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Model Releases: Who is Responsible for them at Stock Agencies
Clip Art Is No Substitute for Original Design When Branding
Logo Punch List: Think Your Design is Done? Check These Points
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Creative Articles
“Your guide to better marketing and advertising.”
Model Releases: Who is Responsible for them at Stock Agencies
By Piccari Press, Inc
Traditionally, the photographer is responsible for obtaining and cataloguing model releases. This is still the case with traditional and royalty-free stock agencies. But, some agencies are not as diligent as others and some photographers are not good with paperwork.
If you are concerned about model releases, use a major and reputable agency. Call and ask if a release exists, where it is located, has it been looked over by an attorney and does it cover the way you intend to use it.
If there is any possibility of the layout being embarrassing to the model, call and check with the agency. Additional releases may be needed for photos illustrating sensitive issues.
This article was reprinted from Desktop Q & A, a newsletter published by Piccari Press, Inc.
Clip Art Is No Substitute for Original Design When Branding
By John Libonati
It is no secret that effective graphic design can be expensive. Developing a visual image that accurately communicates a marketing concept takes time and a particular expertise. The more complex the concept, the more complex the design, the higher the cost will be.
On the surface, an alternative to original art might seem to be clip art. Clip art is royalty-free illustration that you can use in your designs without getting permission or paying a fee for usage. Clip art comes in both printed and digital form. But effective marketers beware, clip art should never be used when your objective is differentiation.
Because it is free, clip art is used everywhere, especially in newspaper and magazine ads. While reading through a recent issue of Sail magazine, I noticed a yacht dealership's logo was the same clip art used in a number of competitor advertisements. The dealership, or its designer, had applied a watercolor wash to a popular photograph to make it look somewhat different from the original clip art. It didn't work. Instead of differentiating themselves from their competition with an accurate visual image of their company, they cheapened their image and possibly helped their competition sell its ads.
By using clip art, the dealership undoubtedly 'saved' money to create the logo. But, even if they created no other marketing materials, they still had to pay for company stationery printing, design of their magazine ad and ad space in a national magazine. If the final result was confusion and a cheapened image, then how much did they really save?
Choose original art to differentiate you from the competition. The increased sales from your well-branded image will improve your bottom line much more than the small amount saved by using clip art.
John is Partner at Ascension Design, a full service graphic design firm in Ambler, PA. Contact John at 215-591-1010 or john@ascensiondesign.net
Logo Punch List: Think Your Design is Done? Check These Points.
By John Libonati
Certain items must be accounted for before a new logo is complete. Run through this punch list before you go to print.
1. Does the image accurately reflect your company, its product and services and its people? Your logo is a visual representation of your company. Show your new logo to employees, clients and associates. What do they think? Be sure your new logo does the job before you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars printing stationery, making marketing collateral pieces and developing your website.
2. Does it photocopy? Put the new logo and stationery mock ups through the copier. If it doesn't photocopy well, then it won't fax well. Copying well is especially important if networking is a big part of your marketing. Many associations collect and photocopy attendees' business cards and distribute the list afterward.
3. Does it reproduce well in black and white as well as color? This is important for newspaper ads, magazine ads, posters, etc. As the most prominent part of your advertising materials, (at least it should be), your logo must look as good in black and white as it does in color.
4. How much will printing cost? One color is cheapest to print. Two colors is somewhat more. If you have three colors, you might as well go for four colors, because the price is about the same - expensive. Contact printers to find out how much your stationery printing will cost.
5. Is your logo unique or does it resemble your competitors or others? Branding is difficult if consumers confuse your logo with a dozen others. This can be seen in many of the dot com logos circa 1999, 2000 - swooshes and bubbles everywhere. Some designers also have a certain style that they like. That's nice for them, but bad for you. Your logo should represent your company, not someone's favorite design style.
6. Will it remain current? Your logo should last at least 10 years without looking out of date. Think teal in the 90's. Think swooshes and bubbles in 2000.
John Libonati is a partner at Ascension Design, a full service graphic design firm near Philadelphia. He can be reached at John@ascensiondesign.net or 215-591-1010.
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