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Castlegar, BC. Serving the Kootenays and beyond.
8 min
Key takeaways
- Logo contests on 99designs Canada ran from C$409 to C$1,799 before sales tax in September 2026.
- A brand identity is the system around the logo: variants, colour rules, typography, voice notes and a guidelines page. Mine is $1,500.
- Under Canada’s Copyright Act, the designer owns the copyright until they assign it to you in writing.
- Ask for a vector master file, a transparent PNG, one-colour and icon versions, colour codes and font names.
- Every website I build includes a starter mark, so a new business may not need a separate logo budget at all.
On this page
How much does logo design cost in Canada?
A logo contest on 99designs Canada started at C$409 in September 2026, and its top package was C$1,799. A full brand identity system with me is $1,500. Every website I build also includes a starter mark, so a new business may need no separate logo budget at first.
The price is the easy part to compare. Two other things decide whether a logo was a good buy. Do you own it, and did you get files that work on a sign, a truck, a shirt and a phone screen? This guide covers both, with the Canadian rules and the vendor prices I read on September 23, 2026.
What is the difference between a logo and a brand identity?
A logo is one mark. A brand identity is the system the mark lives inside: the variants, the colours and when to use them, the fonts, and how the business sounds. A logo alone looks fine on a website. The system keeps it looking the same on a sign, a uniform and a flyer.
| What is being compared | A logo | A brand identity |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One mark, sometimes in a few colours | The whole system the mark lives inside |
| What you receive | The logo files | Logo variants, colour rules, typography, voice notes, business card design, exports and a guidelines page |
| Who it suits | A new business that needs to look finished | A business printing signs, vehicles and uniforms, or with several people making materials |
| With me | A starter mark comes with every website build | Brand Identity is $1,500, or included in the Engine and the Masterpiece |
What are the ways to get a logo designed?
There are four common roads. A logo maker is the cheapest. A contest gives you many concepts. A freelancer or a studio gives you one designer who learns the business. A website build can include a starter mark.
- 01
A logo maker or template app
You type your business name and pick from generated marks. It is the cheapest road and the fastest. The catch is the licence. If the symbol comes from a shared library, other businesses can use the same one. A shared symbol can block a trademark later.
- 02
A logo contest site
You write a brief, designers submit concepts, and you pick a winner. On 99designs Canada, logo contests ran from C$409 to C$1,799 before sales tax in September 2026, for about 30 to 90 concepts. The winning designer transfers the copyright to you at handover.
- 03
A freelance designer or a studio
One designer learns your business and draws the mark with you. Prices vary with the scope, so get a fixed price in writing. Get the copyright assignment in writing too, because Canadian law gives the designer the copyright unless they sign it over.
- 04
A starter mark inside a website build
Every website I build includes a starter mark: a wordmark, a colour set, and type choices. It is enough for a new business to look finished on the first day. The full brand identity is the step up.
The cheapest logo is the one you never have to buy twice.
What are the traps with a cheap logo?
Most of them show up a year later, at the sign shop or the trademark office. The logo looked fine on day one. Then a printer needs a file you never received, or you learn you never owned it.
- Nobody signed over the copyright. Under the Copyright Act, the author of a work is its first owner, and an assignment is only valid in writing, signed by the owner.
- You received a PNG and nothing else. A PNG blurs when it is blown up for a sign or a truck door.
- The symbol came from a shared library. If other people can license the same piece, the logo is not yours alone.
- There are no colour codes. Without them, every printer and sign shop guesses at your colours.
- There is only one layout. A wide logo will not fit a round social profile photo or a browser tab.
- The fonts are unnamed. Someone will need them for your menu or your flyer, and some fonts need a licence.
- Moral rights were never waived. Under the Act, moral rights cannot be assigned but can be waived, so ask for the waiver if you may change the logo later.
The ownership rule catches people off guard. Canada’s Copyright Act makes the author of a work its first owner. An employee’s work belongs to the employer, but a freelancer or a studio is not your employee. Their copyright moves to you only through a written assignment that they sign.
What files should I receive with a logo?
A vector master, transparent PNGs, a one-colour version, a square icon, the colour codes and the font names. With those, anyone can print or post your logo correctly without calling the designer.
