How to Audit a Logo Before and After a Rebrand

What an audit should establish

A rebrand logo audit checks whether the artwork is built from true vector paths rather than embedded raster images, whether the typography is editable or safely outlined, and whether the file can be exported cleanly for the intended digital or print use. In vector terms, a path is a mathematically defined outline made of anchor points and connecting segments. It can be scaled without losing sharpness. A raster image is a grid of pixels that becomes visibly soft or jagged when enlarged, so a vector file containing a placed raster image is not automatically a clean vector logo.

Audit before the rebrand

Start by identifying what already exists. Check whether the current logo is supplied in a usable editable format, whether it contains live type or outlined type, and whether all visual parts sit on separate, named layers. Live type means the text characters remain editable. Outlined type is converted into vector paths, which prevents font substitution but also removes normal text editing.

Inspect the path construction

• Open the file in a vector editor and switch to outline or wireframe view.
• Hide or disable placed images and effects that are not built from vector paths.
• Look for stray anchor points, open paths that should be closed, unintended overlaps and invisible artwork outside the intended artboard or canvas.
• Confirm that the mark and wordmark are built from filled or stroked paths, not a JPEG, PNG or scanned drawing placed inside the document.

A practical completion check is to select the central logo mark and confirm that it displays anchor points and editable path segments. If selecting the mark highlights a rectangular image frame instead, the logo is raster-based or partially raster-based and needs tracing or reconstruction before it can be considered fully vector artwork.

Audit the typography

Check whether the wordmark uses live text and whether the font is available, licensed and embedded or documented. If the file is handed to another machine or user, live text can reflow or substitute when the font is missing. Outlining the final release artwork avoids this, but keep the fully editable master version separate. Confirm that no accidental double letter, hidden space or leftover text block remains outside the visible design.

Check scale, alignment and version consistency

Test the logo at a small digital size and at a large print size. Check that thin strokes remain visible, counters in letterforms stay open, and the mark does not gain unintended weight or lose detail. Compare the primary, reversed and single-color versions to ensure they use the same core geometry and do not introduce redrawn or mismatched elements.

Audit after the rebrand

Repeat the construction and typography checks on the new artwork before approving it. Confirm that the selected final version matches the approved design in proportion, spacing, color and orientation. Remove unused swatches, hidden layers, stray paths and unnecessary embedded preview images from the delivery file.

Export and delivery settings

For print, use a vector format such as PDF, SVG, AI or EPS, but do not treat the file extension alone as proof that the content is vector-only or editable. Inspect the output in outline mode when possible, and confirm that placed raster content is intentionally absent or properly handled. Set color mode and color profile according to the documented print or digital requirement, and confirm that spot colors, overprint settings and transparency flatten correctly in the final export.

For digital delivery, export clean vector files plus any required raster previews at the specified pixel dimensions. Confirm that the files are suitable for the receiving platform, that the logo is on a transparent background where required, and that the exported file includes the complete final mark rather than a cropped or clipped portion.

Final verification

Open the final delivery file as a receiver would, not only in the original editing application. Check that the mark appears correctly without the original fonts installed, that no missing-link warnings appear, and that the logo can be selected as expected. Record any gaps in source materials, font licensing or documented export settings so the decision to trace, redraw, re-outline or re-export is based on the actual artwork condition.