Redraw or Recreate a Logo: When to Pay a Designer

To redraw a logo is to have a designer rebuild it shape by shape in drawing software, using the image you already have. It’s a paid service that makes sense for damaged logos, gradients or unusual lettering. For a simple, readable logo, a free automatic conversion often does the job, so try that first.

What does it mean to redraw a logo?

Redrawing a logo means recreating every letter and shape of an existing logo by hand, in a program like Illustrator or Inkscape, to get a vector file (a file that describes each shape of the logo instead of storing a grid of colored dots). The designer places your old image underneath, then draws clean outlines on top of it, with the right colors.

The new file looks like the original but stays sharp at any size, with no jagged edges when it’s printed large. It’s technical work, not creative work: the design itself doesn’t change.

Should you redraw a logo or convert it automatically?

Paying someone to redraw a logo only makes sense when automatic conversion fails, and the only way to know is to try it. Zoom in on your image: clean shapes, flat colors and readable text convert very well on their own. Gradients, drop shadows, texture or outlines that have faded away need a human hand.

The full method, and the traps that are specific to logos, are covered in our guide on how to vectorize a logo. A test takes a few minutes; a designer’s quote can take days to arrive.

When should a designer recreate your logo?

A designer is worth hiring to recreate a logo in four situations, where software copies the flaws instead of fixing them:

1. The logo has gradients, highlights or 3D effects. Automatic conversion slices them into bands of color; a designer rebuilds the effect that was intended.
2. The only copy is tiny, heavily compressed or damaged. A photocopy, a scan of old letterhead, a 100-pixel image: there isn’t enough detail left, so someone has to interpret it.
3. The lettering uses an unusual typeface. A designer can identify the original font, or redraw the letters cleanly instead of keeping their smudges.
4. The logo will live for years on expensive surfaces. A storefront sign, a vehicle wrap, embroidery, packaging: a carefully built file with checked colors pays for itself quickly.

A logo that started as a sketch on paper often falls into the second case; see first how to vectorize a drawing from a scan.

Redraw or redesign a logo: what’s the difference?

Redrawing a logo means copying it exactly, while redesigning it means changing it: proportions, font, colors or symbol. The first is production work; the second is creative work, with proposals, rounds of feedback and sign-off.

Say clearly which one you want when you ask for a quote. Plenty of misunderstandings start right there: you expected a faithful copy, the designer sends back an “improved” version, and the invoice follows.

How much does it cost to redraw a logo?

The cost of redrawing a logo depends on the designer and on how long the logo takes: a one-color monogram goes quickly, a detailed crest with curved text takes far longer. There’s no standard rate.

Ask for a firm quote, preferably a flat fee rather than hourly, that spells out how many revision rounds are included and which files you’ll get. A quote that talks about “concepts” or “exploration” describes a redesign, not a redraw.

What should you give the designer?

To redraw a logo faithfully, a designer needs the largest image you can find, the exact colors if you have them, the font name and the list of places the logo will appear. Dig through old emails, quotes and printed material: a bigger version changes everything.

If you know the color codes (a Pantone reference, a hex code), pass them along. If not, send a printed item whose color you like.

Which files should you get back?

After a logo is redrawn, ask at minimum for an SVG, a vector PDF, a one-color version and a PNG with a transparent background, plus the designer’s working file (an editable .ai or .svg). Those files are what save you from paying for the same job again in two years.

Our explainer on vector file formats sorts out SVG, PDF and EPS, and tells you which to hand over for print, signs or embroidery. Also ask, in writing, for the rights to use the file to be transferred to you: without that agreement, the redrawn logo partly remains the designer’s work.

Can a logo maker redraw your existing logo?

An online logo maker won’t redraw your existing logo: it builds a new one from the templates, icons and fonts in its library. That’s handy when starting from scratch, but the result will never faithfully match a logo you already have, and the terms of use vary from one service to the next.

Try the automatic version before asking for a quote

Before you contact a designer, run a test on Depixelise with the very image you were planning to hand over. It takes PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG files, up to 10 MB. Roughly ten seconds later, the new version fills the screen beside the one you uploaded, and you can inspect it up close. Four attachments land in your inbox: the logo as an SVG, a 2000 px PNG with nothing behind it, a single-ink variant and a light variant built for dark backgrounds.

Those four files are yours outright, with no license to follow and no credit line to keep: send them to any printer or embroiderer you choose, or give them to a designer as a starting point if touch-ups are still needed. No account, no watermark, and it’s 100% free. A very small image gets enlarged and its shapes rebuilt, so always compare the result with your original.

FAQ

Will a redrawn logo look exactly like the original?

A logo redrawn as an exact copy only differs from the original under a magnifying glass: edges are cleaner and shapes more even. Write “faithful reproduction” in your request, or some designers will quietly fix whatever looks awkward to them.

Can a designer recreate a logo from a photo?

Yes, a designer can recreate a logo from a photo of a sign, a T-shirt or a van, as long as it’s taken straight on, in focus and in good light. The more tilted or blurry the photo, the more they have to guess, and the further the result drifts from the original.

Can you have another company’s logo redrawn?

Having another company’s logo redrawn so you can use it yourself raises a trademark problem. A club or shop that wants to display a sponsor’s logo should ask that sponsor for the file, or at least for written permission.

How long does it take to get a logo redrawn?

How long a logo redraw takes depends on the designer’s workload and on the number of revision rounds: ask for it in the quote, with a delivery date. If a print order is waiting, say so in your very first message.

Does a blurry logo need redrawing before printing?

A blurry logo doesn’t necessarily need redrawing: an automatic conversion is often enough to make it print sharp. What causes the blur, and the fix for each cause, is covered in our article on the blurry logo when printed. A designer comes next, only if the result disappoints you.

Curious about what software actually does when it turns pixels into shapes? The basics are in our step-by-step page to vectorize an image.