# Dosie Foxie — full site > A brand-file compiler: a structured brief becomes a production-ready vector pack. > The human Production Pack and the agent API are both live. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com # Every style, one price: vector logo files | Dosie Foxie A logo in any style - mascot, badge, monoline, woodcut, geometric - drawn as true vector and shipped as SVG, EPS, PDF, PNG and ICO. Six versions, $149 once, unlimited edits. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/ --- # The Production Pack - $149 one-time | Dosie Foxie True vector masters (SVG and EPS), both layouts, a print PDF, favicon and app icons, avatars and the parametric source. One-time $149. Unlimited edits. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/production-pack.html --- # Is my logo really vector? Free SVG checker | Dosie Foxie Drop an SVG and find out whether it is true vector or a bitmap in disguise. Runs entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/tools/vector-check.html --- # Logo file audit: the 12 deliverables | Dosie Foxie Tick the twelve files a production-ready logo needs and see the exact gaps. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded. The checklist a printer or embroiderer works from. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/tools/file-audit.html --- # 16px logo legibility test | Dosie Foxie See your logo at 16, 24 and 32 pixels with coverage and edge metrics, and find out whether it survives a favicon, a chest placement or a phone screen. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/tools/legibility-check.html --- # CMYK colour shift and gamut check | Dosie Foxie Load a colour or an SVG and see the CMYK build, total ink coverage and estimated colour shift (ΔE). A browser-only warning before the print run, not a press proof. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/tools/cmyk-check.html --- # Embroidery stitch count estimator | Dosie Foxie Estimate embroidery stitch count from width, height, coverage and density, with a likely digitising cost range. Useful before asking for a quote. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/tools/stitch-estimate.html --- # Free logo production tools | Dosie Foxie Five free browser tools for logo production: true-vector check, 12-file audit, 16px legibility, CMYK colour shift and embroidery stitch estimate. Nothing is uploaded. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/tools.html --- # Production guides: files, print and trades | Dosie Foxie Practical guides to production-ready logo files: embroidery, screen printing, signage, workwear and the trade surfaces that break artwork. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/guides.html --- # Brand files for AI agents > The same Production Pack, machine-callable: a structured brief, three directions, a true-vector pack, a JSON manifest and a spec the agent can re-render. Pay per pack in USDC on Base with x402. > Agent API (2026-11-09): the contract, the free endpoints and the paid checkout are live. A preview is $1 and a Production Pack $19 in USDC on Base, paid per request with x402, with no account, API key or card. A request that arrives without payment returns 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/agents.html ## The contract ```http POST https://dosiefoxie.com/api/v1/orders content-type: application/json {"brief":{"name":"Salthouse Smokehouse","trade":"wood-smoked fish","style":"woodcut"}} # 402 + PAYMENT-REQUIRED (USDC on Base) # pay, retry with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE # 202 + order_id; poll GET /api/v1/orders/{id} ``` ## The six pages - [Logo API for AI agents: production files, not a PNG](https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-api-for-ai-agents.html): What an agent gets from the Dosie Foxie API: SVG, EPS, PDF, six lockups, favicon, spec.json, QA and a licence. Pay per pack in USDC on Base. - [x402 logo generator: a pack, paid per request](https://dosiefoxie.com/x402-logo-generator.html): How x402 works for a logo pack: HTTP 402, USDC on Base, exact scheme, no account or API key, and a production pack when the payment settles. - [MCP logo server: a brand-file tool for agents](https://dosiefoxie.com/mcp-logo-server.html): The live Dosie Foxie MCP server: six tools over the same contract as the HTTP API, the exact names it answers to, and why a tool call cannot pay its own x402 invoice. - [SVG logo API: true vector, not a traced bitmap](https://dosiefoxie.com/svg-logo-api.html): What a real SVG logo API should return: outlined type, one ink per file, six lockups, a favicon, a print PDF, spec.json and a QA report. - [Brand file API: the 12 deliverables, in one call](https://dosiefoxie.com/brand-file-api.html): The production-file checklist an agent should get back: vectors, both layouts, mono/reverse, favicon, app icon, avatars, print PDF, spec.json and a font licence. - [How to give an AI agent a logo](https://dosiefoxie.com/how-to-give-an-ai-agent-a-logo.html): A practical loop for agent builders: write a structured brief, get three directions, pick one, pay per pack with x402, and hand the files to the user. ## Machine-readable - [OpenAPI 3.1](https://dosiefoxie.com/openapi.json) - [llms.txt](https://dosiefoxie.com/llms.txt) - [llms-full.txt](https://dosiefoxie.com/llms-full.txt) - [A2A agent card](https://dosiefoxie.com/.well-known/agent-card.json) - [Sample pack](https://dosiefoxie.com/sample-pack.zip) ## What the pack contains | Deliverable | Format | Use | | --- | --- | --- | | Primary lockup | SVG + EPS | website, invoice, email | | Stacked lockup | SVG + EPS | square spaces, packaging | | Icon | SVG + EPS | favicon, app icon, avatar | | Wordmark | SVG + EPS | when the mark is already present | | Mono | SVG + EPS | one-colour print, embroidery | | Reverse | SVG + EPS | dark backgrounds, signage | | Print PDF | PDF | vector handoff to a printer | | PNG 512 + 1024 | PNG | web, social, decks | | Favicon | ICO | browser tab | | Maskable app icon | PNG 512 | PWA / app icon | | Social avatars | PNG 400 | profiles | | Spec + mark | JSON + SVG | re-render and edit | ## Start The human Production Pack is $149, one time: [see the pack](https://dosiefoxie.com/production-pack.html). The agent API is live: [agents.html](https://dosiefoxie.com/agents.html). --- # Partner programme: wholesale production packs for shops | Dosie Foxie Wholesale production packs for sign, print, embroidery and web shops: the same $149 pack at $79 per end client, with resale permitted. Apply in one email. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/partners.html --- # Logo API for AI agents: production files, not a PNG > An agent does not need a picture of a logo. It needs the files a business can ship, a spec it can re-render, and a price it can pay without a human. That is the contract this page describes. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-api-for-ai-agents.html > Agent API (2026-11-09). The contract, the free endpoints and the paid x402 checkout are live. A preview is $1 and a Production Pack $19, in USDC on Base, paid per request — no account, no API key, no card. A request that arrives without payment returns 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address. The agent API is a thin machine-callable layer over the same engine that builds the human Production Pack. The engine composes a parametric mark, traces the approved drawing once, runs the six geometry gates, and writes the bundle. The API only changes how the brief arrives and how the pack is paid for and returned. That matters because the hard part of a logo API is not returning an image. Image APIs already do that. The hard part is returning a file set that survives a printer, an embroiderer, a sign shop and a favicon at 16 pixels — plus a source the agent can edit without another model call. ## What the agent sends The request is a structured brief, not a prompt. Name and trade are required; style, audience, tagline, must-include and avoid are optional but strongly recommended. A thin brief produces a generic mark, which is the failure mode the API is designed to prevent. ``` { "brief": { "name": "Salthouse Smokehouse", "trade": "wood-smoked fish and charcuterie", "audience": "coastal restaurants and delis", "style": "woodcut", "must_include": ["fish", "smokehouse"], "avoid": ["cartoon", "gradients", "text in the mark"], "tagline": "Slow smoke, cold water" } } ``` The brief schema is published in the OpenAPI contract. A request that is missing a trade or a style returns a 422 with the missing fields, not a guessed mark. ## What comes back A completed order returns a manifest with signed URLs, a SHA-256 for every file, the palette, the font licence, the QA gate results and the parametric spec. The agent can hand the zip to its user and the manifest to its own code. ``` { "order_id": "ord_01J...", "spec_url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/f/ord_.../spec.json", "mark_svg_url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/f/ord_.../mark.svg", "files": [ {"name": "logo-color.svg", "kind": "vector", "use": "master", "bytes": 4184, "sha256": "..."}, {"name": "logo-mono.svg", "kind": "vector", "use": "one-ink", "bytes": 4102, "sha256": "..."}, {"name": "favicon.ico", "kind": "icon", "use": "favicon", "bytes": 23086, "sha256": "..."} ], "qa": { "passed": true, "gates": ["structure", "nodes", "stroke-floor", "contrast", "small-size", "clear-space"] }, "license": { "owner": "customer", "fonts": "OFL", "terms": "https://dosiefoxie.com/terms.html" } } ``` The manifest is the contract. An agent should not have to guess which file is the master, which one is one ink, or whether the pack passed QA. If the gates fail, the pack is regenerated; if it still fails, the pack fee is refunded. ## The payment is part of the request The paid endpoints use x402. The first request returns HTTP 402 with a PAYMENT-REQUIRED header. The agent pays the advertised amount in USDC on Base and retries the same request with a PAYMENT-SIGNATURE header. There is no account, no API key and no checkout page. ``` HTTP/1.1 402 Payment Required PAYMENT-REQUIRED: eyJ4NDAyVmVyc2lvbiI6MiwuLi4= { "x402Version": 2, "resource": {"url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/api/v1/orders"}, "accepts": [{ "scheme": "exact", "network": "eip155:8453", "amount": "19000000", "asset": "0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913", "payTo": "0x...", "maxTimeoutSeconds": 300, "extra": {"name": "USD Coin", "version": "2"} }] } ``` The amount is in atomic USDC units: 19000000 is $19.00. The agent should verify the network, asset, payTo and amount before signing. The full flow, including idempotency and refunds, is in the x402 guide. ## Why the spec matters more than the SVG An SVG is a drawing. The spec is the drawing's parameters: the mark family, the font, tracking, layout, scale, gap, palette and tagline. Colour, spacing, layout and tagline changes re-render from the spec without a model call, which is why the API can offer a cheap re-render and why an agent can keep a brand consistent across a site, an app icon and a deck. If the agent only receives a PNG, every change is a new generation. If it receives the spec, the expensive part is already done. ## Status, latency and the guarantee The agent API is live: the contract, the free endpoints, the sample pack and the paid x402 checkout. A preview is $1 and a pack $19 in USDC on Base; the payment is verified and settled by a facilitator and the app never holds a key. A draft takes roughly two minutes because three directions are drawn and judged; the pack compiles in about four seconds after approval. The API is asynchronous: it returns 202 with a status URL and an estimated time; poll the status URL (webhooks are not available yet). The guarantee is pack-or-refund: if the engine cannot produce a pack that passes the six gates, the pack fee is marked for a refund to the paying wallet and support@dosiefoxie.com confirms it. The preview fee is credited toward a retry, not refunded in cash. There is no human support on the agent SKU; support@dosiefoxie.com is the escalation path for a stuck order. ## Questions ### Is the API live? Yes. The contract, the free endpoints, the sample pack and the paid x402 checkout are live. A request that arrives without payment gets 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address; pay it and retry with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE to get 202 and a status URL. ### Do I need an account or an API key? No. x402 needs nothing but a wallet with USDC on Base. If you would rather be invoiced than hold a wallet, we issue a key on a prepaid balance instead: email support@dosiefoxie.com with how many packs you expect a month and we set it up. The key is a bearer token, the balance is debited per call at the same prices, and a failed job goes straight back on the balance. ### What happens if the pack fails QA? The engine retries within the order budget. If it still cannot produce a passing pack, the pack fee is queued for refund to the paying wallet and the order is closed. The refund is a USDC transfer the operator signs, so it is not instant: GET /api/v1/orders/{id} answers refund.pending until it is sent, then refund.sent with the transaction hash, which verifies it on Base. ### Can the output be used commercially? Yes. The pack includes a licence sheet and the fonts are OFL, outlined in the files. The pack is not a trademark clearance; the buyer is responsible for checking the name and mark. --- # x402 logo generator: a pack, paid per request > x402 is HTTP-native payment: the server answers 402, the agent pays in USDC, and the same request returns the pack. No account, no key, no checkout page. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/x402-logo-generator.html > Agent API (2026-11-09). The contract, the free endpoints and the paid x402 checkout are live. A preview is $1 and a Production Pack $19, in USDC on Base, paid per request — no account, no API key, no card. A request that arrives without payment returns 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address. Most paid APIs assume a human: sign up, add a card, buy credits, rotate a key. An agent that needs a logo in the middle of a task cannot do that. x402 removes the account layer by making payment part of the HTTP exchange. It is a good fit for a logo pack because the price is fixed, the work is bounded and the buyer is a program. The agent knows the price before any money moves, pays exactly that amount, and gets a deterministic response. ## The 402 is the price list An unpaid request to a paid endpoint returns HTTP 402 with a base64 PAYMENT-REQUIRED header. Decoded, it contains the resource, the accepted schemes, networks, assets, amounts and the payTo address. The agent picks an option it can pay and signs a transfer authorization. ``` { "x402Version": 2, "resource": { "url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/api/v1/orders", "description": "Production brand pack", "mimeType": "application/json" }, "accepts": [{ "scheme": "exact", "network": "eip155:8453", "amount": "19000000", "asset": "0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913", "payTo": "0x...", "maxTimeoutSeconds": 300, "extra": {"name": "USD Coin", "version": "2"} }] } ``` The agent should reject an option whose network, asset or amount it does not recognise. The server verifies the same fields on the way back; a mismatch is a 402, not a partial order. ## What settles and what it costs The pack is $19, or $9 for the first 50 founding agents. The preview is $1 and is credited toward the pack. The exact scheme transfers the advertised amount in USDC; the facilitator submits the transfer and the server settles before fulfilling the order. x402 has no protocol fee; the network fee on Base is nominal and the facilitator abstracts it. Pricing is published at /api/v1/pricing and repeated in every 402 response. A price change is a new value in the 402, not a surprise on a card statement. ## Buying a balance with the same rail x402 settles on a header, and an MCP tool call has none — so the payment rail that works inside a tool loop is a bearer key with a balance behind it. A key can now be bought with USDC: POST /api/v1/keys takes 76, returns a balance of 76 and the key that spends it, which is four preview-and-pack cycles at the published prices. Face value on purpose; the point of the SKU is the rail, not a discount. The key is in the 202 and nowhere else. The server stores only its hash and derives the secret from the purchase, so a retry with the same Idempotency-Key hands back the same key without charging twice — and a copy of the database is not a copy of anybody's key. GET /api/v1/keys with the key answers its balance and the prices it will be charged. Buying credits with credits is refused: that endpoint never reads Authorization, so no key can top itself up. ## Idempotency and retries Agents retry. A timeout is not a failed payment, and a retry is not a second purchase. The API uses an Idempotency-Key plus the x402 payment-identifier extension: the same payment unlocks one order, and a replay returns the original response instead of charging again. The status endpoint is safe to poll. An agent that loses the response can call GET /api/v1/orders/{id} and recover the manifest without paying twice. ## Refunds when the pack fails Crypto payments are irreversible, so the refund path has to be explicit. The server stores the payer address from the payment payload. If the engine cannot produce a pack that passes the gates, the pack fee is sent back to that address and the transaction hash is recorded on the order. The status endpoint carries the refund, so nobody has to take the sentence on trust. GET /api/v1/orders/{id} answers status: failed with a refund object: pending while the transfer has not been signed, then sent with the transaction hash, which is the receipt you can check on Base. A prepaid-key order answers credited instead, because there the money never left the balance and there is no transaction to show. The preview fee is not refunded in cash; it is credited toward a retry. That keeps the preview honest (it pays for the model calls) without turning a failed pack into a free generation. ## What x402 is not It is not a subscription, a token, a custodial wallet or a card. It is not a promise that every agent has a wallet; the human checkout stays. It is a payment rail for the agent that does. ## Questions ### Do I need a Coinbase account? No. Any EVM wallet holding USDC on Base can pay. The facilitator handles settlement; the agent only signs an authorization. ### Which network should an agent use? Base mainnet (eip155:8453) for real orders. Builders can use Base Sepolia against the public testnet facilitator before mainnet. ### What if the agent retries the same request? The idempotency key and payment identifier make the retry safe. The same payment returns the original order; it does not buy a second pack. ### Can a human pay with x402? Yes, but the card checkout is simpler. x402 exists for the agent that already has a wallet and no browser. --- # MCP logo server: a brand-file tool for agents > MCP is how an agent discovers a tool without custom glue. The Dosie Foxie server exposes the same three steps a human uses: brief, preview, pack. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/mcp-logo-server.html > Agent API (2026-11-09). The contract, the free endpoints and the paid x402 checkout are live. A preview is $1 and a Production Pack $19, in USDC on Base, paid per request — no account, no API key, no card. A request that arrives without payment returns 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address. The HTTP API needs no account and no key, because it is paid per request with x402. MCP is not the same door: a tool call carries no headers, so a prepaid key is how a paid tool gets paid there. The payment section below says exactly what each one can do. An HTTP API is enough for an agent that already knows the endpoint. MCP is for the agent that is choosing tools: the client reads the tool names, descriptions and input schemas, and the model decides whether to call one. A logo tool that is discoverable in that loop has a better chance of being used than a URL buried in a docs page. The MCP server is a thin wrapper over the same contract. It does not hold a model key and it does not change the pack; it turns a tool call into an API request and returns the manifest. ## The tools | Tool | Input | Returns | | --- | --- | --- | | get_pricing | none | The price of a preview, a pack and a re-render | | get_sample | none | The manifest of a real Production Pack, free | | create_preview | brief (object) | Three directions with QA, preview_id, status_url | | get_preview | preview_id | Status, and the directions once they are drawn | | create_pack | preview_id, concept_id | order_id and status_url (paid) | | get_pack | order_id | Status, file manifest with sha256, download URL | Those are the names the server answers to. `tools/list` is the source of truth: a client that reads it cannot be wrong, and this table is kept to match it. The two free reads come first on purpose — a model should be able to inspect the price and a real pack before it commits to anything. Two paid steps, two free lookups, and one thing that is not a tool: re-rendering an existing spec is `POST /api/v1/render` on the HTTP API. It is the cheap path for a colour, layout or tagline change, and it is not exposed as a tool because it takes a whole spec document rather than a handful of arguments. ## What a tool call returns The result is JSON, not prose. A tool call that returns a paragraph forces the model to parse it; a manifest lets the agent hand the files to its own code. The manifest is the same on the API and the MCP server. ``` { "order_id": "pv_01J...", "status": "delivered", "manifest": { "order_id": "pv_01J...", "download_url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/o/6f70.../f/pack/dosiefoxie.zip", "spec_url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/o/6f70.../f/pack/spec.json", "mark_svg_url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/o/6f70.../f/pack/mark.svg", "files": [ {"name": "logo-color.svg", "kind": "vector", "bytes": 4182, "sha256": "a8c1...", "url": "https://dosiefoxie.com/o/6f70.../f/pack/logo-color.svg"} ], "qa": {"passed": true, "gates": ["legible at 16px: ..."]}, "license": {"owner": "Salthouse Smokehouse", "terms_url": ".../terms.html"}, "expires_at": "2026-12-09 13:30:00", "price_paid_micros": 19000000 } } ``` ## Payment inside the tool loop A tool call cannot pay for itself, and the server does not pretend that it can. x402 settles on a PAYMENT-SIGNATURE header on the HTTP request; a tool call carries arguments, not headers, so a wallet configured in the client has nothing to sign into. A paid tool that is called without a key therefore answers with the price, the asset, the network and the exact HTTP request that pays for it — and with isError set, because the call did not succeed. ``` {"tool": "create_preview", "arguments": { "brief": {"name": "Salthouse Smokehouse", "trade": "wood-smoked fish", "style": "woodcut"} }} ``` Two routes actually work. A prepaid balance: buy one at POST /api/v1/keys with USDC (76 for a balance of 76, four preview-and-pack cycles), take the key out of the 202, and set Authorization: Bearer on the MCP connection. That closes the loop with no human in it — the tool call cannot pay, but it can spend a balance. Or pay per request: post the same JSON body to /api/v1/previews or /api/v1/orders with a PAYMENT-SIGNATURE header and an Idempotency-Key, which is the x402 rail and needs no account at all. The payment is never hidden inside the tool. The price is visible before anything is signed, and on the HTTP rail the settlement comes back in the PAYMENT-RESPONSE header so the agent can log what it paid. ## Why MCP and not just HTTP The contract is the same; the difference is discovery and schema. An MCP client can list the tools, inspect the input schema and let the model choose. That is a better fit for a general-purpose agent than a hard-coded URL, and it is another place for the product to be found. ## Status The MCP server is live at https://dosiefoxie.com/mcp: JSON-RPC over one POST, streamable HTTP, six tools. Point any MCP client at that URL and it will list them. The free tools work with no credential; the paid ones need a key on the connection, as above. ## Questions ### Is the MCP server published? Yes. It is at https://dosiefoxie.com/mcp and it wraps the same endpoints, so it inherits the same $1 preview and $19 pack. ### Which clients will work? Any MCP client that supports tool calls, including Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT's MCP support. The server uses the standard streamable HTTP transport. ### Does the MCP server need an API key? For the free tools, no. For the paid ones, yes: a tool call cannot carry an x402 signature, so the prepaid key is the rail that works inside MCP. You do not need to ask for one — POST /api/v1/keys takes 76 USDC and returns a balance and a key. The x402 rail also works over the HTTP API, which can take the header. ### Can it re-render an existing pack? Yes, over HTTP: POST /api/v1/render takes a spec.json and returns a new pack without a model call — the cheap path for colour, layout and tagline changes. It is not an MCP tool, because the argument is a whole spec document. --- # SVG logo API: true vector, not a traced bitmap > An SVG is not automatically production-ready. Live text, embedded rasters, filters and a thousand traced nodes all pass as SVG and fail at the printer. The API should return geometry that survives. