We
all know that an image can tell thousands of words. But which words the image
will tell depends on many things. The most two important aspects of a photo are
composition, and lighting. To tell the story for our purpose, rightly, right
arrangement of objects and people are very important. Suppose, you need a
picture of Niagara falls for your next marketing campaign for a specific
product. You send your best photographer to shoot the appropriate photographs,
but the model of your product could not turn up there for her schedule problem.
The easiest solution for this particular problem is to shoot the photograph of
the model later in the studio and place her figure on the Niagara Falls
photograph. We can also add the image of the product or any other necessary
objects, texts, effects/special effects, blah, blah, blah... later, using image
manipulation and graphic design software.
Can
we do the image manipulation ourselves?
The
answer is yes or no. Yes, if we know all the techniques required to do this
photo manipulation. If we have a dedicated graphic design section, then we do
not need to go outside for this service. Maintaining an in house design section
increases overhead cost. But if we do not have that facility, we cannot do it
ourselves. Also, photo editing and graphic design is a boring and time
consuming job which most people like to avoid. Firstly, one must know the
software like Photoshop. If you need professional work, one should have
in-depth knowledge, and should know the tricks & tips of image manipulation.
For this reason many photographers, prefer to hire graphic design firms to do
the necessary photo editing. They want to spend their time on their main job of
shooting. Also, they need some time for their own marketing.
This
is just one example why we need photo manipulation and image editing service
provider firms. There are numerous situations when we need to hire a graphics
firm.
How
to choose a quality graphic design firm?
Deciding
which firm to select is a matter of confusion. There are lots of firms around
the globe. Which one provides the best quality and competitive price? Well, I
would like to express my opinion on some criterion you can give more emphasis
on.
Experience
of the graphic design company:
Choose
a company that has many years of experience. Experience matters a lot both for
quality and price. Normally, a firm with several years of experience should
have more expert employees, who can help in generating high quality and
effective outputs with minimum time. When you get high quality within small
amount of time, the price for the production becomes lower as well. If you get
the outputs in short time without compromising the quality, it will help in
meeting your deadlines. Large companies prefer and select large companies for
their graphic design works.
Ability
to deliver high quality outputs:
An
old and large company with many years of experience generally has several
expert professionals who can deliver very high quality of works. Generally,
they have experienced Quality Control (QC) personnel. These expert personnel
can monitor and help other professional graphic designers in generating high
quality outputs.
Working
process:
Look
for a graphic design company which maintains a work flow that ensures high
quality of outputs. Check if there is QC stages which is necessary for
maintaining high quality. Some large companies have 2 stages QC. A graphic designer completes a work. A QC personnel checks if the output is according to
the expectation and specifications of the client. If he finds any difference,
he directs the designer to correct or re-do the image manipulation. If he
accepts the quality, senior QC personnel checks the outputs and gives final
approval before supplying to the client.
Ability
to supply the deliverables on time:
We
all know that turnaround time is very important for a project. You have a
deadline for your job where the manipulated images will be used. So, you need
the edited images in time so that you can meet your deadlines and make your
clients happy. A large company has the ability of scheduling works, according
to the priority, to make sure that the outputs are delivered within the
promised time. Ability to provide rush service is something you could be
looking for.
Ability
to handle bulk order:
If
you have a large quantity of images you should be looking for a company, which
has a larger numbers of professional graphic designers, who will be able to
handle bulk order with a rush. Who can ensure on time delivery even if the
order is large enough. If a firm has a large number of employees, they will be
able to make changes to the production schedule according to the priority.
Work
portfolio:
Check
portfolio to see our standard of work. we will keep their recent best works on
the website. You can get an idea from the portfolio about the types of job they
are capable of doing, and the level of quality you may get from them.
Quality
of the sample or free trial work:
Some
firms offer free trial offers. It is a good opportunity to check the quality
and turnaround time of the firm. These are of course the most important aspects
you would like. This will help you in getting confidence on the graphics firm.
If they can provide you quality outputs in free trial order, it will be easier
for you to assume what they are capable of doing.
Authenticity
of the company:
Normally,
an authentic company has many years of existence in the market. They may have
more security facilities implemented on their website like SSL certification.
SSL or Secured Socket Layer provides data encryption facility. This will ensure
more security of your file transfer and other communications with the graphic
design service provider.
Payment
terms and refund policies:
Payment
terms and conditions are important factors. Go for a company that work with a
payment method and conditions that is convenient to you. It is better if they
can accept PayPal, MasterCard, Visa card, Bank cheaque etc. As for refund
policy, some firms may also have a policy of partial or full refund if you are
not happy with their work. You may like to have this facility, if you are
working with a firm with which you did not work with before.
Confidentiality:
Confidentiality
is a very important issue. Suppose Apple Inc. is going to employ a firm for
some graphic design work for their new products. Surely, as usual, they would
like to keep everything extremely secret. Select a company who promises 100%
confidentiality of the work you are going to award. Some firms may sign an NDA
(Non-Disclosure Agreement) to guarantee the confidentiality of your information
and work.
Customer
care:
While
selecting a graphic design company, the quality and availability of the
customer is also a matter of consideration. Check if they are available when
you need to communicate. You will find some company that provides 24/7
dedicated customer care support. That is advantageous for your project, because
you will be able to promptly convey any instructions and changes you need. You
will have peace of mind, if you can know the status of your work and get the
outputs whenever they are finished.
Hope
the points I tried to describe above will help you while you need to hire a graphic design company.
My personal opinion is that an experienced firm is capable of offering you high
quality with reasonable price meeting the delivery deadlines. These are the
main qualities a client usually looks for. Be comfortable with the deliveries
of your graphic design solution provider.
