How to Create a Great Company Logo For Free
Selecting a company name and logo are two of the first decisions that you are likely to make when starting a new business – and they are two of the most important.
In this posting, the graphic design professionals at Brandings will share the fundamentals in creating a great logo for your company. We’ll help jump-start the logo creation process and provide you with some key tips that separate the great logos from unsuccessful logos. Check out some of the recent logos developed by the Brandings design team:
Your logo design is an integral part of the strategic plan of your firm. The cost of logo creation can vary significantly. There are many logo design “contests” on the internet and other very low costs options. We’ve received feedback from hundreds of start-ups that have fallen prey to supposedly free logo designs, fake-contests or have been lured in by low quality $99 specials.
The overwhelming consensus among those who have used these services is that the final product was “boilerplate,” “unprofessional,” and “amateurish.” The design quality from some of these super-discount services is often so poor that you are better off creating your own logo.
Elements of a Great Logo
So if you can work the cost of logo design into your budget, a professional graphic designer is usually worth every dollar. The decision is simply too important. But if you don’t have the budget to hire a professional logo design firm, we’re here to help! We’ll walk you through the essentials to help you create your own company logo for free.
We’ll provide you with logo ideas and the foundational elements of design to enable you to create and develop a great company logo yourself. In this article we’ll show you how to create logos for free.
Let’s begin by discussing design strategy and the three primary elements of a great logo -- (1) the color palette, (2) the typeface, or typestyle and (3) the image, or icon.
Logo Design Strategy
A great logo design emanates from your company’s strategic plan. A great logo stems from a sharp understanding of your internal and external environment and your grasp of competitive advantage (what it is that you do better than your competitors).
It is essential to develop a logo that communicates the central elements of your firm’s advantage clearly and concisely. You’ll want to create a design that is memorable and relevant to your target market. Consider the differences in the following designs:
Each logo communicates a very different message to their respective target audiences.
In designing your own company logo you’ll want to consider the purpose of the design and where it will appear. Just think of how differently the design will look on letterhead, website, building, packaging merchandise … and more.
It is essential to contemplate what the design will look like with and without color. You’ll also want to envision how the logo will look if it is reduced to a very small size or enlarged to the size billboard or building.
Your logo is usually communicated to your target audience in a split second. The image, typeface, color, visual appearance and other elements need to come together to communicate your message in that flash of a moment.
To create an aesthetically successful logo you’ll want to:
Use a typestyle that matches the style of the graphic image.
Avoid color overload – some of the most successful logo designs consist of only one or two colors.
Consider the weight of design, placement of graphics and objects.
Keep the design visually balanced with contrasting and similar objects.
We’ll now examine the primary logo elements -- color palette, typeface, or typestyle and image.
Color Palette Selection in Logo Design
Make sure your logo is utilizing the colors that represent your business’ brand accurately and in a way that doesn’t negatively impact your brand’s perception. There are many, many evocations that our design team considers in color selection, here is a quick rundown on the basics that should help you select the right colors for your business.
Keep in mind that this is just a general overview. There are many exceptions, nuances and subtleties that alter the application. Our discussion pertains primarily to western cultures. Contact our design team to learn the meaning of color for a particular country.
Red
Evocation: energy, strength, love, sex, stimulating, intensity, courage
Industry Application: bold firms, women’s products, intimacy products
Green
Evocation: growth, money, nature, healing
Industry Application: financial services, environmental companies, healthcare firms
Dark Blue
Evocation: stability, power, strength, masculine
Industry Application: banking, financial services, technology firms
Light Blue
Evocation: softness, spiritual, tranquility, clean
Industry Application: spas, religious groups, baby products
Orange
Evocation: heat, vibrancy, stimulating, different
Industry Application: unique companies, standout firms, children’s products
Black
Evocation: luxury, elegance, stability, death
Industry Application: technology, manufacturing, industry, men’s products, good contrasting color
White
Evocation: tranquility, purity, cleanliness
Industry Application: healthcare firms, purity products, good contrasting color
Brown
Evocation: earth, solid, masculine
Industry Application: men’s products, clothing, industry
Pink
Evocation: feminine, soft, different
Industry Application: women’s products, edgy companies
Yellow
Evocation: energy, light, joy, divinity
Industry Application: baby products, women’s products, good contrasting color
Purple
Evocation: creativity, royalty, magic
Industry Application: edgy businesses, women’s products, whimsical firms
Gold
Evocation: wealth, power, quality
Industry Application: luxury goods, status items, prestige groups
Grey
Evocation: steel, future, stability
Industry Application: technology, industrial firms, good contrasting color
Typeface Selection
An image is not always necessary and many great logos are composed of only typeface. While it is possible to have an “image only” logo (think Nike) most small and mid-sized business will require typeface.
