HOW TO CREATE A LOGO ONLINE

Poor execution is the enemy of a great logo design. A logo appears on all of your marketing assets, and it should embody the pride behind your brand.

Logos with distorted shapes, stretched text, and pixelated colors don't capture the positive qualities of your company. If you want your finished logo to impress your clients, it is crucial that you use the correct tools and files.

Designed your own logo for the first time? Take a look at this beginner's guide full of tips on how to create a logo online.

Working with logo design files

A logo source file should be an editable image that you can easily change or adjust. The most common types are vector files, which are made up of lines and curves.

Vectors can be scaled to any size because the relationships between each line and point are represented as mathematical equations.

Vectors come in different types of files, including PDF, EPS, AI, and SVG.

Another important class of image files are raster or bitmap graphics. Raster images are made from a grid of pixels. Pixels are small enough to make images look sharp from afar, but images appear blurry when enlarged.

PNG and JPEG files are popular types of raster graphics.

Many basic graphics editing programs, such as Microsoft Paint, do not have the ability to create or open vector files. Fortunately, you can create vector files for font and print applications, and convert them to raster formats for web use.

Logo design tools and software

Logo builders or vector editors are your best options for designing a strong logo. You can find both types of software in free and paid versions with a variety of features.

Logo builders

Logo creators or builders are websites or applications created by third-party services. They offer fonts, shapes, textures, and clip art, which are typically designed specifically for common industries. Many even offer complete templates that you can customize to fit your brand.

The great thing about a logo builder is that you don't need professional design skills to use it. Since you are only combining and mixing elements without complicated edits, the process is simple and fast. You can simply download the source files once you are done.

Graphics Editing Software

Professional image editing programs can help you create illustrations or combine shapes to create detailed graphics. The correct software depends on the complexity of your logo design. Consider starting with one of these popular programs.

Adobe illustrator

Illustrator is professional paid software that supports vector and free-style drawing. You can join existing shapes to build a design or switch to a pen tool to draw more complex shapes. Illustrator is the industry standard for expert designers, so expect a steeper learning curve with this advanced software.

Adobe photoshop

Photoshop is a paid photo and raster image editing program. When it comes to logo design, Photoshop is mainly used in conjunction with Illustrator to add special finishes to graphics. As an added benefit, you can transfer files between all Adobe programs for easy editing.

CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW is another paid free-style drawing program that helps capture the subtleties of handwriting. The program is useful for designing an abstract logo that is not made of basic shapes.

Sketch

Sketch is a paid design toolkit that works similar to a logo creator, while allowing vector editing. The application has been created for beginner and intermediate designers, so it has plugins that simplify the design process.

Inkscape

Inkscape is free vector software with a variety of professional features, such as calligraphy tools, gradient editors, and text modification. The software is more than adequate for a novice designer who wants to create a professional logo .

Vectr

Vectr is a free graphics editor that is perfect for designing simple 2D images. Like Illustrator and Inkscape, the software includes key tools for hand drawing paths, vector editing, and adding filter effects.

GIMP

GIMP is free raster editing software that you can use to create and retouch images. GIMP is a more robust alternative to programs like Microsoft Paint, which gives you the flexibility to combine and edit image layers.

Create complex layered graphics

Creating graphics in an editing program is challenging and requires practice. If you are new to graphic design, it is wise to use vector shapes and pre-designed lines as much as possible. As you move forward with your project, follow these tips to develop an attractive design.

Create complex layered graphics

Vector images are made up of layers that you can edit individually. While a simple image can be a single layer, dividing a detailed image makes it easier to edit one section without damaging another. Eventually you can merge layers so that background objects appear behind foreground objects.

You can also use blending tools to create subtle transitions between objects on different layers. For example, you can make a section of an object in the background transparent, so that it appears to pass through a foreground letter.

Build from basic shapes

Sketch the concept of your logo by hand and try to see it as being made of simple shapes. If you look at most of the famous logos, you will see circles, triangles and squares repeatedly.

Vector editing programs usually have pre-designed shapes that you can scale to any size. That way, you don't have to worry about uneven lines or proportions. Think about how you can layer, overlap, overlap, stagger, skew, or flip shapes for interesting designs.

Use the tools to manipulate the positioning

When reusing the same shape, use duplicating and positioning tools for consistency. For example, snap features allow you to connect the corner points of a vector to perfectly align the edges.

The intersection features allow you to overlap shapes while keeping them aligned to the center. The spin tools produce a duplicate in the opposite direction. Explore the software you are using and take advantage of tools that will allow you to be more precise.

Sketch and scan the hand-drawn logos

Do you prefer a hand-drawn look? Make your job easier by sketching your design in pen or pencil first. Using the drawing tools in a vector program can be difficult if you don't have experience or don't have a tablet.

Instead, polish up your handmade sketch as much as possible. Once you're satisfied, scan the image and upload it as a background layer in your vector project. With your original drawing as a guide, it's easier to trace the correct path using the program's pen tool.

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Play with the line spacing

Few companies use typefaces exactly as they were designed. Small changes can help personalize a typeface and make it better fit the proportions of your design.

Type spacing allows you to widen the area between spaces in a vector of text. Kerning allows you to adjust the spacing between two specific letters to create a visually pleasing result. You can also try cutting out sections of a letter for a cool minimal look.

Creating a great logo is a balancing act. There is a fine line between editing too much or too little. Work on making slight advances, and make minor changes to refine your design. Sometimes you need to pause and come back later to be able to judge whether a design element is truly the right choice.

Save and tag different versions of your files, so you can easily go back to previous versions. The creative process is not always linear, and you can try different combinations before choosing your best designs.