Text, Symbol And Combination Logos

There are three basic types of logos: text, symbol, and combination logos. The type of logos that will work best for your company depends on a number of considerations, such as the size of your company, the uniqueness of your name, and a variety of other factors.

There are three basic types of logos: text, symbol, and combination logos. The type of logo that will work best for your company depends on a number of considerations, such as the size of your company, the uniqueness of your name, and a variety of other factors.

Text logo

A text logo (also sometimes called a logotype or word mark) is a logo largely made up of the text of the company’s name. This type of logo can have some graphic elements-lines, boxes, borders-that interact with, surround, or even form the letters. However, the graphic elements should be used as an accent to the text, not as a major or equally-weighted part of the logo. A text logo works well when:

- You have a multi-word business name. If your business name is made up of many words, that are not commonly or easily abbreviated, or when an abbreviation may not be appropriate developing a text logo will keep the logo design as simple and clean as possible.

- You’re working with an innovative, unique business name, as with Yahoo or Google. In each case, the business name is enough to make the logo memorable.

- You’re designing a logo for a large company that offers many types of products, services, or a combination of both, that may be hard to define or “wrap up” in a single picture or symbol.

- You’re designing a logo “for the long haul“-there is less concern about your company “outgrowing” a text logo-they are timeless and classic.

- Trademark protection is highly important-as long as your business name is unique, then a text logo will also be unique.

A text logo may not be the right choice if:

- Your business name is not unique; this can mean difficulty for building your brand recognition. Then, without a symbol, the logo will be more difficult to remember or to associate with your business.

- Your business name does not describe what you do, it can be hard to tell what products or services you offer when just a text logo is used. Taglines or other graphic elements will need to be employed to tell your audience more about your business.

Symbol logo

A symbol logo is the opposite extreme in design from a text logo. This type of logo includes neither words nor letters-only symbols, images and shapes.

A symbol logo works well when:

- Your company already has a high level of brand recognition. If who you are and what you do are already widely known, then you can use a symbol logo as an elegant and clean solution.

- You have been using a combination logo for some time and have now built up enough brand recognition for your symbol to stand alone. This is a common transition for a logo design to take when your company grows.

- You have a unique symbol in your industry-you wouldn’t want to be confused with or mistaken for anyone else in your industry!

- You have the time and energy to trademark your logo, and then to police and enforce that trademark. This is how you ensure that your logo continues to be uniquely yours.

- You have a global presence and can develop a universal, graphic symbol that speaks to you and audiences. Additionally, a symbol can have meanings on many levels, and can also have different meanings in different cultures

A text logo may not be the right choice if:

- You are a company just starting out, you must have the budget and desire to educate your audience on your new symbol logo. This can be a difficult task.

Combination logo

A logo that in some manner combines both a symbol and the company name. The symbol and text can be integrated together, side by side, or with one located above the other.

Combination logos are the most common type of logo for several reasons:

- A combination logo offers the best of both worlds. This type of logo offers a memorable logo graphic that tells the story of who you are, what you do, and what makes you different, all in conjunction with your business name for easy identification.

- A combination logo is an excellent choice for a small- or medium-sized company or a company just starting out, to begin to build brand recognition, because a combination logo is both visually strong and explanatory. The symbol can speak to the services that the company offers, while the company name increases the company recognition.

- Combination logos are easier to copyright and protect than a symbol-only logo, because the logo symbol will always be used in conjunction with the business name. This automatically makes the logo unique.

You can use this guide to determine the best type of logo to design or to have designed for your company, based on the size of your business, how well-known you are, your business name, and your business plans, among other factors. Choosing the right type of logo design is the first step in building your company’s visibility, credibility, and memorability.

About author

Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big visibility for small businesses. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will help you with your brand definition - the most important step in the logo design process. http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html

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Graphic File Formats

Using the proper graphic file format and resolution for the job can mean the difference between a professional-looking document and one that looks blurry or is missing graphics. Graphic file formats for the Internet and offset printing are totally different animals. Do not interchange them!

Graphics File Formats for the Internet
Low-resolution raster graphics are used on the Internet. These graphics are made up of thousands of pixels (squares of color). Internet browsers will read JPG and GIF graphics, which are best scanned or sized at 72 PPI (pixels per inch). Because of the limits of screen resolution, anything greater will result in larger file sizes and longer download times than necessary. All Internet graphics are limited to a special palette of 256 colors.

Scan your photos using RGB colors to the JPG file format. JPG file sizes are very small and compatible with nearly every graphical browser. This format is best suited for photographs and any image that contains a complex mixture of colors.

The GIF format is best suited for images with a limited number of distinct colors and graphics that have sharp, distinct edges (most logos, menus and buttons). A special GIF89a file format gives you the option to make the background transparent so you don’t get a white rectangle behind the graphic.

Graphics File Formats for Offset Printing
Graphics for offset printing require much higher resolution than for websites. If you use a low-resolution graphic (i.e., a logo copied from a website) on an offset printed job, a fuzzy “bitmapped” image—or no image—will result.

Offset printed graphics can be one of two types: Vector-based or high-resolution raster. Raster images (which are color or grayscale digital photos and scans) must be at least 300 PPI (pixels per inch) and in the TIF (Tagged Image File) or EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) file format. Your scans of black and white line art (images that do not contain any shades of gray) must be at least 1200 PPI. Be careful not to enlarge your raster graphics, because the pixels will also enlarge and become more noticeable.

