Making a "professional" band logo?

[invader3k]

Hey everyone. Need some help with a graphic arts related question...

Our new band has a logo, which my wife helped me create. It is pretty basic, but we all love the look of it. Problem is, she did it in Word, and I have it saved as a jpeg. The resolution on it, to be blunt, sucks. I need someone who can take it and make it look more professional (ie. less jagged and more sharp). Can anyone recommend a website or somewhere else I can have this done? Thanks.

[6jase5]

Why don't you post it so we can see what you have. That is really the starting point. In word I'm picturing something with a font or basic shapes....?

Not sure if this needs redraw w/vector or something simple from PS.

[invader3k]

I'd rather not post it here for now, but it's pretty basic. Just a couple different fonts and a circle around the first letters of the name. Currently have it on sort of a "sunburst" background, but that part isn't really the problem.

[Ayce]

Agreed. Post a draft or rough drawing. I imagine someone could do a nice job for you. Maybe even free. Or at least for a credit.
Nevermind, I see where your going.You could also get a copy of Gimp, a free graphics editor. Don't have the web addy atm, but you can google it.

[invader3k]

All right, I'll just post it. It's pretty basic, so please don't be too harsh. And yes, our band is called "Wayne & The Annihilators". Gimme a sec to post it...

[invader3k]

*bump*

Any help anyone could give me would be much appreciated!

[hrodbert696]

Since you're posting here, I assume you don't want to actually pay someone for this, or not much. I'd say contact your nearest local college's art department and see if they have a student who will do it for you. Even your local high school probably has an art teacher who teaches a graphic design class, I'll bet. They may actually do it for you or could tell you who would. You could also check with local churches, the public library, any place like that which uses a logo and ask who did theirs.

[Edu Fettermann]

My band hired a designer to create our logo. In Brazil, we have to register the logos as well, to avoid any copyright problems. The guy we hired did the whole database research before creating our logo, so we wouldn't have any of these problems. Maybe it would be better if you invested a few bucks to get something really professional.

[6jase5]

There is nothing wrong with it, not sure why you didn't want to post it. I would suggest having someone redraw so that you have crisp letters and no pixelation blur. It really wouldn't be all that hard for someone that does that type of work. Even if you had to pay, you aren't talking much.

I have a few graphic artist friends. I can ask if they are doing freelance work and what they'd charge if you can't find someone local.

[invader3k]

I have no problem paying a bit for someone to fix it up (or redraw it). Not looking to spend hundreds of dollars, though.

[BassBrass]

Yeah, if she made it with elements from the web, it's just 72 dots per inch and that's LOW rez, not for professional or graphic use. Print rez is 200-2000 dpi (depending on use). 200dpi is the minimum for text to not be jagged. She needs to recreate it in Photoshop at a higher starting rez. (or other pro graphic program, even Corell or Illustrator) so that it can be saved and used at high rez. OR You need HARD COPY that can be scanned into photoshop at high rez. I used to do this kind of stuff at Kinkos, but Kinkos is gone because most people do this for themselves. If the lenz-flare or fireburst graphic is only available at screen rez (72) you need a real artist to make it on paper for scanning OR find a source of clip art that's for pro use. That might be expensive. Drawing programs like Illustrator have tons of effects that can be used to make that shape. Someone who is an Illustrator (or whatever program) jock could recreate that in a few minutes.
NEVER USE WORD for graphics unless it's staying in Word!

[invader3k]

Yeah, that's what I need, someone who knows what they're doing. I do not own Photoshop or anything like that.