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/svg-logo-api.html > Agent API (2026-11-09). The contract, the free endpoints and the paid x402 checkout are live. A preview is $1 and a Production Pack $19, in USDC on Base, paid per request — no account, no API key, no card. A request that arrives without payment returns 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address. The test is not whether the file opens in a browser. It is whether a printer, an embroiderer or a sign shop can use it without redrawing. That means outlined type, no embedded raster, no filters, a finite node budget and a mark that survives at 16 pixels. The API runs the same six gates the human pack runs. The difference is that the agent gets the gate report as JSON, not a sentence on a page. ## What true vector means here - Type is outlined, not live text. The font licence travels with the pack. - No embedded raster, no filters, no bitmaps inside the SVG. - One ink per file for mono and one-ink versions. - A node budget: a mark with thousands of traced nodes is a raster in disguise. - A 16-pixel favicon test, not only a large preview. A traced bitmap can pass a casual eye test and fail every one of these. The API refuses it rather than shipping it. ## The six lockups | Lockup | Use | | --- | --- | | Primary horizontal | website header, invoice, email signature | | Stacked | square spaces, packaging, social profile | | Icon | favicon, app icon, avatar | | Wordmark | when the mark is already present | | Mono | one-colour print, embroidery, stamps | | Reverse | dark backgrounds, signage, apparel | Six files are not decoration. Each one is the same mark for a different surface; an agent that only gets the primary lockup will crop or recolour it badly on the next surface. ## The spec is the source The pack includes spec.json and mark.svg. The spec holds the parameters; mark.svg is the drawing the spec composes. A colour, layout or tagline change is a spec edit and a re-render, not a new model call. ``` { "name": "Salthouse Smokehouse", "layout": "horizontal", "mark": {"family": "custom", "path": "mark.svg"}, "type": {"font": "Inter-Bold", "tracking": 0.01, "uppercase": true}, "palette": {"primary": "#1A1A1A", "accent": "#B23A2E", "paper": "#F5F1E8"} } ``` This is why the API can offer a cheap render step. The model is used once to find the idea; the geometry is edited afterwards. ## The QA gates The engine checks structure (vector-only, no raster/text/filters), node count, stroke floor, contrast, small-size ink coverage at 16/24/32 pixels and clear space. A failing gate is a refused pack, not a warning. The agent receives the gate names and pass/fail values in the manifest. ## What the pack does not ship No CMYK master, no spot-colour references, no screen-print separations, no pre-flighted cut files and no DST/PES. Those are printer, sign-shop or digitiser work. The pack ships the vector input those suppliers need, plus a print PDF; claiming more would be a false assurance. ## Questions ### Can I edit the SVG? Yes. The type is outlined and the paths are ordinary SVG. For colour, layout and tagline changes, edit the spec and re-render; that keeps every lockup consistent. ### Does the pack include a favicon? Yes. A multi-size favicon.ico and a maskable 512-pixel app icon ship with the pack. ### Is the SVG CMYK? No. The SVG is sRGB and the print PDF is a vector PDF. The printer converts to CMYK or spot; the pack does not pretend to be a press proof. ### Can I get a DST or PES file? No. Embroidery digitising is a separate job with underlay, density and stitch order. The pack ships the one-ink artwork the digitiser needs as input. --- # Brand file API: the 12 deliverables, in one call > A logo is one file; a brand file set is the thing a business can actually use. The API should return the same 12 deliverables on every order, not a variable pile of exports. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/brand-file-api.html > Agent API (2026-11-09). The contract, the free endpoints and the paid x402 checkout are live. A preview is $1 and a Production Pack $19, in USDC on Base, paid per request — no account, no API key, no card. A request that arrives without payment returns 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address. The 12-deliverable list is the contract. It is also the free file audit on the site: a business can tick what it has and see the gap. The API returns the same list, filled. ## The 12 deliverables | Deliverable | Format | Use | | --- | --- | --- | | Primary lockup | SVG + EPS | website, invoice, email | | Stacked lockup | SVG + EPS | square spaces, packaging | | Icon | SVG + EPS | favicon, app icon, avatar | | Wordmark | SVG + EPS | when the mark is already present | | Mono | SVG + EPS | one-colour print, embroidery | | Reverse | SVG + EPS | dark backgrounds, signage | | Print PDF | PDF | vector handoff to a printer | | PNG 512 + 1024 | PNG | web, social, decks | | Favicon | ICO | browser tab | | Maskable app icon | PNG 512 | PWA / app icon | | Social avatars | PNG 400 | profiles | | Spec + mark | JSON + SVG | re-render and edit | ## Why each one exists The favicon is not a small PNG; it is a legibility test. The mono file is not a grey version; it is the one-ink artwork an embroiderer or stamp maker needs. The print PDF is not a screenshot; it is the vector handoff. The spec is not documentation; it is the thing that makes the next edit cheap. An agent that returns only logo.png has done the picture, not the job. ## Licence and ownership The pack includes a font licence sheet. The fonts are OFL, and the type is outlined in the files, so the recipient does not need to install the font to open the artwork. The terms describe what the buyer owns and what we do not promise; we do not file trademarks or give legal advice. ## Re-render and variants The spec supports colour, layout, tagline, tracking and spacing changes. A re-render is cheap and does not call the image model. That is the difference between a brand file API and a logo image API: the agent can keep the system consistent after the first purchase. ## What is not included No CMYK master, spot references, screen separations, pre-flighted cut files or DST/PES. No trademark search or filing. No human design service. The pack is the file set; the suppliers and the lawyer are separate. ## Questions ### Is the font licence included? Yes. Every pack carries the OFL licence sheet for the fonts used, and the type is outlined in the artwork. ### Can I use the pack on a van and on embroidery? Yes for the vector and one-ink files. The pack does not include a stitch file or a vehicle layout; those are supplier jobs. ### Do I own the mark? The terms describe the ownership of the delivered files. They do not replace a trademark search; the buyer is responsible for clearing the name and mark. ### Can I get a different colour? Yes. Change the palette in the spec and re-render; the files and lockups stay consistent. --- # How to give an AI agent a logo > The hard part is not the API call. It is the brief: an agent that writes 'a logo for my startup' gets a generic mark. Give it a name, a trade, an audience and a style, and the same engine produces something a business can use. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/how-to-give-an-ai-agent-a-logo.html > Agent API (2026-11-09). The contract, the free endpoints and the paid x402 checkout are live. A preview is $1 and a Production Pack $19, in USDC on Base, paid per request — no account, no API key, no card. A request that arrives without payment returns 402 with the exact amount, asset, network and address. This is the loop to build into an agent. It mirrors the human product because the engine is the same; the agent replaces the browser, not the design process. ## Write a brief the engine can use Name and trade are the minimum. Style, audience, tagline, must-include and avoid are what turn a generic mark into a direction. The brief is JSON, so the agent can fill it from its own context rather than inventing a prompt. ``` { "name": "Salthouse Smokehouse", "trade": "wood-smoked fish and charcuterie", "audience": "coastal restaurants and delis", "style": "woodcut", "must_include": ["fish", "smokehouse"], "avoid": ["cartoon", "gradients", "text in the mark"], "tagline": "Slow smoke, cold water" } ``` ## Show three directions, not one The preview returns three concepts with a QA summary and a concept line for each. Show them to the user, or pick the one with the best fit if the agent is autonomous. The preview is the cheap step; the pack is the commitment. Do not skip the preview and buy blind. The engine is good, but the user is the one who has to live with the mark. ## Pay once, get the pack The paid step returns 402. The agent pays the advertised USDC amount on Base and retries; the order is created, the chosen mark is traced once, the six gates run, and the pack is delivered. The response is a manifest with signed URLs, not a prose description. ``` curl -i https://dosiefoxie.com/api/v1/orders \ -H 'content-type: application/json' \ -H 'PAYMENT-SIGNATURE: ' \ -d '{"preview_id":"pv_...","concept_id":"c1"}' ``` ## Wire it into an agent Wrap the three calls as tools: a create, a buy, a lookup — create_preview, create_pack, get_pack if you use our MCP server, which is named to match. Use an idempotency key on the paid call, poll the status URL, and keep the manifest. The agent does not need to understand the design; it needs to pass the brief, show the directions, and hand over the files. If the agent platform supports MCP, use the MCP server instead of hard-coding the HTTP calls. The tool contract is the same, with one difference that matters: a tool call cannot carry an x402 signature, so the MCP rail is a prepaid key and the HTTP rail is the one that pays per request. ## The failure modes - Thin brief: 'a logo for my startup' produces a generic mark. Ask for the trade and the style. - Text in the drawing: the image model sometimes adds lettering. The engine rejects it and redraws once. - Tiny detail: hairline detail vanishes at 32 pixels. The QA gate refuses it. - Impersonation: do not generate a mark for a name the user does not own. The terms require rights to the name. - No trademark check: the pack is not a clearance. Use a search report or an attorney. ## Questions ### What does the agent need? A structured brief (name, trade, style, audience) and a wallet with USDC on Base. No account or API key is required for x402. ### How long does it take? A draft is roughly two minutes; the pack compiles in about four seconds after approval. The API is asynchronous, so the agent polls the status URL. ### What if the user dislikes the result? Show the three previews before buying. After the pack, colour, layout and tagline changes are cheap re-renders; a new concept is a new preview. ### Can the agent use the pack without a human? Yes. The manifest and licence are machine-readable. Trademark clearance is still a separate human or legal step. --- # Logo for embroidery: what actually stitches > An embroidered logo is not your vector file. It is thread, laid in stitches, on fabric that moves. Most logos fail at the digitising stage because the artwork asked for detail that thread cannot hold. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-for-embroidery.html The embroiderer does not print your file. A digitiser redraws it as a stitch path: every fill becomes rows of thread, every outline becomes a run stitch, and every colour becomes a separate thread change on the machine. The file is a plan for needle movement, and it can only follow geometry that survives at the final size. That is why two logos that look identical on screen can cost wildly different amounts to sew, and why one reads cleanly on a polo shirt while the other turns into a dark patch. The constraint is physical: a needle, a thread and about a millimetre of wobble. ## Where a logo fails at the needle - Strokes thinner than about 1 mm at final size disappear into the fabric. At a 3-inch chest width that rules out most hairline detail. - Letters under 4–5 mm cap height fill in. Counters (the hole in an a, e, o) close up first, then the whole word becomes a bar of thread. - Gradients and soft shadows cannot be stitched as a gradient. The digitiser either bands them into steps or throws them away. - Very tight spacing between elements leaves nowhere for the thread to go; the elements merge. - Thin outlines around a solid shape add stitches and usually make the shape heavier, not clearer. The practical test is to shrink the artwork to the width it will be sewn, then blur it slightly. Whatever disappears was never going to stitch. ## What the embroiderer actually needs 1. A single-colour master. Embroidery is a spot process: the digitiser needs one clean ink, not a CMYK rendering or a gradient. 2. The icon and the wordmark as separate objects. Chest placement is often the icon alone; the back print is both. Locking them into one graphic forces the digitiser to scale the whole thing, and the type suffers. 3. Counters opened and strokes widened for the smallest placement, not the largest. 4. A flat colour list with thread references, or a clear instruction to match threads to the brand colours. Four to six thread colours is a sensible ceiling; every extra one is a machine stop. 5. The final placement size. The same artwork that works at 4 inches can fail at 2.5 inches, and the digitiser needs the number to choose a density. 