Vector-based graphics are made of mathematically defined lines and curves. Because they are not made of pixels, these unique files can be scaled to any size without losing their crisp, smooth edges. Use professional drawing programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, or Corel Draw to create these types of graphics for printing, saving them in the EPS format.

Color Ink Systems for Printing
Color files for offset printing must be specified with PMS or CMYK inks. Do not use RGB colors unless you are planning to print only to a low-end color desktop printer.


About the Author
Karen Saunders is the author of "Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!" Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! Pick up FREE articles, audio classes, eCourse and ezines at http://www.macgraphics.net

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Color Psychology

Color is a magical element that gives feeling and emotion to art, design, and advertising. By understanding color meaning, (or the psychology of color) you can choose the right color to support and emphasize your design.

A dominant color or overall color scheme can determine the tone of your document. Certain colors will help your product, corporate document, or advertisement attract specific audiences and evoke desired responses.

The information below provides generally accepted guidelines on the symbolic meanings of color and how you can use color more effectively in your marketing pieces.

The meaning of the color yellow (including coral, orange, amber, gold)

Symbolizes: Energy, caution, warmth, cheer, joy


Yellows are often associated with the following characteristics: homey, friendly, soft, welcoming, moving, excitement, or adventure. Good for press kits, stationery, and shopping bags.

Use yellow for signage in work situations warning of danger. Yellow is also good for any project that needs to evoke feelings of lightheartedness, humor, or friendliness.


The meaning of the color red (including mauve, magenta, crimson, scarlet, poster red)

Symbolizes: Power, romance, vitality, earthly, energy

Reds evoke highly charged emotions such as aggression, danger, or love. Red makes us pay attention and catches our eye immediately so use reds on items that need to grab attention.

In the financial arena, red symbolizes a negative direction.


The meaning of the color green (including lime, leaf green, sea green, emerald, teal, sage)

Symbolizes: life, foliage, grass, trees, water

Greens are sensuous and alive. Green is associated with the following characteristics: friendliness, dependability, freshness, non-threatening, safe, secure, healthy, strong, expensive, and primitive.

In the business world, green symbolizes growth and prosperity.


The meaning of the color blue and purple (including sky blue, ultramarine, violet, purple, azure)

Symbolizes: Peace, law and order, logic, analytical, intelligent, honest, calm, clean, good will, tranquility, compassionate, serious, thoughtful, quiet, reflective, regal, classic, dependable, trustworthiness, tradition, magical

Blues are often used for older, more mature audiences and situations. Blue is common in financial institutions, hospitals, and legal and medical professions.

Purples have long been associated with royalty, magic and power Purples are often used with feminine, rather than masculine designs.


Discover what top color combinations really make your designs pop.



About the Author

Karen Saunders is the author of "Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!" Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! Pick up FREE articles, audio classes, eCourse and ezines at http://www.macgraphics.net

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What is Graphic Design

Graphic design is the process of communicating visually using typography and images to present information. Graphic design practice embraces a range of cognitive skills, aesthetics and crafts, including typography, visual arts and page layout. Like other forms of design, graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated

Uses
Graphic design is used whenever visual intricacy and creativity are applied to the presentation of text and imagery. Contemporary design practice has been extended to the modern computer, in particular WYSIWYG user interfaces, often referred to as interactive design, or multimedia design.
Anywhere there is a need tocommunicate visually, there is potential enhancement of communications through graphic design. Here are a few examples:

In Administration
From road signs to technical schematics, from interoffice memorandums to reference manuals, graphic design enhances transfer of knowledge. Readability is enhanced by improving the visual presentation of text. Intricate and clever pictures are used when words cannot suffice.

In Advertising
Graphic designs have a unique ability to sell a product or idea through effective visual communications. It is applied to products as well as elements of company identity like logos, colors, and text, together defined as branding. See advertising. Branding has increasingly become important in the range of services offered by many graphic designers, alongside corporate identity and the terms are often used interchangeably.

In Education
Graphics are used in textbooks for subjects such as geography, science, and math to illustrate theories and diagrams. A common example of graphics in use to educate is diagrams of human anatomy. Graphic design is also applied to layout and formatting of educational material to make the information more accessible and more readily understandable.

In Entertainment
From decoration, to scenery, to visual story telling, graphic design is applied to entertainment. From cover to cover in novels and comic books, from opening credits to closing credits in film, from programs to props on stage, graphic design helps set the theme and the intended mood.

In Journalism
From scientific journals to news reporting, the presentation of opinion and facts is often improved with graphics and thoughtful compositions of visual information. Newspapers, magazines, blogs, television and film documentaries may use graphic design to inform and entertain.

On the Web
Graphic designers have long been involved in web design. Combining visual communication skills with the interactive communication skills of user interaction and online branding, graphic designers often work with web developers to create both the look and feel of a web site and enhance the online experience of web site visitors. In the job field, companies these days look for someone who can do both graphic and web design. There is a great deal of argument in the professional design community about whether or not this trend is positive. Although it has created new job opportunities for skilled graphic designers, it has also created a glut of web designers who think they can do graphic design but really have little artistic talent. It is important for designers to understand the intricacies of the other medium before offering the skill as a professional service(transitioning from graphic design to web design).

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