Design for Tradespeople

A logo that survives a van, a hi-vis and a hard hat

Trade branding takes a beating. The same mark has to be cut in vinyl, embroidered on a polo shirt, printed on a hi-vis vest and shrunk to a social media avatar. That rules out fine detail, gradients and thin script fonts. We design trade logos as clean vector shapes with a one-colour version from day one, so the embroiderer, sign maker and printer all work from the same file.

Logos start from £150 + VAT and you receive AI, EPS, SVG, PDF and PNG files. Check the embroidered version early: small lettering under about 5 mm tall tends to fill in on fabric, so we usually supply a simplified badge for clothing alongside the full logo.

Van livery that people can read at the lights

A van is a moving billboard, but only if people can read it in the few seconds it is next to them. The priorities are simple: what you do, your name and one way to contact you, usually a phone number or a short web address. Everything else is decoration. We work from the vehicle template for your make, model and wheelbase so that door handles, panel joins, rear windows and side loading doors do not cut through the lettering.

Vehicle livery design is quoted as a fixed price or charged at £45 an hour + VAT. We supply vector artwork your local sign fitter can cut or print. Printing and fitting are not included unless we quote for them.

Accreditation logos: use them properly or not at all

Badges such as Gas Safe Register, NICEIC, NAPIT, TrustMark or Which? Trusted Traders build trust quickly, which is exactly why misuse is taken seriously. Since 6 April 2025, Schedule 20 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 lists displaying a trust mark or quality mark without authorisation as a banned practice; it replaced the same ban in the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. TrustMark, for example, says it reports persistent misuse to Trading Standards.

So we only place accreditation logos you have downloaded from the scheme's own member area, follow that scheme's spacing and colour rules, and show your registration number where the scheme expects it. Gas engineers commonly show their Gas Safe registration number on vans and stationery so customers can check it. If you leave a scheme, tell us and we will strip the badge from every file so you are not caught out by an old leaflet.

Business cards, leaflets and paperwork that win the job

Tradespeople still win a lot of work on paper. Business cards from £75 + VAT are designed at 85 × 55 mm with 3 mm bleed, and a heavier 400gsm stock survives a toolbox better than thin card. Door-drop leaflets from £95 + VAT usually work best at A5 or DL, with one clear offer, a photo of real work, your service area and a phone number large enough to read without glasses.

Quotes and invoices matter too. A clean template in Word or Google Docs with your logo, VAT number and payment terms makes a small firm look organised. If you trade as a limited company, the Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008 require your registered name, number, place of registration and registered office address on business letters, order forms and your website, so we build those into the footer.

Photos of your work, and getting online

Before-and-after photos of real jobs are the strongest marketing a trade business has. We can photograph finished kitchens, bathrooms, extensions or landscaping on location from £295 + VAT for a half day, with travel quoted outside Mansfield and Nottinghamshire. Avoid editing that changes what the work looks like, because the photos need to be a fair record of what a customer would get.

For social profiles we supply a social media graphics pack from £99 + VAT: profile image, cover images and post templates. If you also need a website, our sister company builds trade sites at dijitul.uk. See our prices for the full list.

What you get

• Logo in AI, EPS, SVG, PDF and PNG, including a one-colour version for embroidery and vinyl
• Van livery artwork drawn to your vehicle template, as vector PDF for the sign maker
• Business card artwork at 85 × 55 mm with 3 mm bleed
• A5 or DL leaflet as a print-ready PDF
• Quote, invoice and letterhead templates in Word or Google Docs format
• Social profile images and cover photos at current platform sizes

How it works and what it costs

Logos from £150, brochures from £295, photography from £295 a half day and CAD at £45 an hour, all + VAT. You get a fixed price before we start.

1. Tell us the brief

   What it is for, who will see it, where it will be used and any examples you like. Rough is fine.

2. Fixed price

   We confirm the price and what you get, in writing, before any work starts.

3. First designs

   We design, shoot or model it and share the first version for your comments.

4. Refine

   We make the changes, check every detail, and prepare the files properly for print, web or manufacture.

5. Final files

   You get the finished files in the formats you need, ready for your printer, website, social channels or manufacturer.

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