Service Mark

[randynavarro]

If you guys are like me, you'll get down the road a few years and think back, "What in the world was I thinking!!!!"

If possible, go for the best you can afford now. That way, you won't be embarrassed in a few years.

[Les]

or embarrassing, like me.

[Scottpat]

I really do not have a logo. I do keep a consistent theme by using my favorite color, GREEN! Yes the color of our money.

My site is not real fancy, in fact it is kind of dull. But it pulls up organically rather well when you look for an inspector in my area. That's all that I can ask for.

http://www.traceinspections.com

[SonOfSwamp]

Originally posted by hausdok

Huh,

I remember seeing a Plumb bob on Jim's site, but I really didn't remember a house on yours. Oh well, I was half right anyway. How about explaining this public domain concept to those of us who aren't familiar with it, Walter.

OT - OF!!!

M.

Well, I think the public-domain images thing might've gotten a little more complicated since I last looked it up. There's useful info here:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html

Best I know, graphics that have reached a certain age are up for grabs; that is, they're in the public domain. Use 'em all you want, for free. Turn 'em into your trademark. No pen-and-ink guy from 1914, who drew ad art for Better Homes & Gardens, is going to sue you.

Back when I was working at OHJ, I learned that old shelter mags, builder mags and even Sears catalogs were full of beautiful illustrations that nobody owned, and nobody remembered.

You can't just grab up a copy of a Norman Rockwell painting and call it your own. But within certain limits, you can get use published woodcuts, drawings, prints, etc., of old houses, appliances, tools...

I've made many business cards for friends and neighbors, using old pen-and-ink graphics. There are books in bookstores full of retro art that's all public domain. I've got CDs full of public-domain graphic art. Some of the stuff contains slogans that work great (graphically) for service businesses like HI companies.

To my eye, the old stuff looks great. To my mind, it set my business apart from those who used what I call cookie-cutter art.

It's all about knowing where to look, and knowing how to use the stuff in an advertising context.

WJ

[randynavarro]

If you want it for your avatar... just copy the link from your post above and paste it in your profile. Use the profile link on the menu.

Michael Brown

DevWave Software Inc.

http://www.inspectexpress.com

Well, I tried it but my logo came out all squished!

[hausdok]

Hi Randy,

You need to reduce the size. Here's a way to do it. Open that graphic in photoshop or something like that and reduce the size. Then go into the test forum, make a test post and attach it to the post. TIJ's software will assign an URL to it. Copy the URL from the attached graphic and paste it into your profile. When it's small enough, it will come out the right shape.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[John Dirks Jr]

Size may not be the only problem. Mine was small enough but still came out distorted. I figured out to correct it the height and width needed to have equal pixel length. That can be edited on your desktop before uploading to TIJ. Right click on the image, select properties the hit the picture tab at top, view the pixel info. They need to be equal for the avatar to not be distorted.

[chicago]

John.. I like your logo,Mike I was keeping civil but noted that both those guys prevented me from ribbing them back by not listing a web site under profiles.

The site that Chad has is a house logo by the way.I like that to.

As far as me I use various designs and find it fun to do myself.

Life is short so if somebody does it themselves it is their business to have fun with.

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[randynavarro]

Well I just tried several variations using my logo as an avatar--it basically stinks in real small format like that.

I'm just going back to my brotha-from-anotha-motha avatar--he's cool!

In fact, maybe I'll change my company identity with him as my logo!!!

Any copyright issues anyone know about?

[hausdok]

Jeez, Randy,

I just spent 20 minutes fixing that logo for you. You have to reduce the size of the photo to one that will fit inside the borders established in your profile for your avatar.

You had yours set to 70 pixels by 120 pixels and were trying to squeeze a 4inch photo into a space made for a 1 inch square photo. I reset your profile avatar size to 100 X 100 pixels, cropped the photo so that the circle was centered and then reduced it to 99 pixels by 99 pixels, pasted it into the pic test post, copied the avatar and pasted it into your profile.

It was perfectly shaped and undistorted and in focus. However, you're right, the print is so small that you can't read it. I can probably take it up to 120 by 120 but that's it.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[Brad Manor]

My logo is incredibly simple. It (sort of) incorporates both a house and a magnifying glass. I paid a company to design it, and am quite pleased with it thus far. A few years down the road, however, it may lose its appeal to me as well as my market. When that happens I will pay someone to design me another - I would rather pay someone to do what they're good at than do what I'm bad at for free.

-Brad

[chicago]

Hi Brad ..That makes perfect sense as not everyone has time to spend on these things.

Delegating authority is the key to financial success.

However there are people like me that like to be involved in every detail.

It is not a calculated business decision as much as an urge which cannot be denied.

I have a plaque that is magnetically attached to a post in my basement office that reads:

Let yourself be silently drawn by the pull of what you really love.

We all need to do what is best for us.

[randynavarro]

Originally posted by hausdok

Jeez, Randy,

I just spent 20 minutes fixing that logo for you. You have to reduce the size of the photo to one that will fit inside the borders established in your profile for your avatar.

You had yours set to 70 pixels by 120 pixels and were trying to squeeze a 4inch photo into a space made for a 1 inch square photo. I reset your profile avatar size to 100 X 100 pixels, cropped the photo so that the circle was centered and then reduced it to 99 pixels by 99 pixels, pasted it into the pic test post, copied the avatar and pasted it into your profile.

It was perfectly shaped and undistorted and in focus. However, you're right, the print is so small that you can't read it. I can probably take it up to 120 by 120 but that's it.

OT - OF!!!

M.

Many thanks for your efforts my brotha-from-anotha-motha Mike!

The text is integral to the logo and I can't separate the two--don't have the graphics program to do it.

So, I'll just keep on with Omar Scratch (the avatar's name.)