The typeface (also known as typestyle or logotype) must be consistent with the overall strategy of the firm and be in harmony with other elements of the logo.
A good typeface should be clear and easy to read and should not be so detailed that it cannot be viewed clearly when enlarged or reduced.
You’ll want to consider weight, boldness, italics, height and kern (the space between letters). Other factors include the use of capital letters, lower case letters or a combination of upper and lower case letters.
Think about whether you want a typeface with serifs or without serifs – called san serif (serifs are the small strokes on the end of a letter). Serif fonts tend to be a bit more readable while san serif fonts tend to be a bit cleaner.
Image Selection in Logo Creation
An image, (also known as a graphic element or icon) is not an essential element of every logo. Consider adding an image only if it helps add distinction to your overall logo design.
The right image can quickly evoke a positive impression in the mind of your consumer. The wrong image will just as quickly evoke an impression – just not a positive one.
A general rule we follow at Brandings, if the image does not increase the strategic objectives of the firm, an image should be omitted.
We invite you to check-out our online inventory of thousands of logo designs to obtain logo ideas. Take a look at wide selection of color choices, images and typestyles. Get a feel for what you like and what you don’t like. You are welcome to use our designs as inspiration for you create your own unique, individual company logo. Get a feel for what you like and what you don’t like.
While you are free to get ideas from our logo collection, recognize that every logo design in our online catalog bears the “TM” designation. Brandings and Brandings.com have claimed rights to each mark. The “TM” designation is governed by the laws of the state of California and the United States of America. Brandings maintains a sophisticated monitoring system to ensure that its rights have not been infringed upon. Mark infringement is in violation of United States copyright and trademark laws as well as foreign laws, and the laws of pertinent jurisdictions which further identify the mark and our firm’s claim hereto. Under 17 U.S.C. 504, the consequences of copyright infringement include statutory damages of between $750 and $30,000 per mark, at the discretion of the court, and damages of up to $150,000 per mark for willful infringement.
So, if you’re looking for logo ideas or to create company logos for free, check out the collection of great designs at Brandings.com. We hope that is article helps you create a great logo for your firm without cost.
If you would like the Brandings design team to create a custom logo for your company, just give us a call. Our design services start at $995 (USD) – perfect for a start-up business.
Find the Perfect Logo Now!
Finding a great name and logo has never been easier. We’ve got two easy ways to search:
Search by CATEGORY. You can also search logos by category and subcategory. Check-out the category list in the column to the left. (Note that categories have more specific subcategories.) Just select a category or subcategory and browse!
Search by KEYWORD. Find logos that contain a key word (or partial word) important in your group. Use the SEARCH BY NAME function -- located at the top of this page. Simply enter any word or word fragment ... then click “GO!”
We are here to help you find the perfect name for your business. Call Brandings Client Service Team today at 1-800-852-8900 (Toll Free USA) +1-310-246-5100 (Worldwide) or simply click here to contact our office via e-mail: info@brandings.com
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IMPORTANT NOTICE: You may use the logo inventory for inspiration purposes only. You may not (a) copy, print, republish, display, distribute, transmit, sell, rent, lease, loan or otherwise make available in any form or by any means all or any portion of designs on the Brandings.com website; (b) use the Brandings.com website or any materials obtained from the Brandings.com website to develop, of as a component of, any information, storage and retrieval system, database, information base, or similar resource (in any media now existing or hereafter developed), that is offered for commercial distribution of any kind, including through sale, license, lease, rental, subscription, or any other commercial distribution mechanism; (c) create compilations or derivative works of any Content and Materials from the Brandings.com website; (d) use any Content and Materials from the Brandings.com website in any manner that may infringe any copyright, intellectual property right, proprietary right, or property right of us or any third parties; (e) remove, change or obscure any copyright notice or other proprietary notice or terms of use contained in the Brandings.com website; (f) make any portion of the Brandings.com website available through any timesharing system, service bureau, the Internet or any other technology now existing or developed in the future; (g) remove, decompile, disassemble or reverse engineer any Brandings.com website software or use any network monitoring or discovery software to determine the Brandings.com website architecture; (h) use any automatic or manual process to harvest information from the Brandings.com website; (i) use the Brandings.com website for the purpose of gathering information for or transmitting (1) unsolicited commercial email; (2) email that makes use of headers, invalid or nonexistent domain names, or other means of deceptive addressing; and (3) unsolicited telephone calls or facsimile transmissions; (j) use the Brandings.com website in a manner that violates any state or federal law regulating email, facsimile transmissions or telephone solicitations; and (k) export or re-export the Brandings.com website or any portion thereof, or any software available on or through the Brandings.com website, in violation of the export control laws or regulations of the United States.
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