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Credit card logoGreek word "logos" means word. A logo is a symbolic representation of a company. It tells about the company or about the product in a concise way of drawing. Logos are of various types. Some have picture, whereas some have text. Some logos have picture and text combined. The logo is at first created by a commercial artist, who is an expert of fine art. Then the picture is scanned and thus computerized. Alternatively the artist can work on computer to do the computerized drawing work.
Quick Identity:
Credit card logos give identification of the money card at a quick glance. The familiar logo on sign board gives signal to a customer that his credit card is accepted at that particular place. Same is applicable to merchant or cashier, who can quickly identify the credit card due to the presence of particular logo.
Essential features of a good logo of credit card:
1. It should be effective in different sizes. It should make possible quick identification of the credit card.
2. It should be unique. It means it should be different from other credit cards. Its appearance should be only one of its kind thus bringing uniqueness.
3. It should be printable on various surfaces. It should not contain fine lines as these are not visible on banners from a distance. On the contrary a good logo has thick lines or heavy blocks. Fine printing is not possible on jute banners. Similarly fine images are not visible in a computer monitor of low resolution. Website of credit card is displayed through different types of monitors and hence the logo should be clearly visible through any type of monitor. 4. It should be easy to draw with a piece of chalk. This is helpful during campaigns, in field visits and in travelling or mobile offices. Due to easy design one can hire any local painter to paint the logo.
5. It should have few colors. Colors should be bright.
6. It should be versatile. Bank should be able to use it on credit cards as well as for other banking services.
7. It should be identified by customers from different linguistic background.
8. It should have text and sketch both. Text enables fresher to identify the company. Whereas sketch enables old customers quick identification.
9. It should tell something about the credit card company. The logo should talk about its company and thus it should be informative.
10. The logo should be in accordance with the specifications provided by advertising agencies and webmasters. It should be easily available in various formats and sizes so as to facilitate advertisers and webmasters.
Problems caused by Credit Card Logos:
1. Logo makes first impression and identifies a card but same can cause imitation for a bogus card. Identification is concentrated at the logo, which if imitated can create problems.
2. Similar logos can cause confusion.
3. Banks have various functions and credit card is only one of them. Same logo for all the banking services can cause confusion.
4. Too many logos at cash counters and in advertisement reduce impact of advertising. Too many logos act as hurdle in quick identification/
Picture or Text?:
A picture, sketch or symbol quickly identifies the brand. For example inclined line in a box identifies Deutsche Bank. One who knows about the bank (the routine customers) can quickly identify it. But a fresher or layman can't recognize it. On the other hand Citibank has text based logo. Anyone who reads it, identifies the bank because of wordings. But there is a minus point. The text matter is in a particular language. If a person knows only one local language, he wont be able to read a logo in a foreign or strange language. Further it takes some time to read the text as compared to a sketch or picture. Hence quick recognition is not possible. A good logo therefore should have both text and sketch. The text should be in multiple languages or separate logo should be made available for each language.
Actual Use of Credit Card Logo:
1. Logo is used on credit card itself. Some banks use embossing technique along with printing.
2. Logo is used at cash counters of shops and malls. This is to say that they accept the particular credit card.
3. Logo is used on sign boards and on banners outside shops to indicate their acceptance.
4. Logos are used in advertisements of mail order business.
5. Logos are used on the websites of online business.
Getting Logo, Processing, Printing, Painting:
In the beginning a logo is created by a commercial artist. Advertising agencies also perform this function along with their advertising business. In such a case there is agreement to provide a number of services under one roof. The advertising agency designs the logo for the credit card. Then it prints visiting cards for the employees of the bank. It prints diaries and calendars. Advertisements of credit card are published in various media, such as newspaper, magazine, folders, brochures, cloth banners, placards, sign boards, television, website, etc. In all these cases, the logo is used prominently to make an impact of the particular bank's credit card.
If the first design of a logo is made on paper, then it is scanned and further processed for printing. Blocks are made for use in letter press and for making seals. Plates are made in case of offset. Digital printer can process scanned image itself. For webpages, GIF and JPEG images are made. GIF images are capable of animation. They are used for banner advertisements in webpages. JPEG images have more shades of color and are used generally for colored photographs. Softwares of GIF animation and photography are helpful in this case. While working on paper medium, DTP softwares are useful to change the size and colors of credit card logo.
Banner advertisements are required in link exchange. Websites of online business require GIF images of the credit card logo. Printers also require same images. Hence such various images should be made available through the process of downloading and through email attachments.
Painting process of logos require image of logo superimposed on a graph paper. So that a painter can easily plan his painting job. The credit card logo needs to be painted on the sign boards of shops and shopping malls. So also the logo needs to be painted in the advertisement of concerned banks.
Training of Logo Making:
Universities have Departments of Fine Arts, where basics of logo are taught. There are Advertising Schools, which are related to this field. Financial Management Institutions also include Credit Card Logo in their curriculum.
Trade Mark:
The logo acts as a trade mark of the bank or financial company. Like any other trade mark it helps the business of its company. Special thing is that this logo is a symbol of currency.
Related Topics:
Debit Cards,
Prepaid Telephone Cards,
Logo Designing by Commercial Artist,
Teaching Learning of Logo Making.
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