The original logo file is almost always with whoever printed your signage, cards or packaging — ask them for the CDR, AI, EPS, SVG or PDF, not a JPG. If nobody has it, recreating it is small, cheap work, and worth doing once properly because you’ll need it repeatedly.
The moment it happens
Do you actually have your logo file? Most businesses only have a visiting card — and this becomes apparent when a developer asks for “the logo file” and what arrives is a photograph of a card, or a low-resolution image pulled from an old brochure.
That file won’t work. Scaled up for a website header it looks blurry; on a white background it carries a grey box around it; and it can’t be resized for a signboard later.
What “logo file” actually means
| File type | What it’s good for | Can it be scaled? |
|---|---|---|
| CDR, AI, EPS, SVG (vector) | Everything — web, print, signage | Yes, infinitely |
| PDF (if vector inside) | Print, often usable for web | Usually yes |
| PNG with transparent background | Web use at the size supplied | Only down, not up |
| JPG | Nothing much; has a solid background | No |
| Photo of a visiting card | Not usable | No |
Ask for the first row. If you get a PNG, it’s workable for a website provided it’s reasonably large and has a transparent background.
Where the file usually is
Work through these in order. One of the first three almost always has it:
- Your printer. Whoever made your visiting cards, letterhead or bill books. They needed a vector file to print, so they have one. Ask for “the original CDR or AI file”.
- Your signage vendor. Flex boards and shop signs require the same thing.
- Whoever designed it. A relative, a freelancer, a design shop years ago. Old emails or WhatsApp may still have the attachment.
- Old email attachments. Search your inbox for “logo” — the file is often sitting in a 2019 thread.
- Packaging or label suppliers, if you sell products.
When you ask, be specific: “I need the original vector file of our logo — CDR, AI, EPS or SVG. A JPG won’t work.” Printers understand this immediately.
If the file genuinely doesn’t exist
Then it needs to be redrawn from the best copy you have. This is routine work — a designer traces the artwork into a vector file. Costs in India are modest, usually a few hundred to a couple of thousand rupees depending on complexity, and it’s a one-time job.
Two things to insist on when you get it done:
- Ask for the source file, not just exported images. You want the CDR/AI/SVG in your own folder, because this is precisely how businesses lose their logo the second time.
- Ask for a transparent PNG in a few sizes alongside it, for immediate use.
If your logo is genuinely just text — many small businesses’ logos are — redrawing it is quick, and it’s also a reasonable moment to ask whether it needs improving. But don’t let a website project turn into a rebranding exercise; that’s how launches slip by months.
Keeping it, this time
Make one folder — cloud storage or a drive you control — containing: the vector source file, a transparent PNG, your photos, and your page text. This folder is what makes your next website, signboard or brochure a one-day job instead of a scavenger hunt. It’s also what survives if a project fails.
What to do this week
- Message your printer and ask for the original vector file.
- Search your email for “logo” and check old attachments.
- If nothing turns up, get it redrawn — and ask for the source file, not only exports.
- Create one folder for logo, photos and text, and put everything in it.
- Send your developer the vector file, not a photo of a card.
If you want it done the certain way
If your logo only exists on a card, tell us — redrawing it is small work and we’d rather do that than build a site around a blurry image. Prices are published, the date is written with a refund behind it, and you keep every source file we produce. WhatsApp us; we reply in about five minutes between 9am and 7pm.
Related reading
- Who writes the text for your website — you or the developer?
- What photos do you really need for a business website?
- How to hand over content without writing a document
- Your website is stuck because it’s waiting for you
FAQ
What logo file format does a website need?
A vector file — SVG, AI, EPS or CDR — is ideal because it scales cleanly. A large PNG with a transparent background also works for web use. A JPG or a photo of a visiting card doesn’t.
Where can I get my original logo file if I lost it?
Start with whoever printed your visiting cards or signage; they needed a vector file to print and usually still have it. Then check old email attachments and whoever originally designed it.
How much does it cost to recreate a logo file in India?
Redrawing an existing logo as a vector is small, one-time work, typically a few hundred to a couple of thousand rupees. Ask for the editable source file, not just exported images.
