Your Logo and Design Files : Ownership
Let’s take a quick look at a common question about copyright: who owns a design, the client or the graphic designer?
You, the client, have approached a graphic designer to create a piece of work for you so you may assume that once the project is finished and paid for, you own the full rights to it. However, that’s not necessarily the case.
Ownership of the design depends on the terms set out in the initial contract or agreement.
So, What’s the deal with Firefly’s design files?
With Firefly New Media UK – We ALWAYS* provide our clients with the final artwork and corresponding source files when the client has paid in full for all the work undertaken.
Graphic Design File Types
Proof Files
The proof file is a useful and inexpensive file for designers to send as they work on a job to confirm text accuracy and graphics placement with the client. The quality of the file, file size, and file type can vary, but normally the proof is a much lower quality than the final print-ready file will be.
Note: Usually a PNG or JPEG file type (sometimes including a watermark, if the client has still not paid for the design work)
Print Ready Files
Print-ready files have all the specifications necessary to produce high-resolution print materials. A commercial printer can use the file “as submitted” to successfully create the desired print materials without requiring the additional source files. On print-ready files, fonts are usually embedded so the printer does not require the fonts on the design to the print the file.
Source Files
Source files are the files the graphic designer uses to create your design. The most common design files include Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator and/or Indesign. These source files can be provided to the client so they can edit or print scalable versions of the design in the future.
Do you need to own the copyright?
A lot of the time it’s not necessary for you, the client, to have ownership of the source files.
You’re very unlikely to have graphic design software to edit them and if you choose to purchase software it can get quite expensive. Additionally, there’s a steep learning curve involved in learning how to use graphic design software effectively.
Remember, if you use Firefly New Media UK for your graphic design work, then we’ll automatically provide you with all the source files, designs and print-ready files as soon as work has been paid in full.
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The Firefly New Media obligatory disclaimer:
We are not solicitors, so if you have any questions about copyright or your design contract, you should seek professional advice.
* From time to time Firefly New Media UK complete free advert designs for use in our local magazines. We don’t normally provide the artwork files or source files in this case (remember, this is a free service, and this is additional work on our end to provide the files required), but if you let us know prior to using the design that you’d like to use the artwork elsewhere (in another magazine for example), we’re more than happy to create and provide you with the necessary files required when artwork has been paid for.
The Firefly Design Guarantee
We provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee with all graphic design services. All designs include unlimited revisions, meaning we’ll keeping working until you are completely satisfied.