Free or Low-Cost Quality SVG Images Source?

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#21

I have a numerate degree and some PG training in software development - desktop, web and mobile.
Yet that’s nothing to what I’ve taught myself on actual jobs.

Still I’m much stronger on backend design and performance than on the essential graphic design for the front end.

I don’t agree with your road map to freelance success: what you propose is what suits people who are early 20s graduates not career change people. It also suits people with little life experience and social confidence to approach businesses to follow the plan you outline.

But many people find it easier to start humbly as freelancers - despite the initial lack of much income - and build (i.e. learn) skills with the incomparable motivation of a real customer before them. There is also the possibility of partnering with a graphic designer on a job basis when real skill is needed.

And don’t worry about my being black-balled by reverse image searchers - all my logos were personally made on Inkscape and my only desire to use generic elements like flashes, sunbursts, etc was to improve the impact of them. After your copyright and my own stock image travails, I won’t be pursuing this.

For what it’s worth, I would be disinclined to hire you, PrintDriver.

#22

I would never hire a freelance plumber or electrician or even a carpenter (also known as a handyman)

No insurance, no official training, no business acumen, no skills.

If you wouldn’t hire some people work my home, why would you hire them to work on my business???

#23

Even so, your questions indicate that you seem to be confused about the basics and proceed to make decisions based upon assumptions that aren’t correct.

For example, as has been pointed out several times already, SVG is an RGB format inappropriate for general print work. SVG is great for websites, but you need a format that supports CMYK for print.

In addition, you mentioned the stock sites primarily supply EPS files and that you want SVG instead. Setting aside your misplaced affinity for SVG, converting EPS vector files to SVG takes about 15 seconds. Then again, you’re using InkScape, which doesn’t support CMYK either since it’s based around SVG. The least you could do is spend $50 and buy a copy of Affinity Designer (if you can’t afford Illustrator) instead of relying on free stuff that just isn’t up to doing the job.

I don’t mean to be insulting, but going on what you’ve mentioned, asked, or on which you’ve expressed an opinion, you’re operating with a lack of basic knowledge compounded by some erroneous assumptions. Even if you’re doing low-end work for cheapskate clients, they deserve something usable, and an SVG logo made from free stuff found on the internet doesn’t even begin to meet minimum standards.

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#24

:rofl:

Finally someone who really gets PD.

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#25

I’d LOVE to do that.
But those b******s in Nottingham won’t produce a Linux version and I shall not use it on slowcoach Wine (Windows interface on Linux) - I have already tried using Wine-Affinity and it’s a pain.
Dead right, I can’t afford AI - or even PhotoShop. It’s Inkscape and GIMP.

Many web developers do advise using SVG for logos and wordmarks as people tend to zoom into them and an overly optimized PNG may pixelate too soon. I take the points on printed brochures but apart from take-aways and laundrettes, these are not so important these days. It’s not my area anyhow, it’s a printer’s job - though I accept that logo design demands choice of colors that are fairly reproducible across different media and this is only doable with CMYK and colors that are within the gamut of available commercial printers. I am not a total ass in graphics. I just can’t afford to get it done at the prices offered by GDs in my local ambit.

#26

Sure you would.
If it’s Saturday and Madame is sick in bed and running short of clean panties and no plumber is available till Wednesday.
You’d hire any plumber/electrician/whatever to get the washing machine/cooker/etc up and running.
You’d be a fool to do otherwise.

#27

No I wouldn’t - this is what I’m telling you.

And when has there been a logo emergency???

#28

Yes - that’s correct. A SVG is better for the web.
But logos don’t/shouldn’t start life as a SVG.

The industry standard is Adobe Illustrator. Yes, you can use other software. But most logos are supplied as Illustrator files in .ai format.

If you are sending EPS/SVG or other formats, those files are being opened in programs that may not have created them - and as such read the structure of the file incorrectly (or for a better way of understanding it - it’s a language and the syntax may not be the same) - which means there could be underlying issues which aren’t prevalent at the moment.

Then you don’t understand brand/logos or importance of corporate image.
What about
Building Signage
Reception Signage
Business Cards
Invoices
Promotional Material to drum up business
Car/Vehicle branding

If your target is take-aways and landrettes you’ve cornered about .0001% of the market.

