What is a logo version and why are there several?

Short answer: A “version” is simply one size of your logo. The system calculates several of them automatically, because the price of the marking depends on its rectangular surface and because every placement has a maximum size.

What a version is

When you upload a logo, you upload a single file. The system derives several versions from it: the same artwork, offered in several sizes, each one defined by dimensions in millimeters.

So you do not set a free size when you configure a product: you pick one of the versions of your logo.

Why there are several

Two reasons, independent of each other:

The price of the marking depends on the rectangular surface. The cost is not proportional to the size: it is set by price tiers. Each version corresponds to a tier, and therefore to a price. Choosing a version means choosing a price.
Every placement has a maximum size (see Where can I place my logo on a product). On a cap, for example, the marking cannot be taller than 5 cm or wider than 9.5 cm. So you need a version that fits inside the placement you are aiming for.

“Rectangular” is not a detail

The surface you are billed for is that of the rectangle around your logo (its width × its height), not that of the artwork itself. A round logo, an L-shaped one, or one set at an angle therefore takes up a rectangle larger than its visible part — and is paid for on that rectangle.

Why the rectangle and not the artwork: the marking is printed onto a film, then heat-transferred onto the product. What gets consumed is a surface of film — cut as a rectangle — and ink. The cost therefore follows the piece of film used, whatever shape is drawn on it.

How they are calculated

The system starts from the shape of your logo (elongated, square, tall…) and from the maximum dimensions of the placements. The versions do not all follow the same logic:

Standard and Junior are set to the best dimensions for the heart placement — placement no. 1, the one offered by default: at adult size for Standard, at child size for Junior. See What is the Junior version for.
The larger-surface versions, on the other hand, aim for the largest size possible within their price tier — that way you get the most size for the price you pay.

You can adjust these versions, or create others for specific placements — see How do I change the size of a logo version.

The exact amounts per tier are shown in the logo's detail sheet and in the manual, section “Different Versions of Each Logo”.

Going further

How do I select the logo size on a product — putting a version on a product.
How do I change the size of a logo version — modify a version or create a new one.
Why does the price change when I modify the logo dimensions — the effect of the price tiers.