6. Outlined type. If the name is live text, the digitiser has to guess the font; the shapes will differ from your brand. ## Practical limits | Element | Rule of thumb at final size | | --- | --- | | Minimum stroke | 1 mm; 1.25 mm is safer on knit fabric | | Minimum letter height | 4–5 mm cap height for a legible name | | Thread colours | 4–6 per placement; each one is a machine stop | | Smallest counter | At least 1 mm across, or it closes | | Gradient | Not reproducible; replace with a solid or a halftone-style step | | Chest width | Typically 3–3.5 inches; 10 mm cap height is a good target | > These are starting points, not universal law: thread, backing, fabric and the machine all move the limit. They are the numbers to give a digitiser so the conversation starts in the right place. ## Worked example: a 3-inch chest logo **The brief** A 12-person joinery wants its mark on polo shirts, fleeces and caps. The existing logo is a detailed line drawing of a workbench with the name underneath. At three inches, the bench drawing is 22 mm tall and contains rails that are 0.4 mm in the original artwork. Those rails cannot be stitched; they are narrower than the thread. The fix is not to redraw the bench in more detail but to reduce it to a solid silhouette with two cut-outs, widen the smallest gap to 1.2 mm, and set the name at 9 mm cap height. The name is then separated from the icon. On the chest it is the icon over the name; on the cap it is the icon alone. One artwork, two placements, both within the machine's limits. The digitised file is then checked with a sew-out on the actual polo fabric, not on a crisp cotton test square. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack includes a single-colour master, a reverse version for dark garments, and the icon and wordmark as separate lockups. The small-size version is the one to digitise; it is not a shrunken copy of the full-colour mark. It does not include a DST or PES file. That is machine embroidery, and it has to be produced by a digitiser who can test on your fabric. The pack gives them clean one-ink geometry and the sRGB values in the spec so the digitising quote is for one job, not a redraw. ## Questions ### Can you embroider a gradient logo? Not as a gradient. Embroidery lays solid thread, so a gradient has to become steps or be replaced with a solid colour. A two-colour reduction of the mark usually looks more deliberate than a banded one. ### What size should a chest logo be? Three to three and a half inches wide is the usual chest placement, with the name at roughly 8–10 mm cap height. Check the smallest placement first: if the mark works at 2.5 inches, it will work everywhere. ### Why does my embroiderer ask for a single-colour file? Because each thread colour is a separate machine pass. A clean one-colour master is the fastest and cheapest thing to digitise, and it is also the version that survives small sizes. Colour can be added back as a second thread where it earns its place. ### Can my existing PNG be used? Sometimes, but it has to be redrawn or traced into geometry first, and tracing does not recover detail that was never there. If the source is a small raster, expect the mark to be simplified rather than reproduced. --- # Logo for screen printing: separations, not a JPEG > A screen printer quotes in screens. Every ink is a physical mesh, every mesh is set up by hand, and every colour in your file has to become one of them. A logo built for a screen is a set of flat, separated shapes. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-for-screen-printing.html On a T-shirt, screen printing is still the process that gives the best colour and the longest life per print. It is also the least forgiving file format: what arrives as a soft RGB illustration has to be split into solid plates, and anything the printer cannot separate becomes either an extra screen or a compromise. The good news is that the constraints are knowable before you send the file. If you know the ink count and the fabric, you can design something that prints the same way on the first sample as on the five-hundredth shirt. ## How a screen-print file is built 1. Each ink becomes a separate plate. The printer needs one shape per colour, in the same position, with no soft edges between them. 2. Colours are specified as spot inks, not as an RGB or CMYK build. A spot ink is mixed to a reference; a process build is four inks pretending to be one. 3. Transparency and blending modes are flattened. A screen does not know what is underneath it; the file has to decide before the plate is made. 4. Thin gaps between touching colours are opened slightly (trapping) so that registration drift does not leave a sliver of shirt showing. 5. A white underbase is planned separately for dark garments. White is usually a plate of its own, not the absence of ink. ## Where files fail - A gradient or photograph is quoted as four-colour process, which costs more and looks softer than a spot print on a garment. - Hairlines below roughly 0.5 mm at print size break up on the mesh, especially on a textured shirt. - Two similar brand colours become one screen because the printer cannot justify a setup for a difference nobody will see on fabric. - A white logo on a white shirt has no plate at all; on a dark shirt it needs a white screen and possibly a base. - Overlapping semi-transparent shapes create a third colour the file never named. ## Ink count is the cost driver | Inks | What it means in practice | | --- | --- | | 1 | Cheapest and sharpest; ideal for workwear and one-colour marks | | 2 | A strong default: one brand colour plus black or white | | 3 | Still comfortable; useful when the mark needs an accent | | 4+ | Each screen adds setup and a registration risk; ask whether a two-colour reduction would sell the same idea | A logo does not have to be usable in one colour everywhere, but it should have a one-colour version that is not an afterthought. That version is what goes on the cheap shirt, the tote bag and the sticker. ## Worked example: a two-colour run **The brief** A cycling club wants 120 cotton T-shirts. The mark is a winding road inside a shield, in three greens and a grey. Three greens on a heather-grey shirt will not separate cleanly, and a fourth screen for grey is hard to justify. The reduction: the shield becomes the shirt colour (no plate), the road becomes a solid off-white, and the darkest green carries the outline. Two screens, better contrast, and the mark still reads from ten feet. The file shipped to the printer is a two-page PDF: one page per ink, each shape solid and in register, plus a note naming the two spot colours. That is a quote the printer can price immediately, rather than a question. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack gives the mark as one-ink, mono and reverse SVG files — one ink per file, which is what a screen-print shop separates from. It does not do the separation itself: your printer sets the inks, the halftone and the trap, and does that better than a file you bought from a website could. It does not choose inks for you. The printer's stock, the fabric and the light in the room all matter. The pack gives them clean one-ink geometry and the sRGB values from the spec, so the proof is a proof, not a negotiation. ## Questions ### Can you screen print a gradient? Yes, with a halftone screen that turns the gradient into dots. It costs an extra screen and the dots are visible up close. For most small-business marks a solid reduction prints better and lasts longer. ### Why did my printer ask for spot colours instead of RGB? A spot ink is mixed physically to a reference. An RGB value has to be converted, and the conversion depends on the press, the ink and the fabric. Naming the ink removes that guesswork from the proof. ### How many colours should a logo have? One strong colour plus black or white covers most needs. Three is comfortable for screen printing. Beyond four, each added ink has to earn its setup cost and its registration risk. ### Is white ink a colour? On a dark garment, yes: it is usually a separate white screen, sometimes with a base layer underneath. On a white garment it may be no plate at all. The same file can need different screens depending on the shirt. --- # Logo for vinyl cutting and signage: closed paths and minimum strokes > A vinyl cutter is a knife, not a printer. It follows the outline of your artwork, lifts the excess, and leaves a shape that someone weeds by hand and applies to a window, a van or a wall. The file is a path, and the path has to be cuttable. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-for-vinyl-signage.html Sign shops live with two kinds of artwork: files they can cut, and files they have to redraw. The difference is rarely artistic. It is whether the shapes are closed, whether the strokes are wide enough to survive the blade, and whether the small pieces will stay attached when the backing is peeled away. If you have ever been told the logo is being redrawn for the cutter, this is the list of reasons why. ## The cutter only sees paths - Open paths. A stroke that is not a closed shape has no area to cut. The cutter needs a closed outline, not a line with a width. - Hairlines. A 0.2 mm stroke may look fine on screen and tear during weeding. Roughly 1.5 mm at final size is a safer floor for vinyl. - Floating islands. The dot of an i, the inside of an a, a speck in a texture: each one has to be picked up and placed separately, or bridged to the rest of the shape. - Nested counters. A small hole inside a small letter is a second, smaller cut. At a distance, it fills visually anyway. - Effects. Drop shadows, glows and gradients are not cuttable as one piece. They become either extra layers of vinyl or a printed panel. ## Designing for weeding 1. Draw the mark as one solid shape per colour, with closed outlines. 2. Set a minimum stroke width and keep it across the smallest placement. 3. Bridge the small floating pieces, or remove them at small sizes. 4. Keep letters apart enough that the vinyl between them does not tear. 5. Test at the final size on paper before the vinyl is cut. A cheap paper cut finds most of these problems. ## Rules of thumb | Element | Practical floor | | --- | --- | | Vinyl stroke | 1.5 mm at final size; more on textured surfaces | | Letter height | At least 10 mm for cut vinyl on a window | | Gap between letters | At least 1 mm, or the weeding tool lifts both | | Smallest island | Bridge anything under roughly 2 mm across | | Colours | One vinyl colour per layer; each layer is a separate cut and application | > A cut vinyl sign is often installed outdoors. The surface, the sun and the adhesive matter as much as the path. A sign shop will overrule these numbers for a particular material, and should. ## Worked example: a shop window **The brief** A bakery wants its mark on a 1.2 m window, with the name underneath, in one colour of white vinyl. The original mark has a hand-drawn whisk inside a circle, with a 0.3 mm line. On the window that line is 3 mm wide after scaling, so the outline survives, but the whisk's wires are 0.6 mm and will not weed. The window version drops the wires, keeps the whisk's silhouette and the circle, and sets the name at 90 mm cap height with 4 mm gaps. The file delivered is a single closed path, one colour, with the name outlined and the counters bridged where they would otherwise fall out. The sign shop can cut it directly. The full-detail whisk stays in the printed menu and the packaging, where a printer can hold the line. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack includes a single-colour SVG of the mark, plus the mark in mono and reverse. The one-ink version is what a sign shop converts into a cut path; it is not a pre-flighted cut file, and the shop sets the minimum stroke, bridges and weed lines for its material. One colour is on purpose: each vinyl colour is a separate cut, and a layered logo costs more to make and more to install. It does not include a sign layout or installation measurements. The shop that cuts and fits the vinyl owns those, and they will want to measure the window themselves. ## Questions ### Why did my sign shop redraw my logo? Usually because the file had open paths, strokes instead of closed shapes, hairlines below the cutter's limit, or floating pieces that would not stay attached. Redrawing is faster than explaining each one. ### Can a vinyl cutter cut a gradient? No. The cutter follows an edge; a gradient has no edge. It becomes a printed panel, or it becomes a solid colour. A one-colour reduction is usually the better sign. ### What is a bridge in a cut file? A small connection that holds an inner piece to the outer shape so it does not fall out during weeding. Bridging a counter changes the letter slightly, which is why it should be done deliberately at the smallest size. ### How big should a logo be on a van? Big enough to read at the distance it will normally be seen. As a starting point, one inch of cap height for every ten feet of viewing distance; a van side is often read from 30–50 feet, so the name wants 3–5 inches of cap height. --- # Logo for truck lettering: legible at fifty feet, not on a screen > A van is a moving billboard with a bad viewing angle. The logo is seen for a few seconds, at 30–50 feet, often in rain and almost always at an angle. Detail that looks refined on a monitor is simply not part of the message. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-for-truck-lettering.html Truck lettering is not a bigger version of a business card. Distance removes thin strokes, low contrast removes whole shapes, and motion means the eye gets one pass. The mark has to work as a silhouette before it works as a drawing. The lettering shop will also tell you that the material changes the file: cut vinyl, printed wrap and reflective film each want something slightly different. The good news is that one disciplined version of the mark usually serves all three. ## Distance sets the size | Typical viewing distance | Cap height to aim for | | --- | --- | | 10 ft (shopfront, close approach) | 1–1.5 in | | 30 ft (passing traffic) | 3 in | | 50 ft (roadside van) | 5 in | | 100 ft (highway signage) | 10 in | > The rule of thumb is about one inch of cap height per ten feet of comfortable reading distance. Readability at the limit is roughly half that, but a logo that is only readable when you already know what it says is not doing the job. ## What survives a moving vehicle - Silhouette. If the mark is a solid shape with a clear outline, it reads before the details do. If it is a collection of thin lines, it reads as a smudge. - Contrast. Mid-tone brand colours on a mid-tone van disappear. Put the mark on a high-contrast panel, or change the panel colour rather than the mark. - One idea. The phone number and the service list are separate decisions. A logo with three visual ideas competes with both. - Counters. Small holes fill in from a distance. At 50 feet, a counter under 2 cm is not adding information. - Fine type. A tagline set at 20 mm is unreadable at speed; either give it real size or drop it. ## The material decides the file - Cut vinyl wants closed paths and minimum strokes; each colour is a separate layer. - A printed wrap wants a high-resolution vector or a large raster, with bleed and panel breaks planned by the installer. - Reflective film reflects back, so a complex mark can glare into a flat shape at night. A one-colour silhouette tends to be the most legible version. - A partial wrap has to leave the manufacturer's door seams and windows clear; the shop will lay that out, but the mark should be designed to survive a crop. ## Worked example: a plumber's van **The brief** A plumber's mark is a wrench crossed with a pipe, inside a shield, with the name at 40 mm below it on the door. The van is white. At 40 mm the name is readable from about 13 feet, which is useful when the van is parked and useless in traffic. The crossed tools are three overlapping mid-grey shapes on white: at 50 feet they become a dark diamond. The lettering version promotes the name to 180 mm cap height, reduces the tools to a single solid silhouette, and puts the whole lockup on the largest flat panel of the van. The phone number gets its own line at 90 mm. The full crossed-tool mark stays on the business card and the invoice. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack includes the mark as a single-ink vector and a mono silhouette. That is the geometry a lettering shop converts into a cut path, a one-colour panel or a wrap without redrawing. It is not pre-flighted for a particular cutter or film; the shop sets the minimum stroke and bridges. It does not lay out the vehicle. Panel breaks, door seams, window cut-outs and installation are the shop's job, and they are better at it than a file can be. ## Questions ### How big should a logo be on a van? Aim for about one inch of cap height per ten feet of normal viewing distance. A van seen from 30–50 feet wants a name at 3–5 inches. The mark can be larger, but the name should not be smaller than that. ### Do I need a special file for reflective vinyl? The same artwork works, but reflective film exaggerates complex detail and can glare. A solid one-colour silhouette is usually the most legible version at night. ### Why does my lettering shop want a one-colour version? Because every colour is a separate cut layer. A one-colour version is cheaper to make, easier to apply, and reads better at distance. The full-colour mark still belongs on packaging and the website. --- # Logo for workwear: the three-inch test > Workwear is the smallest and most repeated version of your logo. It goes on a chest at three inches, a back at ten, and a cap at two. If the mark only works at the largest size, the uniform will carry a version you do not control. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-for-workwear.html A uniform is also a trust signal. The person at your door is wearing your mark while they do the job, and the logo is read in bad light, through a doorway, at an angle. There is no scrolling past it. The practical problem is that embroidery, heat transfer and print each have different limits, and the same file is usually sent to all three. The mark needs a small-size version that is designed, not just scaled down. ## Two placements, two different jobs | Placement | What it has to do | | --- | --- | | Left chest | Identify at conversation distance; icon alone is often enough | | Back | Read across a room or a site; the full lockup belongs here | | Cap | Work at two inches; simple, high-contrast shapes only | | Sleeve | A badge, not a billboard; one colour and no fine type | ## The constraints - Fabric moves. A stroke that is 1 mm on a screen can vanish after one wash on a knit. - Thread and vinyl behave differently. Embroidery needs solid fills and wider strokes; heat transfer can hold finer detail but can peel at the edges. - Dark garments flip the contrast. A logo designed on white often needs a reverse version, not the same colours on a dark background. - Small type is the first casualty. Set the name at a size that survives the cap, then check the chest version. - Colour matching across garments is approximate. The same thread on a navy fleece and a black polo will not look identical, and that is normal. ## Worked example: chest and cap **The brief** An electrician has a horizontal lockup: a bolt inside a circle, then the name, then '24 hour call-out' in small type. On a chest at 3 inches the name is 4 mm high and the tagline is 1.5 mm. Neither stitches. The uniform version drops the tagline, stacks the bolt above the name, and sets the name at 9 mm. On the cap, the bolt alone is used at 2 inches. The original horizontal lockup remains the website and van version. The point is not that one version is better; it is that the mark has a documented small-size behaviour instead of a digitiser inventing one. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack includes the icon-only, stacked and wordmark-only lockups, a mono version and a reverse version. Those four cover the chest, the back and the cap without scaling a horizontal lockup into a space it was never designed for. It does not include garment mockups or a thread chart. Your embroiderer supplies both, and the pack gives them clean geometry to work from. ## Questions ### Should the chest logo include the name? If the name fits at 8–10 mm cap height, yes. If it does not, use the icon on the chest and put the full lockup on the back. Squeezing the name into a chest placement is how uniforms end up with an unreadable smudge. ### Can I use the same file for embroidery and print? The same brand, different files. Embroidery needs wider strokes, solid fills and fewer colours. Print can hold finer detail. Start from a small-size master and add detail back for print, not the other way round. ### Do I need a reverse version? If any garment is dark, yes. A reverse version is not the same file with the colours changed; contrast and stroke weight often need adjusting so the mark holds on fabric. --- # Vectorize a logo without inheriting the mess > Vectorising is sold as a file conversion. It is really a redraw. The software can put a path around every edge in a bitmap, but it cannot know which edges were meant to be straight, which curves were meant to be smooth, or which speck is dirt. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/vectorize-logo.html A traced logo often looks acceptable on screen at the size it was traced. The problems show up later: the curve is lumpy at signage size, the node count is enormous, the thin strokes have become ragged, and the lettering is no longer type but a drawing of type. That is why the useful question is not 'can this be vectorised?' but 'what is the smallest amount of geometry that preserves the idea?' A production file is judged by how it behaves at 16 px and on a 2 m sign, not by how closely it follows every pixel. ## What auto-trace actually does - It finds colour boundaries and approximates each with a path. Anti-aliased edges become wobbly paths, and a smooth curve becomes dozens of short segments. - It keeps every colour it finds, including JPEG artefacts and background noise. A clean two-colour logo can come back as fourteen colours. - It does not reconstruct type. Letters become outlines with the raster's irregularities baked in, so the same word drawn twice will not match. - It cannot recover detail that was never in the source. A 400 px PNG has no hidden clean edge; tracing invents one. ## How to judge a vectorisation 1. Zoom to 800% and look at a long curve. A clean arc stays smooth; a trace shows facets and kinks. 2. Count the colours. If the original was two colours and the file has nine, the tracer kept noise. 3. Check the path commands. A simple mark should be in the hundreds, not the tens of thousands. Heavy files are hard to edit and slow to cut. 4. Compare the smallest text at 16 px. If it closes up or turns grey, the geometry is too detailed for the size it will actually be used at. 5. Open the file and try to move one element. If the mark is a single fused path, it will be painful to revise. ## Trace or redraw? | Situation | Usually the better choice | | --- | --- | | Clean, high-resolution source with flat colours | Auto-trace, then clean up the nodes | | Small raster, soft edges, JPEG artefacts | Redraw from the idea, using the raster as reference | | Live type in the mark | Re-set the type; do not trace letterforms | | Gradient or photograph | Redraw as flat shapes, or keep it as a raster where a raster is acceptable | | Unknown provenance, no original | Redraw; a trace of a trace compounds the errors | ## Worked example: a 600 px PNG **The brief** A café has a 600 px PNG of its logo: a cup, a saucer and the name in a script face, on a cream background. Auto-trace produces 41 colours, 9,000 path commands and a script name with jagged edges. The cup's handle is fused to the saucer. At 16 px the favicon is a brown smudge. The redraw keeps the cup silhouette and the saucer as two shapes, sets the name in a script that is actually licensed and outlines it, and reduces the palette to coffee brown on transparent. The node count drops to about 180. The mark is not pixel-identical, and that is the point: it is now editable, cuttable and legible. ## What our pack ships The pack is built the other way round: the mark is authored as geometry and the raster previews are rendered from it. There is no trace step to inherit artefacts from, and every export derives from the same spec. If you already have a raster, the free vector checker will tell you what is wrong with the file you have before you pay anyone to convert it. ## Questions ### Is an auto-traced logo as good as a redrawn one? For a clean, flat, high-resolution source, a careful trace can be close. For a small or soft raster, a redraw is usually better and often cheaper than cleaning up thousands of traced nodes. ### Why does my vector file have thousands of nodes? Because the tracer followed every pixel boundary, including anti-aliasing and JPEG noise. A production mark needs the fewest nodes that describe the shape, not the most that follow the bitmap. ### Can you vectorise a photo of a logo? A photo adds perspective, lighting and texture. It can be used as a reference, but the geometry has to be rebuilt; tracing a photo produces a file that looks like a photograph of a logo. --- # Logo file fix: the twelve files a real business needs > The problem is rarely that the logo looks wrong. It is that the file you have cannot be used by the next person in the chain: the printer wants CMYK, the sign shop wants a cut path, the embroiderer wants a single colour, and the web needs a favicon. