Children logo design competition....what size?

[spcauk]

The very small community I live in has a volunteer association run by residents, most of which had or have no experience in computers etc. The association is run to organise fun activities and events to encourage community spirit etc. Our association has no logo, and in line with bringing up to modern day levels and creating a professional image so that we may be taken even more seriously, I thought our own logo would be a fantastic idea. My idea developed even further to allow the children to design it themselves via a competition. This was voted a great idea and I have been given the go ahead to start.

The problem is, I have no idea what size box to give the children to draw in or how if I will need to do anything to it when scanned on to the computer. The children are asked to use pencils or pens only, would this be ok?

Any help would be truly appreciated.

Laura.

[Vasili]

Re: Children logo design competition....what size?

It is always best to start with the largest image possible with the original definition to then re-size smaller to the finished desired size, for things can always be made smaller without issue, but when making things larger they tend to lose resolution dramatically quick.

That is standard "printing" practices, and is the same for web applications. Once you decide on a particular design, they are usually reduced to fit the required applications, including making larger for such things as signs, banners, etc. This is why it is important to "Save" the scanned image at a minimum of 300 DPI (Dots Per Inch), either as a secondary image file (JPG), or as a PDF, which is very much a preferred format by printers, for they can adjust this file format easier than a JPG image.

Using MS Word or Publisher, you can add a box outline to a blank sheet of 8.5x11 paper and print them out for the kids to draw on, as this establishes an aspect of uniformity to all the designs submitted (something that will become self-evidentally useful to you, I am sure).

* Also, be sure to have the finished designs pressed totally flat against the *clean* platen when scanning -- even if you have to use a white (or other colored object that does not "bleed" through the paper and otherwise 'discolor' the scanned background) book or other heavy item to press evenly across the paper to capture the best raw image resolution -- for after drawn upon, the paper usually reforms and has "line ridges" and slight fold marks on it, rendering it less than perfectly flat.