I have been sent files called logo_FINAL.ai, logo_FINAL_v2.ai, logo_final_ACTUAL.ai, and my personal favourite, logo_REAL_FINAL_SEND_THIS.ai — all in the same folder.
Nobody in that scenario knows which file is correct. Often not even the person who made them.
This isn't a niche problem. It's universal. Every business that has had a logo for more than two years has some version of this folder chaos. And it causes real problems: the wrong logo getting sent to a printer, a contractor finding a deprecated version and using it in a presentation, the correct file being impossible to find the night before a trade show.
The fix is a system. Specifically: a folder structure that tells you where to look, and a naming convention that tells you what each file is without opening it.
The Problem with How Most People Save Logo Files
Most people save files as they receive them or as they create them, with whatever name the designer used or whatever name makes sense in the moment. The result is a flat folder of files with inconsistent names and no clear hierarchy.
The specific issues this creates:
- Multiple files with similar names where it's unclear which is current
- Format and version information mixed unpredictably into filenames
- Light and dark variants mixed with colour variants mixed with different lockup versions
- No separation between working files and production-ready files
The solution isn't to rename everything — it's to decide on a system once and follow it from the first file you receive.
The Folder Structure
Here is the structure I use and recommend to every client. Create this once, at whatever cloud storage platform you use (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive), and move every logo file into it.
[Brand Name] Logo Files/
├── 01_Primary/
│ ├── Light/
│ │ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-light.svg
│ │ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-light.eps
│ │ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-light.ai
│ │ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-light.pdf
│ │ └── [brand]-logo-primary-light.png
│ └── Dark/
│ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-dark.svg
│ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-dark.eps
│ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-dark.ai
│ ├── [brand]-logo-primary-dark.pdf
│ └── [brand]-logo-primary-dark.png
├── 02_Stacked/
│ ├── Light/
│ └── Dark/
├── 03_Icon/
│ ├── Light/
│ └── Dark/
├── 04_Wordmark/
│ ├── Light/
│ └── Dark/
├── 05_Social_Media/
│ ├── [brand]-profile-linkedin.png
│ ├── [brand]-profile-instagram.png
│ ├── [brand]-profile-facebook.png
│ └── [brand]-favicon.png
└── _Archive/
└── [old files, deprecated versions]
The Naming Convention
The filename should tell you: brand, variant type, colour context, and file format. Nothing else.
Formula: [brand]-logo-[variant]-[colour].ext
Where:
[brand]= your brand or business abbreviation (e.g.,evoke,acme,bloom)logo= always the word logo (makes everything searchable)[variant]= primary / stacked / icon / wordmark[colour]= light (for use on light backgrounds) / dark (for use on dark backgrounds).ext= the file extension
Examples:
evoke-logo-primary-light.svg— primary horizontal lockup, dark logo on light background, SVG formatevoke-logo-primary-dark.eps— primary horizontal lockup, white logo for dark backgrounds, EPS formatevoke-logo-icon-light.png— icon-only version, for light backgrounds, PNG
This system means you can look at any filename and immediately know: what it is, where it goes, and which format it is. You never need to open the file to understand it.
The Light/Dark Convention Explained
"Light" and "dark" in the naming convention refer to the background the logo is designed for — not the colour of the logo itself.
Light version: The logo as it appears on a light (white or pale) background. This is usually the primary colour version — dark logo on light background.
Dark version: The reversed logo — typically white or light version, designed to appear on dark backgrounds, dark images, or dark sections of a website.
Using light/dark instead of "white" or "reversed" or "negative" avoids the ambiguity that comes from describing the logo itself. The file named evoke-logo-primary-dark.eps goes on dark backgrounds. That's what you need to know.
The Archive Folder
The _Archive folder (the underscore puts it at the top or bottom of the alphabetical sort, away from active files) holds everything that is no longer the current version: previous logo designs, old variants you've retired, files a designer sent that weren't the final version.
Never delete files. Move them to Archive. The reason: there will be a moment — usually when you're applying for a trademark or dealing with a legal matter — where you need evidence of what your logo looked like at a particular point in time. Dated files in an archive folder provide that.
When you move something to Archive, add the date to the filename: evoke-logo-primary-light-archived-2024.ai. This makes the archive navigable without opening files.
The Social Media Subfolder
Social media profile images have specific pixel dimensions and different requirements from production files. Keep them separate from the production files in a dedicated 05_Social_Media folder.
Name them by platform and purpose: evoke-profile-linkedin.png, evoke-cover-linkedin.jpg, evoke-profile-instagram.png. When you need to update a social profile, you go to this folder and find exactly what you need.
For platform-specific sizes, see logo placement guide — but whatever sizes you prepare, save them here under consistent names.
How to Handle What You Already Have
If you have an existing chaotic logo folder, the migration takes about 30 minutes:
- Create the new folder structure in your cloud storage
- Go through every file. For each one: is this still in use or deprecated? If in use, rename it correctly and move it to the right subfolder. If deprecated, move it to Archive with the date appended.
- If you have duplicates that appear to be the same file in different names, open them to verify they're actually identical, then keep one and archive the others.