It’s just as important as it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago, 100 years ago, 200 years ago.

You probably use them every day!
Twinnings Tea
Stella Artois and Bass (beers)
Shell Oil
Levi’s (denim)
Heinz
Peugot
Johnson & Johnson

To name a select few.

Don’t come onto a graphic design forum - when you don’t know (and clearly don’t know) anything about the industry.

You don’t even know the correct file format for a logo - which is frigging logo 101.

You’re just a wannabe hack and have no business even trading - you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. A scurge on the profession.

And you come here and tell us ‘it’s not important these days’???
Who do you think you are???

No - it’s up to you supply the files correctly to the printers - the printers print what you give them.

There’s a saying in print and it’s acronym is SISO - which means Shite In Shite Out.

You certainly come across as one, with ill-conceived ideas of importance and how to create graphics by stealing from stock images and producing these files in SVG because a Web Developer suggested it’s better for web.

You really do come across as an ass - a clueless one.

And then you come in here and tell us only take-aways and laundrettes - I can’t even go on - this has to be a joke…

You can’t afford to get a graphic designer to produce graphics for you - which you’re selling to someone else???

You get the price from the graphic designer - you take that price and add a markup - which say give yourself 20%.

You tell your client it’s $480 - you pay the designer - you take $80.

It’s as simple as that.

If you build up a report with the designer - you might even get their trade rate.

Which means you can still charge $480 for the logos
But you can now start taking a larger slice of the pice and perhaps get $150 for yourself
Pay the trade rate to the designer for $330

Now you’re making money.

What you’re doing seems to be ass about face.
You’re letting the client dictate the price.

Do you go to your take-away and say I don’t think that burger is worth $8 - I’m only paying $2.
They’d ■■■■ you out the door.

Do you go to the laundrette an pick up the clothes and go to pay the bill - that was 10 shirts - $10 each - $100 but a discount because you brought in 10 - so it’s now $90.
Ah - no!!! I will pay you $10 that’s all it’s worth.

You would not get your shirts back - guaranteed!!!

Bad designer - bad businessperson - bad ethics - bad software - bad attitude.

I think I covered most of it.

I’m done here.

#29

You just saved me a job there. I have been biting my tongue on this. I even wrote a long response last night, but I’d got in from having a couple of pints with some mates, so I thought best to leave it until this morning before posting. Glad I did. It was more than a little ‘emphatic’, so I thought better of it and deleted it. You have saved me the redraft.

I don’t mind one bit if some doesn’t know something and asks for advice, but when people arrogantly insist they do, and patently don’t – you need a couple of pints!

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#30

Look, first things first.

Small business clientele will pay no more than $500 in total for a brochure site plus social media pages/channels.
And that includes the logo.

That’s why I can’t afford to go to a GD and pay them a minimum of $200. (Forget about my ‘cut’ !)
It’s not that I don’t want to. Or indeed that such matters are best left to the GD. Or that the customer has such unspoken expectations anyway.
But they just won’t pay for it. And it’s not one or two of them, it’s practically all of this sector.

In all your outrage, some key points are made but not explained, e.g.

But logos don’t/shouldn’t start life as a SVG.

Why ever not if they are to be used on the web that same format and if your SVG generator can also convert them into PNG, PDF, etc. And if other means are available to generate .webp format ?

If you are sending EPS/SVG or other formats, those files are being opened in programs that may not have created them - and as such read the structure of the file incorrectly (or for a better way of understanding it - it’s a language and the syntax may not be the same) - which means there could be underlying issues which aren’t prevalent at the moment.

Say I do a (cheap) logo for a tradesman. He also wants it on his stationary and on a vinyl wrap for his van:

I simply send the SVG file to the printer who has AI, Affinity, etc and they do the file conversions to suit the final products and that is it.
I should say that all colors used would have been originally specified in CMYK in Inkscape so they will be within the gamut of printable colors by the printer’s machine although not the brightest.

Where is your problem with this ?

#31

… and we’re done.

I do believe that’s been spelled out in great detail.

If you feel what you are doing is the way to go … Great! … Go for it. However you will never convince seasoned professionals that your method is the way to go. It’s just not how it’s done. End of story.

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#32