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-file-fix.html A logo is not one file. It is a small system of files that share one source. When the system is incomplete, each supplier improvises, and the brand drifts a little at every step: a different green, a different spacing, a stretched mark on a van. The checklist below is the full set of deliverables. The free tool checks the vector properties it can see in the file; the rest is the list to compare against. You can do it by hand in ten minutes, and it tells you whether you need a conversion, a redraw, or just the missing exports. ## The twelve deliverables | File | What it is for | | --- | --- | | SVG | Web, UI, anything that scales; true geometry | | EPS | Older print workflows and vector handoff | | PDF | Vector print hand-off; the printer makes the separations | | CMYK master | Four-colour print; the file a printer actually wants | | Spot approximation | Named ink starting point for screen print and signage | | Mono | One-colour stamps, forms, embroidery, cheap print | | Reverse | Dark backgrounds and garments | | Horizontal lockup | Website header, letterhead, email signature | | Stacked lockup | Square spaces, social avatars, signage | | Icon-only | Favicon, app icon, chest embroidery, small stamps | | Cut file | Vinyl, signage and vehicle lettering | | Favicon set | 16–256 px, plus a maskable app icon | ## How to audit what you have 1. Open the SVG and search for image and base64. If either is present, the vector file contains a bitmap. 2. Search for text and tspan. Live text reflows on another machine; it should be outlined. 3. Look for more than roughly 900 path commands. That usually means an auto-trace. 4. Check whether a CMYK or PDF version exists at all. A printer can convert, but you are handing them a decision that belongs to the brand. 5. Check for a one-colour version. If the logo only exists in full colour, it will be approximated badly the first time someone needs a stamp or a single-screen print. 6. Open the smallest size you will use. If the name is unreadable at 16 px, the mark needs a small-size version, not a smaller export. ## What a complete pack prevents - A sign shop redrawing the mark because the file is not cuttable. - A printer converting RGB to CMYK and shifting the brand colour. - An embroiderer simplifying the mark because the strokes are too fine. - A developer using a 512 px PNG as a favicon because no icon set exists. - A new hire guessing the spacing because there is no spec. ## Worked example: the missing CMYK master **The brief** A landscaping company has an SVG, a PNG and a JPG from an online logo maker. It orders 500 flyers. The printer converts the sRGB green to CMYK and the result is duller and slightly bluer than the website. Nobody has a reference, so the flyer becomes the new reference, and the next print run matches the flyer rather than the brand. A CMYK master with a stated conversion and a ΔE note would have made the shift visible before the run. That is the kind of gap a production pack closes: not by making the mark prettier, but by making the same mark reproducible. ## What our pack ships The pack ships the geometry half of that list: SVG, EPS and PDF masters, the six lockups (both layouts, icon, wordmark, mono, reverse), 512/1024 PNGs, a favicon set, a maskable app icon, two social avatars, the font licence sheet, spec.json and mark.svg. It does not include a CMYK master, a spot reference, screen-print separations or a pre-flighted cut file; those are conversions your printer or sign shop makes from the masters. The difference is that every version now derives from one source, so a colour or spacing change re-renders the set instead of being patched file by file. ## Questions ### Can I fix my existing files instead of buying a pack? Often yes, if the geometry is clean and only the exports are missing. The free audit tells you which case you are in. If the file is a traced bitmap or has live text, a conversion will not fix the source. ### Do I need EPS if I have SVG and PDF? Not always, but some older print workflows and sign shops still ask for it. A PDF is usually enough for print. The pack includes EPS for every lockup, not just the colour version, so a legacy supplier does not have to convert anything. ### What is spec.json? The parametric description of the mark: geometry, type, spacing, palette and lockups. Every export is generated from it, which is why an edit is a re-render rather than a redraw. --- # Logo print quality: why the colour changed when it went to print > The logo on your screen is RGB light. The logo on paper is ink absorbing light. They are different physical processes, and some colours simply do not survive the translation. Knowing which ones saves a reprint. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/logo-print-quality.html A printer converts your file to CMYK: cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink. Bright greens, oranges and violets often fall outside what those four inks can mix. The conversion brings them into gamut, and the brand colour moves. This is normal. The failure is not the shift; it is not knowing it happened until the boxes arrive. A production file makes the shift visible and gives the printer a reference to match. ## Which colours move | Colour family | What happens in CMYK | | --- | --- | | Bright green | Often dulls and shifts yellow; neon greens are out of gamut | | Orange and warm red | Usually holds reasonably well, but can lose punch | | Violet and deep blue | Can shift toward purple or black; rich blacks need care | | Metallic and fluorescent | Cannot be mixed from CMYK; need a spot ink | | Pastels | Usually fine, but small ink changes are visible on large areas | > ΔE is the number used to describe colour difference. Roughly, under 2 is hard to see, 2–3 is noticeable to a trained eye, and above 3 is visible to most people. It is a guide, not a guarantee. ## Black is not one colour A logo that uses black for text and a large background is making two different demands. Small text wants 100% K only, so it stays sharp and does not pick up a colour cast. A large solid area may want a rich black (some cyan and magenta added) so it does not look washed out. One 'black' swatch cannot do both well. - 100% K: sharp text, fine lines, cheap single-ink printing. - Rich black: large solids, better depth, but needs the press to hold registration. - Registration black: all four inks at full strength; for registration marks, not artwork. ## What to send a printer 1. A CMYK PDF with the conversion already made, so the printer is not guessing. 2. The original sRGB value written down, so the brand has a reference both ways. 3. A spot-colour note where a colour cannot be matched in CMYK, with the understanding that it may cost an extra ink. 4. A one-colour version for the jobs where colour matching is not worth the money. 5. A small physical proof, if the run is large. Screens lie; paper does not. ## Worked example: the green that went dull **The brief** A garden centre has a bright leaf-green mark. It prints 2,000 leaflets and the green comes back olive. The sRGB green is outside the CMYK gamut. The printer converted it, correctly, to the nearest ink mix. The file had no CMYK reference, so there was nothing to compare it to and no decision to make before the run. The fix is either to accept a slightly deeper green and record it as the print version of the brand, or to specify a spot green for the jobs where the exact colour matters. Both are legitimate; choosing one deliberately is the production step. ## What our pack ships The pack ships clean geometry and a vector PDF, with the sRGB hex values recorded in spec.json. It does not ship a CMYK master, a spot reference or a ΔE report; your printer converts and measures the shift. That is deliberate: a CMYK build is a property of the press, the ink and the stock, not of the logo file. What the pack fixes is the part before that conversion — no embedded raster, no live text, no traced edges. ## Questions ### Why does my logo look duller in print? Because CMYK ink cannot reproduce every colour a screen can emit. Bright greens, oranges and violets are the usual casualties. Recording the CMYK values your printer returns makes the shift predictable; a generic CMYK build from a different press does not. ### Should I use Pantone colours? If exact colour matters and the budget allows an extra ink, a spot colour is the reliable way. For most small-business print, a well-managed CMYK build plus a one-colour version is enough. ### What is ΔE? A number for how different two colours look. Lower is closer. It is useful for comparing the screen colour, the CMYK conversion and the printed result, but it is not a guarantee that two materials will match. --- # Does my SVG have an embedded image? > An SVG is a container. It can hold true paths, or it can hold a JPEG wrapped in a vector envelope. Both open in a browser and look identical. Only one survives a cutter, a stitcher or a printer. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/svg-has-embedded-image.html The tell is in the source. Look for an image element, a base64 data block, or a filter that turns paths into pixels. If any of those are present, some or all of the artwork is a bitmap, and the 'vector' claim is only about the file extension. That matters because production tools do not all fail the same way. A printer may rasterise the whole page at 300 dpi and get away with it. A vinyl cutter has no idea what to do with a photograph. An embroiderer cannot stitch pixels. ## Three ways to check 1. Open the SVG in a text editor and search for image, base64, or data:image. Any hit means a bitmap is inside. 2. Search for filter and feGaussianBlur. A blur is not necessarily a bitmap, but it often signals an effect that will not survive a cut. 3. Search for text and tspan. Live text is not a bitmap, but it is also not outlined, so it will reflow or fall back to a different font on another machine. The free checker on this site does the same checks in the browser and reports the path count, path commands and the canvas size. Nothing is uploaded. ## Why a bitmap in an SVG is a problem - It has a fixed resolution. Enlarging it for a sign reveals pixels that were always there. - It cannot be cut. A cutter follows paths; a bitmap has none. - It cannot be stitched. A digitiser would have to redraw it first, which is the work you thought you had avoided. - It cannot be recoloured cleanly. Changing the brand colour means editing the bitmap, not the shape. - It often carries a background. A white box behind a logo becomes a white box on a coloured garment. ## What to do about it | What you found | The fix | | --- | --- | | image or base64 in the SVG | Re-export from the original vector source, or redraw; re-saving the SVG will not remove it | | Live text | Outline the type in the design tool, then re-export | | Thousands of path commands | Clean up the trace or redraw; the file is technically vector but not production-grade | | Filters and gradients | Flatten to solid shapes for cut and embroidery versions | ## Worked example: the logo that was a PNG **The brief** A contractor downloads an SVG from a logo builder. The browser shows a crisp mark. The sign shop opens it and finds a 512 px PNG inside the SVG. The canvas is 512 × 512, so scaling to a 1.2 m van panel means roughly 2.4 times the pixels across. At that size the edges are visibly soft, and the cutter has nothing to follow. The shop quotes a redraw, which is the cost the 'vector' download was supposed to avoid. The production fix is to rebuild the mark as geometry: a small number of closed paths, solid colours and outlined type. That is also the moment to make the one-colour and reverse versions the production chain will ask for. ## What our pack ships Every lockup is authored as geometry and exported as SVG and PDF with no embedded raster and no live text. The same spec also produces the one-ink versions a cutter and a screen printer work from, so the vector claim holds all the way to the machine - the separation itself stays where it belongs, with the printer. ## Questions ### Can I just re-save the SVG to remove the embedded image? No. Re-saving keeps whatever objects are inside. If an image element or a base64 block is present, it has to be replaced with paths, which means going back to the original vector source or redrawing. ### Is an SVG with live text still vector? Technically yes, but it is not production-ready. The text depends on a font being installed, so it can reflow or substitute on another machine. Outline the type before sending it to a printer or cutter. ### How many paths is too many? There is no hard limit, but a simple two-colour mark should be in the hundreds of path commands, not the tens of thousands. High counts usually mean an auto-trace and predict a lumpy cut. --- # A plumber's logo: the van, the uniform and the emergency call > Plumbing is an emergency business with a trust problem. The customer is usually not comparing logos; they are deciding whether to let a stranger into their home. The mark has to look competent, local and contactable, in that order. