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I'm a newbie in Branding of products in the market using Graphics Design and as per my question, I would like to know what items are supposed to be branded for a photographer as a client?

Branding is more than a logo. A brand is a touch point. Every way the photographer reaches their clients and potential clients it's from their logo to their marketing, and their product to their customer service is their brand. Therefore, branding should be purposeful design. Everything, every vehicle, every communication should have a purpose and send a clear message of who and what the photographer is.

Most photographers are freelance,those that have companies, are to be branded in another level. A discussion on both would help.

What I am certain of is: business cards, brochures and letterhead are in that list, what other items should be branded?

Also, is Branding designing and doing printing services or designing alone?

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    A backpack or camera bag could be another good item for that branding list. You'd never see a photographer without his/her bag of tricks. Also you could print stickers for lens caps, or get a logo CNC'd into them
    – Lex
    Dec 17, 2014 at 9:35
  • Well said @Lex and is there a camera bag mock up anywhere in the internet?
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 17, 2014 at 10:08
  • I edited the title of your question. Please correct me if I misstated anything. It sounds like you're asking what the actual brand identity physically gets applied to, correct?
    – DA01
    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:45
  • Yes but I wanted to be specific on a Photographer as a client.
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:54
  • There's nothing particular unique about a Photographer as a client in terms of items that would have their branding applied to it.
    – DA01
    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:04

3 Answers 3

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In my opinion, anything which the clients sees in relation to the photography and its business should be branded.

  • Stationery (card, letterhead, envelope)
  • Web Site
  • Photographic prints
  • Invoices
  • Quotes
  • Receipts
  • Model Releases
  • Call sheets
  • Buildings (signage if there is a building)
  • Equipment (could just be stickers)

The more places you can get your brand in the client's view, the more it will "stick" with them -- which is the entire point of branding. There's no such thing as "too little" branding in most cases. If you're asking yourself "Should I be branding this...?" The answer is probably "yes".

I do mean to tastefully brand things. Slapping huge bright colored stickers on EVERYTHING won't do much to elevate your brand. The branding does not need to be overly prominent and "loud". It can be small and elegant. The point is, it should be there.

"Branding" does not necessarily always mean the same logo or mark. However, there should be a cohesive set of graphic elements, colors, text, etc. that are used across all items. For example, you may not want to stamp a color logo on prints (front or back), but a well-designed text-only stamp in your primary brand color on the back of prints will go a long way.

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    When you are talking of prints, what exactly are those?
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 17, 2014 at 11:22
  • I was thinking Photographic prints. I know they are rare these days, but most of the photographers I know sell prints at various sizes.
    – Scott
    Dec 17, 2014 at 18:19
  • This is a good list, though it should be noted the list can be almost limitless. Brochures, mobile apps, promotional gifts, hats, uniforms, tchotchkes, trade show booths, computer desktop images, cases, vehicles (livery), etc...
    – DA01
    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:49
  • @DA01 you can edit the answer from Scott and add them there.
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:55
  • @Ngeshlew sure, but see my answer. I guess my point is that a list of specific items is somewhat futile. It could on and on and on and on... :)
    – DA01
    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:58
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Some other element should be branded according to the main activity of your client and the way he expand his work. you may now think about "Visual Identity" as the big umbrella doing the job. think about animation, animated logo, video ads, colors, slogan, an illustrated character. some clients need to see their logo over pens, Agendas, T-shirts, caps, desktop and wall calendars, webpage ... some other go far away by asking for windows theme, wallpaper, starting screen, screensaver ...etc. The result Visual identity will lead you to very huge document. for example, please find McDonald’s Logo Guidelines to get the idea.

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  • I see that McDonald on page 9 have different visual identities on different items. So it's for the client to say where the logo is to be visually attached to? Are they aware of what items can be branded?
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 17, 2014 at 8:01
  • For sure the client is the decision maker, but try to keep his decision limited between what you offered from various alternatives.
    – hsawires
    Dec 17, 2014 at 9:21
  • But you can offer a wide range with the free resources out their for the visuals.
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 17, 2014 at 11:23
  • Sure, actually Visual Identity is a like composing a Classical Music that have movement, section, scale, key, chord, or interval. Major and minor ..etc. and you are the Maestro. The Classical Music have some fighting movements, slow, speedy .. etc. and this is should be you Music (Visual Identity designs)
    – hsawires
    Dec 17, 2014 at 11:32
  • And the making the designs come to life like performing live on stage for your audience which in this case it's printing the business cards, is it also part of branding or we can say branding is just designing?
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 17, 2014 at 11:40
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Scott has a good list. I'll be a bit more generic: It can be applied to anything and everything.

The typical initial 'package' a designer would put together would be the stationery:

  • letterhead
  • business card
  • accessories (envelopes, invoice, etc.)

And then the digital files in a few formats:

  • vector for print work (EPS, AI, or SVG)
  • raster for web usage (PSD or PNG typically)

Finally--typically for large clients that have to manage their brand across a wide range of offices and vendors--a Branding Guidelines/Style Guide may be provided as well. Take for example Adobe Corporate Brand Guidelines. This is essentially a manual with instructions for other designers to follow that will be using the logos and brand elements in other work.

Beyond that, the sky is the limit. Because of that, it's a good idea to make sure your visuals can eventually work across different media. It doesn't mean a single logo needs to work in all situations, but ideally you'd develop a set of brand assets that can be interchanged depending on what they'd be applied to.

The various media might be:

  • paper (stationery, brochures, faxes, etc.)
  • physical products (engraved, screen printed, stamped, etc.)
  • signage (cut metal, hand painted, thermo formed plastic, vinyl, etc)
  • clothing (embroidered, screen printed, thermal transfer, etc.)
  • large formats (billboards, livery, trade show banners etc)
  • digital (web, mobile, television, etc)

To accommodate all of these variations you may need to create a few variations of the brand elements. Full color for paper, perhaps. Maybe solid line art version black/white printing, embroidery, etc. Maybe an animated version for online and television.

As for your other question:

Is branding designing and doing printing services or designing alone

'Branding' is a huge term and can mean a lot of different things well beyond just the graphic design part of it.

That said, in general, designer's don't typically physically print the work they design, but they may very well manage the process--meaning the client would pay them directly to then find a printer and the printer would be paid by you the designer. But just as often, the client may manage the printing aspect themselves and just ask you for the files. Both are common.

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  • A good example on what you have answered on the 1st question would be McDonald’s Logo Guidelines from @hsawires answer.
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:58
  • @Ngeshlew ah! That's a really good point. A brand standards manual. I'll add that to the answer.
    – DA01
    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:00
  • And would be having a resource on another detailed brand standards manual/ tutorial?
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:01
  • @Ngeshlew if you google "branding guidelines" you'll fine all sorts of examples.
    – DA01
    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:04
  • Just did what you've said and found that link
    – Ngeshlew
    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:14

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