vectorization is almost always automatic tracing. Software looks at the pixels and guesses where the edges are. On a clean, high-contrast image it can be passable. On a typical customer logo it produces:

• Lumpy curves and wobbly straight lines.
• Hundreds of unnecessary points that make the file hard to edit.
• Extra colors and specks from compression noise.
• Lettering that's slightly the wrong shape.

Those flaws get worse as the logo gets bigger, which is exactly when you need a vector most. A hand redraw costs a bit more, but you get a file you can use for years. We explain why in raster vs. vector: why your logo looks blurry when printed.

What you should receive

Whoever you use, check that the price includes:

• Real vector formats: AI, EPS, SVG and PDF are the usual set.
• Outlined text, so the logo opens correctly without the original fonts.
• Color values, ideally Pantone matches, so printers can match your colors.
• A proof and revisions before you're asked to accept the final files.

How to spot a fake vector file

Some "vector" files are just the original JPG placed inside an EPS or PDF. They have the right extension, but nothing has been redrawn. Two quick checks:

1. Zoom in a long way. A real vector stays perfectly sharp. A fake goes blurry or blocky.
2. Open it in Illustrator and switch to Outline view (View > Outline). A real vector shows clean shape outlines. A fake shows an empty box where the image sits.

Ways to keep the cost down

• Send the largest, sharpest version of the logo you can find, even if it's still a raster file.
• Tell us the font name if you know it.
• Decide on colors before the redraw, not after.
• Ask for every format you need in one order. They're included anyway.