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/plumber-logo.html Plumbing is an emergency business with a trust problem. The customer is usually not comparing logos; they are deciding whether to let a stranger into their home. The mark has to look competent, local and contactable, in that order. It also has to work on three surfaces that pull in different directions: a van seen at distance, a uniform seen at arm's length, and a phone screen seen in a hurry. ## Where the mark gets used | Surface | The constraint that matters | | --- | --- | | Van side | Readable at 30–50 ft; one colour, high contrast | | Uniform chest | Stitches at 3 in; no fine detail or small type | | Phone screen | A square icon that works at 48 px and as a favicon | | Invoices and quotes | A mono version that photocopies cleanly | ## What works, and what is stock - A wrench, a droplet and a pipe are the category's stock symbols. They are not wrong, but they are not ownable. A specific local cue — a bridge, a coastline, a house shape, a tool the trade actually uses — does more work. - Blue is the default. It reads as water and trust, and it also makes every plumber look the same. If blue is used, the contrast and the type have to carry the difference. - The name matters more than the icon at 50 feet. Set it large, in a face that holds at a distance, and let the icon support it. - The phone number is part of the identity for an emergency trade. It should be designed in, not added by the sign shop. ## The three files that do the work 1. A horizontal lockup for the van and the website header, with the name dominant. 2. A stacked lockup for the uniform and the square avatar. 3. A one-colour cut file for the van and the window, because every extra colour is a separate vinyl layer. > The emergency number should not be set in the same weight as a tagline. It is an instruction, not a description. ## Worked example: a two-van plumber **The brief** A two-van plumber has a shield with a wrench, a droplet and the name in a script face. It looks fine on the quote, and unreadable on the van. The script name at 40 mm becomes a tangle at 50 feet, and the shield's inner line is too thin to cut. The production version keeps the shield silhouette, reduces the wrench and droplet to one solid cut-out, sets the name in a bold sans at 160 mm, and gives the phone number its own line. The script version is not deleted. It stays on the invoice and the website, where it is read at close range. The van gets the version the van can actually show. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack gives the horizontal, stacked and icon lockups, a mono version, a reverse version, a one-ink SVG your sign shop converts for the van, and a favicon set. That covers the uniform, the invoice and the phone without anyone redrawing the mark. ## Questions ### Should a plumber's logo include a phone number? For a van and a window, yes, as a separate line designed with the lockup. For the core mark, no: a number dates and changes. Keep the number in the vehicle layout, not in the logo itself. ### Is blue mandatory for plumbing? No, but it is the category default and it reads as water and trust. If you use it, make the contrast and the type do the differentiating work. A strong non-blue palette can stand out on a street of blue vans. ### What is the most important file for a plumber? A one-colour cut file that reads at distance. It goes on the van, the window and the uniform, and it is the version customers actually see before they call. --- # An electrician's logo: safety, speed and a mark that does not shock > An electrician is trusted with the wiring in someone's home or business. The brand has to signal safety and competence before it signals creativity. That usually means clear type, strong contrast and a mark that looks deliberate at a glance. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/electrician-logo.html An electrician is trusted with the wiring in someone's home or business. The brand has to signal safety and competence before it signals creativity. That usually means clear type, strong contrast and a mark that looks deliberate at a glance. It also means the logo will be applied to a van, a high-visibility garment and a certificate. Those are three very different backgrounds, and the mark needs a version for each. ## Where the mark gets used | Surface | The constraint that matters | | --- | --- | | Van | One colour, high contrast, readable at 30–50 ft | | Hi-vis workwear | The garment is already loud; the logo must not disappear into it | | Certificates and invoices | Mono reproduction, often at small size | | Emergency call-out ads | A square icon and a phone number that reads fast | ## The lightning bolt problem The bolt is the category's stock symbol. It is instantly understood, which is why it is everywhere, and it is almost impossible to own. If it is used, it needs a specific treatment: a particular cut, a combined shape, a local reference. A plain bolt in a circle is a placeholder, not an identity. - Combine the bolt with something specific to the business: a house, a service area, a tool, an initial. - Try a mark built from the name instead. A monogram or a custom letterform is more ownable than a stock icon. - Use the safety palette deliberately. Yellow and black are category signals; they are also high-contrast, which helps at distance. ## Designing for hi-vis A logo on a fluorescent yellow vest is competing with the garment. A full-colour mark often turns into a muddy patch. The reliable approach is a one-colour version in black or a dark navy, with enough weight to read against the fabric. - Give the mark a solid container or a clear area so it is not read as part of the vest's reflective pattern. - Avoid thin yellow shapes on yellow fabric. - Test the chest placement at 3 inches, not on a large mockup. ## Worked example: the bolt in a circle **The brief** An electrician has a yellow bolt in a black circle, with the name in a condensed sans underneath, and '24/7' in a red box. The mark works on the van but fails on the hi-vis vest, where the black circle becomes a heavy dot and the yellow bolt disappears. The red '24/7' box is a third colour and a second idea. The production set keeps the bolt-and-circle for the van and the website, adds a black one-colour version for the vest, and moves '24/7' out of the logo into a separate service line. The name is set at a size that survives chest embroidery. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack gives the icon, horizontal and stacked lockups, mono and reverse versions, a one-ink SVG for the sign shop and a favicon set. The one-colour versions are designed for workwear and signage, not generated by desaturating the colour mark. ## Questions ### Should an electrician's logo use a lightning bolt? Only if it is made specific. The plain bolt is understood but not ownable. Combining it with a house shape, an initial or a local reference gives it a reason to exist. ### What colours work for an electrician? Yellow and black are the category's safety signal, and they are high-contrast. Blue and orange also work. The important thing is that the one-colour version reads on a hi-vis garment and on a white van. ### How do I make a logo work on hi-vis clothing? Use a one-colour dark version with enough stroke weight, give it a clear area, and test it at the actual chest size. A full-colour mark on fluorescent fabric usually loses contrast. --- # A dentist's logo: calm at the door, clear on the scrubs > A dental brand is chosen before the patient is in the chair. The logo is doing anxiety management as much as marketing: soft colour, clear type, no aggressive shapes. It also has to work on a small door plaque and on a scrub top, where most marks fall apart. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/dentist-logo.html A dental brand is chosen before the patient is in the chair. The logo is doing anxiety management as much as marketing: soft colour, clear type, no aggressive shapes. It also has to work on a small door plaque and on a scrub top, where most marks fall apart. The tension is between a mark that feels calm at 3 inches and one that is legible at 20 feet. The answer is usually fewer elements, not softer ones. ## Where the mark gets used | Surface | The constraint that matters | | --- | --- | | Door plaque | Read at 10–20 ft; the name must dominate | | Scrub top | Embroidered at 2.5–3 in; thin strokes vanish | | Referral card | Small print; mono version needed | | Google profile | Square icon at 48 px; no tiny detail | ## The tooth problem A tooth outline is the category's stock symbol, and a smiling tooth is the category's stock joke. Both are recognised instantly and neither differentiates. A practice is better served by a monogram, a calm abstract shape, or a local cue. - If a tooth is used, make it a small part of a larger idea rather than the whole mark. - Avoid gradients and glossy highlights. They fail in embroidery and look dated in print. - Choose one calm colour and one warm accent. Too many pastels turn to mush at small sizes. - Set the practice name in a face that is friendly but has real weight; a thin script disappears on a plaque. ## Designing for the small placements first 1. Start with the icon at 16 px and the scrub placement at 2.5 inches. 2. Remove any detail that disappears at either size. 3. Make the name legible without the icon; the icon is support, not a substitute. 4. Check the mono version on a referral card and a fax-quality print. ## Worked example: the smiling tooth **The brief** A two-chair practice has a smiling tooth with a sparkle, the name in a rounded script, and a teal-to-blue gradient. At 2.5 inches on a scrub top, the sparkle becomes a dot and the gradient bands into two colours of thread. The script name closes up. On the door plaque the mark reads as a friendly blob. The production version reduces the tooth to a simple solid shape, drops the sparkle, keeps the teal as a single colour, and sets the practice name in a rounded sans at a weight that survives embroidery. The result is calmer, not colder, and it works at every size the practice actually uses. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack includes icon, horizontal and stacked lockups, mono and reverse versions, a one-ink SVG for the door-sign shop and a favicon set for the practice profile. The small-size versions are designed, not shrunk. ## Questions ### Should a dentist logo include a tooth? Only if it is made specific. The plain tooth is understood but generic. A monogram, an abstract shape or a local cue is more ownable and often feels calmer. ### What colours are right for a dental practice? Soft teals, blues and greens are common because they read as clean and calm. The risk is sameness. Pick one strong colour and use contrast and type to differentiate, rather than several pale ones. ### Why does my logo look bad embroidered on scrubs? Usually because the strokes are too thin and the mark has gradients or fine highlights. Embroidery needs solid fills, wider strokes and a small number of thread colours. --- # A landscaper's logo: green on green is the trap > The instinct is a leaf, a tree or a hillside, in green. The problem is that the mark then spends its life on green equipment, green uniforms and a green background of actual plants. A logo that is green on green is a logo with no silhouette. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/landscaper-logo.html The instinct is a leaf, a tree or a hillside, in green. The problem is that the mark then spends its life on green equipment, green uniforms and a green background of actual plants. A logo that is green on green is a logo with no silhouette. The useful brief is not 'make it green'. It is 'make it read against a hedge, a trailer and a polo shirt', which is a contrast problem before it is a colour problem. ## Where the mark gets used | Surface | The constraint that matters | | --- | --- | | Trailer and truck | One-colour cut vinyl, read at distance, often on a dark or green panel | | Polo shirt | Embroidered at 3 in; contrast against the shirt colour | | Yard sign | Small, outdoor, viewed from the road | | Quote and invoice | Mono at small size; must not rely on colour | ## The green-on-green problem - A mid-green mark on a dark-green trailer has almost no contrast. The shape disappears even though the colours are 'right'. - A leaf outline is the category's stock symbol. It is understood and forgettable. A specific tree, a tool, a landform or a monogram is more ownable. - Photographic textures and gradients fail in cut vinyl and embroidery. - A mark that relies on a light background needs a reverse version for dark shirts and equipment. ## Building contrast in 1. Give the mark a solid container: a badge, a panel or a light keyline that separates it from the surface. 2. Choose a palette with one dark and one light value, not two mid-greens. 3. Test the one-colour version against the three backgrounds it will actually sit on: white, dark green and hi-vis. 4. Keep the name in a strong weight; outdoor signs are read at a glance. ## Worked example: the leaf on the trailer **The brief** A landscaper has a leaf in a circle, in two greens, with the name in a light sans. The trailer is dark green. The leaf vanishes into the trailer, and the light sans name is readable only up close. The production version puts the mark in a cream panel, reduces the leaf to one dark-green silhouette, and sets the name in a bold face at 120 mm. On the polo shirt, the same one-colour mark is embroidered in cream on forest green. On the invoice, it prints in black. One mark, three backgrounds, all with contrast because the contrast was designed rather than assumed. