how do I supply a logo that includes a bitmap image

[purplepooch]

This is my fiirst time using Illustrator. I have designed a logo for a dog rescue organisation. It consists of type and an imported bitmap illustration.
The illustration is a greyscale dogs head and is a brush water color painting (can't autotrace it - tried all the settings in Illustrator and it looked bad - not like watercolor)

My question is how do I supply this logo, as it will be used by non designers and I am wary of the non vector illustration looking like what comes out of the rear end of a dog :)

The last time I did any graphic design was using Freehand about 5 years ago. I recall saving such images as Black & White Bitmaps using this series of commands in photoshop: image mode > greyscale, image mode > bitmap, select bitmap (50% threshold, dither, etc).
I have got a really good result of the water color dogs head using a 1000 dpi diffussion dither, but when I bring it into Illustrator it looks strange, like faint dots. Is this just an Illustrator display issue? Also I can't recall what format I used to save these B&W bitmaps in - should it be an eps?
The great thing about this sort of files was that you could click a button and the white areas would become transparent (in Freehand) so you weren't restricted to always having the logo in a white box. Does such a feature exsist in Illustrator?
Also I am wondering about the 1000dpi bitmap - if I can use it I guess I embed it but what dpi do I export the final logo at? and what file format?
Thanks for any help! sorry this is so long
Kind regards, rusty old designer that is no longer a designer

[CkretAjint]

I am wary of the non vector illustration looking like what comes out of the rear end of a dog

No matter what you do the chances of it looking like pancaking crap are VERY HIGH! That's why you DO NOT design a logo outside of Illustrator.

The 'no white area' you speak of, does not exist in Illustrator. So you better hope your client NEVER uses this logo on a color background.

Your off to a VERY rough start my friend...

[jlknauff]

My question is how do I supply this logo, as it will be used by non designers and I am wary of the non vector illustration looking like what comes out of the rear end of a dog :)Well, before you worry about what the non-designers may do wrong with it, you should probably consider what you have already done wrong with it. Garbage in, garbage out.

[CkretAjint]

Also, I can't imagine that this logo with the watercolor image will look like anything reconizable when printed at business card size or smaller. :confused:


But to partially answer your question. I always save my bitmap files at 900 dpi, and save them as TIFs. But I ONLY use bitmaps in worst case scenarios... Normally I just open up the Illustrator and apply the PANTONE color to the logo and save it with '-PMS000' (000= PANTONE color code) at the end of the file name. *shrugs*

[tZ]

You probably should have just created the entire thing as a bitmap.

It would be much more easy to handle if it were just a bitmap rather then an embedded bitmap in a illy doc.

I have nothing against bitmaps but, really the entire logo should be a bitmap then. No, its not the best format in regards to a logo but, it can work if you know what your doing.

[CkretAjint]

...but, it can work if you know what your doing.

Agreed, but...

...as it will be used by non-designers...

That's what I was basing my statements on.

[purplepooch]

thanks for your help
had sneaking suspicion I was barking up the wrong tree

so ...
went back to experimenting with autotrace in Illustrator CS2.
I now find Hi Fidelity Photo results acceptable. Has a gazillion paths but its vector right, so no worries!
Whats the safest file format for me to supply this as?
woof!

[CkretAjint]

.eps back saved as far as possible without loosing any of your effects. Mostly likely that would be CS.

[purplepooch]

Thanks for all your help.
By the way the water color looks great small, made sure of that. The result is elegant and refined. The logo is for a fund that looks after old and sick dogs that no one will adopt, so wanted something that reflected that, not the usual fun wacky dog thing

[Virgo Nightingale]

Keep in mind however, that after doing the autotrace you may still have a white shape where the bitmap's white background was. You may need to select the tracing, expand it, ungroup it, and select and delete the white shape. I'd expand it regardless, actually.

[purplepooch]

yes the whole logo will live in a white rectangle that frames it in case it ends up on a coloured background

[PrintDriver]

I'd be more concerned about what it looks like LARGE. As in if it is ever printed as as a sign.

[carter the artist]

and once again, we can see a real life example of why logos should ALWAYS be created in Line Art (a.k.a. a Vector format.)

The criticism is sharp today, but it's because the designers keep preaching this fact and all the newbie "designers" these days keep going to photoshop to make their "kuhl" logo 'designs'. I think you got a bit of criticism as well, for saying this was being prepared for "non-designers", when in fact if this was created by a "designer" it should have already had a vector representation.

[tZ]

sad but, true.

[unchained]

One of the biggest companies in the world in the world (SONY BMG) use several small
bitmap gradient images in their new vector logo, so it's damn sure possible.

[SpugNothuson]

Sony BMG also have extremely deep pockets. So when it comes to forking out for the print costs they can get top quality work done.

Try printing it on cheap 100gsm uncoated paper. Then we'll see how the gradient looks.

Possible doesn't mean viable.

[CkretAjint]

Just cause 1 company does it, that does not make it the standard or even 'okay' to do....

[PrintDriver]

X-Box uses a Web2.0 logo with transparency and grades. But they are also a large corporation and like Sony have designers who actually thought about ALL the uses of their logo and have files made to extremely high resolutions for use when necessary. And I can almost bet you that Sony has a standards book at least 1/2" thick and somewhere in there they have a standard for a strictly vector logo.

Actually, you don't have to be a large corporation, only a willingness to pay more for printed full color logos and a designer who knows what resolution and Standards are - and thinks ahead.

[carter the artist]

Actually, you don't have to be a large corporation, only a willingness to pay more for printed full color logos and a designer who knows what resolution and Standards are - and thinks ahead.

AMEN!! Brotha