We met Tombstone Brewery through Men In Business and the Anchor Bay Chamber. The conversation started as a general one about services and ended up somewhere specific: their logo needed a refresh — not a redesign, a refresh — so it could actually be used.
They liked their logo. The problem was the file. What they had was low resolution with a solid background baked in, which made it difficult to use in most of the places a brewery needs a logo to go.
If that description sounds familiar, this is a more common problem than most business owners realize, and it's usually cheaper to fix than people expect.
A logo isn't one file. It's a set of files, because the same mark has to survive wildly different conditions.
Consider where a brewery's logo actually lands: tap handles, cans and packaging, glassware, t-shirts and hats, printed signage, a website header, a social media avatar cropped to a circle, an email signature. Those aren't variations of one job. They're genuinely different technical requirements.
A single low-resolution image with a white rectangle behind it fails most of them. Put it on a dark background and the white box appears. Scale it up for signage and it blurs. Hand it to an embroiderer and they'll ask for something else. Send it to a printer and the color will shift.
A logo delivered as a single low-resolution image with a solid background can't be used for print, apparel, merchandise, or dark backgrounds. A usable logo package includes vector source files, transparent versions, print and screen color formats, and single-color variations.
This is the reference list worth keeping. A properly prepared logo should include:
Vector files (.AI, .EPS, .SVG, or vector PDF). These are built from mathematical paths rather than pixels, so they scale to any size without losing quality — from a business card to a building sign. Embroiderers, sign makers, and commercial printers will ask for these specifically.
Transparent PNG files at multiple sizes. No background box. These are what you use on websites, in documents, and anywhere the logo sits over color or photography.
Print color versions (CMYK). Printers work in a different color space than screens. A logo built only in screen color will print differently than expected, sometimes dramatically.
Screen color versions (RGB, with hex codes). For web, social, and digital documents.
Single-color versions — solid black and solid white. Essential for apparel, embroidery, engraving, stamps, one-color printing, and any situation where full color isn't available or affordable.
Layout variations. Horizontal, stacked, and icon-only. A wide logo doesn't fit a square profile picture, and forcing it produces something unreadable.
A complete logo package includes vector source files, transparent PNGs at multiple sizes, CMYK versions for print, RGB versions for screen, solid black and solid white single-color versions, and horizontal, stacked, and icon-only layouts.
The expense of an incomplete logo package rarely shows up as a line item. It shows up as friction.
A merch order gets delayed because the printer needs a vector file nobody has. Someone rebuilds the logo by hand for a banner and it comes out slightly wrong. A social avatar gets cropped awkwardly for two years because nobody made a square version. Different vendors produce slightly different colors and the brand looks inconsistent without anyone being able to say exactly why.
None of that is catastrophic. All of it is avoidable, and the fix is usually a one-time job.
Worth drawing the distinction clearly, because businesses often assume they need more than they do.
A redesign changes the mark itself — new concept, new artwork, new identity. It's a real project with real cost, and it means everything carrying the old logo eventually needs replacing.
A refresh keeps the logo customers already recognize and rebuilds it properly: cleaning up the artwork, redrawing it as vector, and producing the full set of formats. Nobody notices a change. Everything just starts working.
Tombstone needed the second one. They already had a mark they liked and customers recognized. Replacing it would have thrown away recognition to solve a technical problem.
This was a small project. It didn't take long.
What came out of it was a relationship — a friendly local spot for a good drink and better conversation, and a business we're glad to know. Not every engagement needs to be a large one to be worth doing. Small jobs done well are frequently how the good long-term relationships start.
Why does my logo have a white box around it?
Because it's saved as a JPG, which doesn't support transparency. Every JPG has a solid background even if it looks white. The fix is a PNG or vector version with a transparent background.
What is a vector logo and why do printers ask for one?
A vector file stores the logo as mathematical paths rather than pixels, so it scales to any size without blurring. Printers, embroiderers, and sign makers need this because they may be reproducing the mark at sizes far larger than a screen image supports.
Can you convert a JPG logo to a vector file?
Yes, though it's a redrawing process rather than a file conversion. Automatic tracing tools produce rough approximations. A properly redrawn vector matches the original cleanly and scales perfectly.
What file formats should I get from a logo designer?
At minimum: vector source files (.AI, .EPS, or .SVG), transparent PNGs at several sizes, CMYK versions for print, RGB versions for screen, and solid black and white single-color versions. Horizontal, stacked, and icon-only layouts are worth requesting too.
What's the difference between a logo refresh and a redesign?
A refresh keeps the existing mark and rebuilds it properly — cleaner artwork, vector files, complete format set. A redesign creates a new mark entirely. If customers already recognize your logo, a refresh usually solves the actual problem.
How much does it cost to fix a logo file?
Far less than a redesign, since the design work already exists. It's redrawing and file preparation rather than concept development. If your current files are causing problems with printers or merchandise vendors, it's typically a one-time fix worth doing.
Does your logo cause problems every time you order merchandise? Schedule a free consultation at jpetrous.com | contact@jpetrous.com | 586-563-6634.
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