How to scale down an image in psd or ai properly?

Question

I have googled and I have tried all sorts of method but I just cant do it properly myself. I am not graphic design trained. so my knowledge of photoshop and illustrator is very minimal.

I have a vector image of a logo. It is in .ai and I have uploaded it to the link over here in case you want to see it. And the link over here is the one that I have tried to rescale down. I have no idea why rescaling the image down actually makes it look so pixelated. I tried doing it on illustrator in various ways, also save for web. I also tried exporting to photoshop, and making sure I chose the option that is "best for rescaling down".

Is there something with the image itself, or am I missing out on somethings?

Answer 1

You're not doing anything wrong. That's what your logo looks like at that size. If you go back to Illustrator and zoom out on the artwork until it's about the size of you PNG. It looks the same.

Sometimes logos don't work at small sizes so you have to make small format versions. Usually the artwork needs to be simplified with some fine details removed and/or emphasized.

For example I work with a logo regularly that is a word made up of a bunch of circles like a led sign. At small sizes you can't distinguish the circles and it just looks like a grainy, gray splotch. We have a small format version where there are fewer but larger circles and it reads much better at small sizes.

For your logo I would suggest making a version where the puzzle piece outline is a little bolder and maybe make the bottom thread area single bolder line to separate the bulb from the base.