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack includes a one-ink SVG for the trailer and yard sign, mono and reverse versions, and the icon and wordmark separately, so the trailer, the shirt and the yard sign each get a version that holds up. ## Questions ### Should a landscaper's logo be green? It can be, but green-on-green is the category's biggest legibility failure. Use one strong green plus a light or dark neutral, and always design a one-colour version that does not depend on the background. ### What is the best logo for a trailer? A high-contrast one-colour mark with a clear silhouette and the name set large. Cut vinyl is the usual material, so closed paths and minimum strokes matter more than subtle colour. ### How do I stop my logo disappearing on a uniform? Choose a shirt colour with contrast to the mark, and use the one-colour version designed for fabric. Test it at the actual chest size before the order. --- # A café's logo: the window, the cup and the tiny avatar > A café brand lives at close range and in small sizes. The window sign is read from the pavement, the cup from a table, the avatar from a phone. The mark has to be distinctive enough to remember and simple enough to reproduce on a napkin stamp. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/cafe-logo.html A café brand lives at close range and in small sizes. The window sign is read from the pavement, the cup from a table, the avatar from a phone. The mark has to be distinctive enough to remember and simple enough to reproduce on a napkin stamp. It is also a category drowning in cups, beans and steam. The differentiation rarely comes from the icon; it comes from the type, the colour and the specific idea. ## Where the mark gets used | Surface | The constraint that matters | | --- | --- | | Window | Cut vinyl; one colour, closed paths, readable from the street | | Cup and packaging | One-colour stamp or print; small, often on a curved surface | | Chalkboard | Can hold more detail, but the mark should still be clear at a glance | | Instagram avatar | Square, 48 px and up; the icon alone | ## The cup problem A cup with steam is the category's default. It says 'café' instantly, which is why it is everywhere, and it says nothing about which café. A specific idea — a local landmark, a particular roast, a phrase, an unusual letterform — does more work. - Try the name as the mark. A custom wordmark is more ownable than a stock icon. - If a cup is used, make it a detail in a larger composition rather than the whole idea. - Choose a palette that survives one-colour printing and a chalkboard. Two strong colours beat five weak ones. ## Designing for the window 1. Draw the mark as a single closed shape for the vinyl cutter. 2. Keep the smallest stroke above roughly 1.5 mm at final size. 3. Bridge or remove tiny counters that would fall out during weeding. 4. Check the name at the distance it will be read from the pavement, not on a laptop. ## Worked example: the roundel that only works large **The brief** A café has a roundel with a cup, a saucer, three steam lines and the name curved around the edge. It looks good on the menu and fails on the cup. At 40 mm on a takeaway cup the steam lines merge, the curved name is too small to read, and the saucer becomes a dark line. The window version needs bridged counters and a thicker cup outline. The production set keeps the roundel for the shopfront and the menu, and adds an icon-only version — the cup and saucer, no steam, no curved name — for the cup, the stamp and the avatar. The name is set separately in a wordmark for the window. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack gives the icon, horizontal and stacked lockups, a one-ink SVG for the window vinyl, mono and reverse versions, and a favicon set for the avatar. The small-size behaviour is part of the design, not an export accident. ## Questions ### Should a café logo have a coffee cup? It can, but the cup is the category's default and is hard to own. A strong wordmark or a specific local idea usually differentiates better. If you use a cup, make it part of a larger composition. ### What is the best file for window vinyl? A one-colour cut file with closed paths, minimum strokes and bridged counters. Each additional vinyl colour is a separate cut and application, so one colour is usually the practical choice. ### How small can a café logo go? The practical floor is the 48 px avatar and the takeaway cup. If the mark still reads at that size, it will work everywhere. If it needs a larger size to be understood, it needs a small-size version. --- # A contractor's logo: one mark, four rough surfaces > A contractor's brand is a promise of reliability on a site where nothing is clean. The logo is applied to dirty vans, dusty hoardings, hi-vis garments and printed quotes. It needs to be simple enough to survive all of them and specific enough to be remembered. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/contractor-logo.html A contractor's brand is a promise of reliability on a site where nothing is clean. The logo is applied to dirty vans, dusty hoardings, hi-vis garments and printed quotes. It needs to be simple enough to survive all of them and specific enough to be remembered. The most common failure is a detailed mark that only works on the website, and a one-colour version that was made by removing the colour rather than designing for the surface. ## Where the mark gets used | Surface | The constraint that matters | | --- | --- | | Van and pickup | Cut vinyl, read at distance, one colour per layer | | Hard hat and hi-vis | Small, curved, high-contrast, embroidered or stickered | | Site hoarding | Large but seen in passing; strong silhouette and name | | Quote and invoice | Mono, small, often photocopied or printed at home | ## What contractors actually need - A one-colour silhouette, because most vehicles and signs are cut vinyl. - A name that is legible at 50 feet, because the van is the main advert. - A small-size mark with no hairlines, because hard hats and chest placements are unforgiving. - A mono version that holds up on a black-and-white quote. - A specific idea. Hammers, houses and hard hats are the category defaults; a monogram, a trade-specific tool or a local reference is more ownable. ## One mark, four versions 1. Horizontal lockup for the van, the hoarding and the website. 2. Stacked lockup for the square avatar and the small sign. 3. Icon-only for the hard hat, the chest and the favicon. 4. One-colour cut file for everything that is cut, printed or stitched in a single ink. ## Worked example: the house-and-hammer badge **The brief** A general contractor has a house outline containing a hammer and a saw, with the name in a serif underneath and a three-colour palette. On the hard hat, the house outline is 20 mm and the tools inside are 1 mm lines that cannot be applied as a sticker or stitched. On the van, the three colours become three vinyl layers. The production set reduces the badge to a solid house silhouette with one tool shape cut out, moves the name to a bold sans at 150 mm, and designs a one-colour version first. The detailed badge stays on the website and the letterhead. ## What our pack ships The Production Pack gives the four versions above, plus mono, reverse, a one-ink SVG for the van and hoarding, and a favicon set. The one-colour version is the one designed for the van and the hard hat, not a desaturated afterthought. ## Questions ### Should a contractor's logo include tools? Only if the tool is specific to the trade. A generic hammer and saw says 'contractor' but not which one. A monogram or a local reference is more ownable and often reads better at small sizes. ### What is the most useful file for a contractor? A one-colour cut file that works on a van, a hoarding and a hard hat. Most contractor branding is applied in a single ink, so that version should be designed first. ### How do I make a logo work on a hard hat? Keep it to one colour, remove hairlines and small counters, and test it at the actual size before ordering. A sticker or embroidery on a curved surface punishes fine detail. --- # Looka vs a production-ready logo: what the $96 buys > This is not an argument that one tool is bad. Looka is a fast way to get a coherent visual identity, and for a business that only needs a website header and a business card, it may be enough. The difference appears when the logo has to leave the screen. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/looka-vs-production-ready.html This is not an argument that one tool is bad. Looka is a fast way to get a coherent visual identity, and for a business that only needs a website header and a business card, it may be enough. The difference appears when the logo has to leave the screen. A comparison is only useful if it names the deliverables. Below is what a typical subscription brand kit contains, what a production chain asks for, and where the gap is. ## The deliverables, side by side | Deliverable | Typical brand kit | Production pack | | --- | --- | --- | | Vector masters | SVG/PDF, sometimes EPS | SVG + EPS + PDF, no embedded raster, no live text | | Lockups | Usually one or two | Six: both layouts, icon, wordmark, mono, reverse | | Colour | Often RGB-only | One ink per file; sRGB hex values in the spec | | Signage cut file | Rarely | Not pre-flighted; the one-ink SVG your sign shop converts | | Screen separations | No | The one-ink files your printer separates from | | Favicon / app icon | Sometimes | 16–256 favicon set + maskable icon + avatars | | Source of truth | Editable template | spec.json + mark.svg, every export derives from them | | Revisions | Subscription-bound | Unlimited parametric edits, no subscription | > This describes the common shape of a subscription brand kit, not a line-by-line audit of one vendor. Deliverables change; check the vendor's current list before buying on the strength of this table. ## What a subscription actually pays for A brand kit subscription bundles templates, a website builder and occasional exports. The value is convenience and coherence, not the production files. When the subscription ends, the editing tools usually go with it, even if the downloaded files remain. That is a legitimate model. It is just a different product from a one-time production file set, and the price comparison only makes sense once the deliverables are named. ## When the brand kit is enough - The business only needs web and screen assets for the foreseeable future. - There is no vehicle, signage, workwear or print in the plan. - A designer or printer is available to convert files when the need appears. - The name may change soon, so a permanent production pack is premature. ## When the gap costs more than the pack A sign shop redraw, an embroidery digitising fee and a printer's colour conversion can each cost more than the difference between a brand kit and a production pack. The gap is not the picture; it is the number of times someone has to fix the file before it can be used. ## Worked example: the first van **The brief** A trades business buys a brand kit for a website launch, then buys its first van eight months later. The sign shop quotes a redraw because the kit's SVG has an embedded raster and the colours are RGB. The embroidery on two shirts needs a separate small-size version. The printer converts the green and it shifts. Each step is small; together they exceed the price of a production pack. None of this means the brand kit was a mistake. It means the production files were deferred, and the cost moved to the first supplier who needed them. ## Questions ### Is a production pack a replacement for a designer? No. It is the file set a designer would normally hand over: the geometry, lockups, colour versions and production exports. The design work still has to be good. ### Can I buy production files for a logo I already have? Yes, if the geometry is clean. If it is a traced bitmap, the mark has to be rebuilt as geometry first, which is a redraw rather than an export. ### Is a subscription ever the right choice? If you need a website builder, templates and ongoing design tools, yes. If you need files that printers, sign shops and embroiderers can use, a one-time production set is the more direct purchase. --- # Privacy policy | Dosie Foxie What Dosie Foxie collects, why, who processes it, how long it is kept, and how to ask us to delete it. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/privacy.html --- # Terms of service | Dosie Foxie The rules for buying a Production Pack: what you own, what is included, revisions, refunds, and the limits of what we promise. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/terms.html --- # Refund policy | Dosie Foxie 14 days, no questions, if the files do not meet the published spec. If we fail to deliver a pack that passes our gates, the refund is automatic. Canonical: https://dosiefoxie.com/refund.html