- A vector master file: SVG, EPS or PDF, plus the original Illustrator file if it was drawn there. Vectors scale to any size without blurring.
- PNG files with a transparent background, in a few sizes, for the website and documents.
- A one-colour version and a white version for dark backgrounds, stickers and engraving.
- A square icon version for social profiles and the browser tab.
- The colour values: hex codes for screens and CMYK values for print.
- The names of the fonts, and whether they need a licence.
- A signed copyright assignment and, if you want freedom to change the logo later, a moral rights waiver.
99designs lists the same core set for its contest winners: the editable vector file, vector EPS files in CMYK and RGB, and a JPG or PNG preview. Expect at least that set from any designer you hire.
What does a brand identity cost with me?
Brand Identity is $1,500. It is included in the Engine and the Masterpiece. Every website build at every tier already comes with a starter mark, so the full identity is the step up for a business that needs the whole system.
- The starter mark, in every build
- A wordmark, a colour set, and type choices. It is enough for a business starting from nothing to look finished on the first day.
- Brand Identity, $1,500
- Logo direction and variants, a colour system with usage rules, typography, voice notes, business card design, core exports, and a guidelines page.
- Included in the Engine and the Masterpiece
- The Engine is my $6,500 website package, and the Masterpiece is my Shopify store from $10,000. A business that already has an identity it loves gets that value as extra content and pages in the Engine.
Projects of $1,500 and up can be split, typically half to start and half at launch. If you need a website too, the Trailhead is $2,000, or $500 at signing and 12 payments of $142 ($2,204 total) on Own It Monthly. The starter mark comes with it. The full list of what the identity includes is on my brand identity page.
Unsure which comes first? Logo and brand before or after the website walks through the order, so the website does not stall while you wait on a perfect logo.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For a copyright assignment or a trademark filing, ask a lawyer or a licensed trademark agent.
Sources and further reading
- 99designs Canada pricing
Read September 23, 2026, prices labelled C$ and excluding sales tax. Logo contests at C$409, C$679, C$1,199 and C$1,799, for about 30 to 90 concepts.
- 99designs Canada: logo design
Read September 23, 2026. States the copyright transfers to you at handover, and lists the files delivered: the editable vector file, vector EPS in CMYK and RGB, and a JPG or PNG preview.
- Copyright Act (Canada)
Read September 23, 2026, current to September 3, 2026. Section 13(1) makes the author the first owner, 13(4) requires an assignment in writing signed by the owner, and 14.1(2) says moral rights cannot be assigned but can be waived.
- CIPO: fees for trademarks
Read September 23, 2026. Filing a trademark application online costs $491.06 for the first class of goods or services in 2026, and $149.04 for each additional class.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a logo cost in Canada?
Logo contests on 99designs Canada ran from C$409 to C$1,799 before sales tax in September 2026. A freelance designer or a studio quotes by scope, so ask for a fixed price in writing. A starter mark comes with every website I build, and my full Brand Identity is $1,500.
Who owns the logo a designer makes for me?
Under Canada’s Copyright Act, the author of a work is its first owner, unless it was made by an employee in the course of their job. For a freelancer or a studio, the copyright stays with them until they assign it to you, and an assignment is only valid in writing, signed by the owner.
What file formats should I get for my logo?
A vector master (SVG, EPS or PDF, plus the Illustrator file if there is one), PNG files with a transparent background, a one-colour and a white version, and a square icon. Ask for the hex and CMYK colour values and the font names too.
What is the difference between a logo and a brand identity?
A logo is one mark. A brand identity is the system around it: logo variants, a colour system with usage rules, typography, voice notes, business card design, exports, and a guidelines page. My Brand Identity is $1,500 and is included in the Engine and the Masterpiece.
Can I trademark my logo in Canada?
You can apply through the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Filing online cost $491.06 for the first class of goods or services in 2026, checked September 2026. Make sure you own the copyright in writing first, and that the logo uses no shared template pieces.
Related pages
- Retail and ecommerce websites
- Craft beverage websites
- Restaurant and cafe websites
- Kootenay branding and logo design
- Web design across British Columbia
Kootenay Made Digital
I build websites, local presence, and calm AI setups for Kootenay small businesses. Plain language, published prices, and clear work that makes you easier to find and easier to choose.