- What you can't identify — files where you don't know if they're current or what version they are — goes to Archive pending clarification.
After this process you have an organised folder where everything is findable and the current files are clearly separated from historical ones.
One More Rule: Only One Master
For each variant and colour combination, there is exactly one master source file — usually the AI file. Everything else (EPS, PDF, SVG, PNG) is derived from that master.
If you ever need to make a change to the logo, you change the master AI file and re-export all derivatives. You do not separately edit the EPS version. The master file is the single source of truth, and everything else is an export.
If you don't have the AI file — if your designer only delivered you an EPS or PDF — that EPS is currently your master. Treat it accordingly and don't allow multiple versions of it to proliferate. See complete logo file handoff for what a proper delivery should include.
Logo files in a mess? We deliver them organised.
Every logo project we deliver comes with a structured file package — correctly named, correctly formatted, and ready to hand to any printer, developer, or team member.
Use this formula: [brand]-logo-[variant]-[colour].[extension]. For example, evoke-logo-primary-light.svg or evoke-logo-icon-dark.eps. The filename should tell you what the file is without opening it: what brand, which variant (primary/stacked/icon/wordmark), which background context (light for use on light backgrounds, dark for use on dark backgrounds), and what format. Avoid version numbers, dates, and descriptions like 'final' or 'use_this' in active filenames — if you're versioning, that file belongs in an archive folder.
Organise by lockup variant first, then background context within each variant: 01_Primary/Light, 01_Primary/Dark, 02_Stacked/Light, 02_Stacked/Dark, 03_Icon/Light, 03_Icon/Dark, plus a 05_Social_Media folder for platform-specific sized exports, and an _Archive folder for deprecated versions. This structure means you know exactly where to look for any file: if you need the icon version for a dark background, you go to 03_Icon/Dark and find it there regardless of format.
Light and dark refer to the background the logo is designed to sit on, not the colour of the logo itself. The light version is the logo as it appears on white or light-coloured backgrounds — usually your primary dark logo. The dark version is the reversed logo, typically white or light-coloured, designed to be visible on dark backgrounds, dark image overlays, or dark sections of a website. Every logo should have both versions, and using the wrong one on the wrong background is one of the most common brand consistency failures.
Keep them — move them to an Archive folder rather than deleting. There are several reasons to preserve old logo files: you may need evidence of what your logo looked like at a specific point in time for trademark applications or legal matters; a client or contractor may have used an old version and you need to compare; you may want to reference earlier design directions in the future. Never delete, always archive. When moving to Archive, append the date to the filename so you can understand the timeline without opening files.
The master logo file is the source of truth from which all other formats are derived — typically the AI (Adobe Illustrator) file. When a change needs to be made to the logo, you edit the master file and re-export all formats from it. This means there is only one file to update, and all derived formats stay consistent. If you don't have an AI file and your only production file is an EPS, that EPS becomes your working master. Never maintain multiple separate 'live' versions of the same logo — one master, all others are exports.
Create a top-level folder called [Brand Name] Logo Files, then subfolders: 01_Primary, 02_Stacked, 03_Icon, 04_Wordmark, 05_Social_Media, and _Archive. Within each variant folder (01–04), create Light and Dark subfolders. Store every format of each variant in the correct Light or Dark subfolder with a consistent naming convention. Share the entire top-level folder with any team members who need logo access. When new files arrive or new formats are prepared, they go directly into the correct location rather than a download folder.
Quick Answers
Include your naming convention in the brief before the project starts. Provide the formula: [brand]-logo-[variant]-[colour].[ext]. Most designers will follow a client's specified convention if it's clearly documented upfront. If they send files with their own naming system, rename them before saving to your organised folder. It takes ten minutes and prevents months of confusion.
Unzip it immediately and go through every file. Create your organised folder structure first, then sort each file into the correct location. Rename files that don't follow your convention. Check for any missing formats — compare against the agreed deliverable list. If anything is missing, request it from the designer before the project is officially closed. Many designers consider a project complete once files are delivered, so requesting missing files is easier before that point.
All three work. The deciding factor is usually what the rest of your team uses. Google Drive integrates well with Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, etc.). Dropbox has strong sharing controls and good version history. iCloud is fine for solo use but less practical for team sharing. The platform matters less than the folder structure and naming convention — a well-organised Google Drive folder is far better than a disorganised Dropbox. Choose the platform your team already uses for consistency.
The AI (Adobe Illustrator) source file is your master file and you should receive it as part of the standard delivery. Some designers withhold source files as a retention strategy. Push back: the contract should specify that you own the work and receive all source files on completion of payment. If the contract didn't specify this, you may not have the legal right to demand it, which is a lesson for future projects. If you can't get the AI file, the EPS or SVG becomes your working master — treat it accordingly and document this fact.
Create a shared folder (Google Drive or Dropbox) specifically for external sharing, separate from your master files. Copy the relevant files into this shared folder rather than giving access to your master file location. This prevents contractors from accidentally modifying or deleting your originals. For print vendors, share the specific files they need (usually EPS in CMYK and a print-ready PDF) rather than the entire folder. Include your documented CMYK colour values alongside the files.