Types of Logos and When to Use Them: Logotypes, Symbols, and Emblems

Five types of logo

Logos can be classified by whether they’re made only of letters, only of shapes, or a combination. Decide the type first, and the remaining work narrows to how to draw it.

In practice, the most common form is the combination type, with a symbol next to a wordmark. You can use the pair on signs and websites, and the symbol alone in app icons and round social media icons.

• When making a combination logo, always check that the symbol works alone. A shape that loses its meaning without the text can’t be used by itself.
• Preparing both horizontal and stacked versions covers wide headers as well as square frames.
• Emblems work where you want to show history or affiliation, as with universities, restaurants, and sports teams. They’re a poor fit for apps and web services.
• You can change type later. But each change means replacing business cards, signs, and the website, so the more firmly you decide at the start, the lower the cost.

Choose by how well known you are

The most practical basis for choosing a type is how widely known your name is. A shape-only logo works only once the shape and name are linked. Put up a shape alone before that link exists, and nobody can tell who or what it’s for.

• If your name is long, consider adding a lettermark: make both a full wordmark and an initials icon.
• If your industry is full of similar-looking logos, deliberately choosing another type helps you stand out. In an industry of shapes, for example, go with a wordmark.
• If you plan to expand what you sell, avoid pictorial symbols. Start with a coffee cup, and it won’t fit once you begin selling household goods.
• Look through the Logo Quiz to see which types companies in your industry use, and you’ll get a sense of which are favored.

What keeps a logo from falling apart when small

The places logos most often appear are small: business cards, browser tabs, social media icons. Judge only by how it looks large, and it will clog up in actual use.

1. 1

   Check at 16×16 pixels

   Shrink it to favicon size and see whether the shape can be identified. Thin lines, fine patterns, and three or more colors clog up at this stage. To test pixel by pixel, redrawing it on a grid is the quick way.

2. 2

   Check in black and white

   It must be identifiable by shape alone, with color removed. Differences that rely on color are lost in printing, engraving, and black-and-white copies.

3. 3

   Check with a circular crop

   Social media icons are cropped to a circle. Elements in the corners disappear, so the layout needs to be centered.

4. 4

   Check on different backgrounds

   View it three ways: on white, on black, and over a photo. Preparing both a reversed (white) version and a solid version covers any background.

• Judge line weight by whether the thinnest part stays above 1 pixel when reduced.
• With logos that include text, the text is what becomes unreadable at small sizes. Make a simplified version without the text for small sizes.
• Setting a rule for margins (clear space) keeps it from looking cramped against other elements. Reserving about half the logo’s height is typical.
• Export primarily in a vector format such as SVG, and prepare PNGs individually at the sizes you need. Vector files don’t degrade with scaling.

Steps for making one

1. 1

   Write what you want to convey in three words

   Narrow the impression down to three words, like “fast, solid, friendly”. Too many and the shape won’t settle. These three words become your criteria when choosing between drafts later.

2. 2

   Decide the type

   Choose among the five types based on how well known you are and how long your name is. Start drawing without deciding this, and you’ll end up with drafts going in different directions and no way to choose.

3. 3

   Make only the shape, in black and white

   Decide color last. A logo that doesn’t work by shape alone won’t work with color added.

4. 4

   Decide the color

   One or two colors is the basic rule. The more colors, the harder it is to reproduce in print and engraving.

5. 5

   Test it where it will be used

   Place it where it will really appear: business cards, the website header, social media icons, signs. Problems you don’t notice viewing it alone will show up.

6. 6

   Put the usage rules on one page

   Summarize minimum size, margins, permitted colors, and prohibited alterations in a one-page document. That eliminates rework when you hand it to others.

Common mistakes

• Cramming in too many elements: try to include everything your business does, and nothing is readable when shrunk. One shape should carry one meaning at most.
• Chasing trendy decoration: gradients and effects typical of a given year look dated within a few years. The longer it will be used, the better fewer decorations hold up.
• Resembling existing logos: following the standard look of your industry feels reassuring, but you can’t be told apart. It can also lead to trademark problems.
• Making a shape distinguishable only by color: a draft that becomes unidentifiable in black and white can’t be used in print.
• Changing the aspect ratio: make it a rule from the start that alterations like stretching horizontally or slanting are prohibited.
• Not checking font licenses: if the typeface in your wordmark doesn’t allow commercial use, you’ll have to redo it.

FAQ

What’s the difference between a logotype and a symbol?

A logotype (wordmark) expresses the name in lettering, while a symbol expresses it through a shape without using the name. A logotype reliably conveys the name, but a long name can’t be shown small. A symbol is memorable and independent of language, but says nothing about the business until the shape and name are linked. In practice, the combination type showing both is used most.

Which type should a newly launched service use?

We recommend a type that includes the name: a wordmark or combination. A shape-only logo works only once the shape and name are linked, and with no recognition yet, nobody can tell who or what it’s for. The sensible progression is to keep showing the name and shape together, then move to the shape alone once it’s established.

How many colors can a logo use?

Keep to one or two as a rule. The more colors, the harder it is to reproduce in print, embroidery, engraving, and black-and-white copies. It also has to be identifiable by shape alone with color removed. A draft that can’t be told apart in black and white is seriously limited in where it can be used.

My logo clogs up when shown small. How do I fix it?

Shrink it to about 16×16 pixels and check whether the thinnest lines have vanished. If they have, thicken the lines, remove fine patterns, and reduce the number of colors. For logos with text, a separate simplified version without the text for small sizes is the practical solution. Also check that central elements remain when cropped to a circle.