(upbeat music)
- There are several ways
in which you can categorize logo.
I'm going to break them down
into the following groups.
Wordmarks, Symbols, Combos and Taglines.
Let's have a look
at some examples of each.
Some logo are nothing
more than type,
commonly referred to as a Wordmark.
The company name set
in a specific font,
possibly with some clever
modification or subtle
twist to the type.
Some logo are symbols
or brand marks,
or at least there is a version
of the logo that uses
just a symbol without
any supporting type.
Most logos combine
a specific use of type
with a symbol.
This is sometimes referred
to as a Logo Lockup.
It's common for a company
to use all three variants,
Wordmark, Symbol and Lockup.
In addition to these three
broad types of logo
another thing to consider
is the Tagline.
There may be a variant
of the logo
that combines the type
and symbol with a Tagline.
A short statement,
slogan or catch phrase
that describes what the company does,
or suggests the positive
aspects of consuming its product.
Your use of type
plays a big part
in conveying the message
of your brand.
There are no definitive
right or wrong choices
just ones that are more
appropriate or less appropriate
for your brand.
Here are some general comments
about how type
can carry your message
and the voice
that different categories
of type have.
Starting with Serif Fonts.
Serifs have a timeless look.
They can make your logo
look classic, serious sophisticated.
These Serifs are outlined
here in red.
And here are some examples
of fonts using Serif typefaces.
But there are different
types of Serifs.
This is a Slab Serif.
And Slab Serifs are more solid
and can give a logo
a sporty or vintage feel.
A Sans Serif font i.e
without the Serifs
creates a clean, simple look
which can be effective
for modern brands.
Script fonts, suggest handwriting.
They can be elegant
and formal or friendly and informal.
If the lettering
is custom hand lettering
it can convey
individualism and craftsmanship.
The Adobe Fonts Website
allows you choose typefaces
based upon their
classification and characteristics.
So for example,
if I were looking
for a Sans Serif typeface
that was suitable for headings
with a medium white
and a medium width
and a high X-height
and medium contrast
here is my short
list of options.
If you don't have a creative
cloud subscription, there are many
great free or Shareware
Fonts available on sites
like Google Fonts and DaFont.
Make sure you test
drive a variety
of font styles
to get a sense
of how distinctly
a typeface can represent your brand.
Customizing your letters,
turns your type
into a bespoke rather
than an off-the-peg-solution.
For example, taking one
of the letters
and making it bigger
than the rest,
or taking away a part
of a letter
or adjusting the letter shapes
so that you accentuate
the negative space
between a given
pair of letters.
You can customize
your type in this way
using Adobe Illustrator.
Select the editable type
and then convert
it to outlines.
At which point
you have a number of options.
For example, if I wanted
to extend the stem
of the T
I could do that.
For those letters
that contain counters
or interior shapes,
I could delete them
or color them.
And I can also
choose additional shapes.
Here I'm using
the Polygon Tool.
I'm tapping my down
arrow to reduce
the number of sides
and I'll make a triangle.
Now, if I were to position
this triangle over the top
of the U for example,
I can now come
and select the U
in combination with that
and using my PathFinder Tools
I can combine
those two shapes together.
Just before I do that,
I'm going to duplicate
that shape and put it over there
so I can use it in a different
way in just a moment.
So I'll select
those two shapes,
combine them into a single shape.
Or I might want to position
a shape over a portion
of the letter
select both and subtract
the top most shape.
So those are just some
simple things that you can
do to customize your letter
shapes and really
make them your own.
One of the most important
things to keep in mind
when thinking of a shape
to include in your logo
is that it doesn't need
to be complicated.
The symbol in your logo
doesn't need to be literal.
The Apple logo
doesn't show a computer.
The Nike logo
doesn't show a running shoe.
(indistinct) is a modern day logo
like a 19th century trademark.
There's no requirement
to include a specific visual
reference to the trade
you're working in.
Many of the world's most
famous logo are derived
from universal visual elements.
Squares and rectangles
which are solid and trustworthy.
Circles and ovals
that are infinite.
Triangles, which are dynamic
rotate the triangle and it becomes
an arrow indicating direction.
Polygons and stars,
polygons, which have different meaning
depending on the number of sides.
Hexagons, make a honeycomb.
Octagons carry the connotation
of stop signs.
And stars, which signify excellence.
Let's take a look at some
very recognizable logos.
Circles, ovals, squares
rectangles, triangles, arrows,
polygons and stars.
Even if the logo symbol
is more organic
it's often enclosed
by a simple shape.
While it's always good
to make a connection
between the shape
and the brand values
of the company,
simplicity is not only acceptable
it is desirable.
As well as offering
the tools to easily
create basic shapes,
Illustrator also offers
a number of ways
to combine those shapes.
Simple shapes can become
more complex by adding, subtracting
intersecting and overlapping them.
Here I'm using
the Pathfinder Tools to do that.
Add, subtract, intersect,
and exclude which uses
the top most object
to punch a hole
through the object beneath.
Another tool that lets
you add and subtract overlapping shapes
is the Shape Builder.
So here I have a series
of overlapping circles.
I'll select them, come
and choose the Shape Builder Tool
and first of all,
to delete those parts
that I don't want
hold down the option
or alt key and just drag
over those pieces
to subtract them.
Then using a Fill
I can come and drag
over the segments
that I want to combine.
Many interesting effects
can be achieved
with the Live Paint Tool
which lets you apply different
color to each shape segment.
Here I'm going to start
out with a polygon.
And then with my Line Tool
I will draw lines connecting
one side with the other.
Then I can swipe over
that and come and choose
my Live Paint Bucket
click on my selected
item to make it into
a Live Paint Group
and then go and choose
some colors to apply
to the different segments.
In the second example,
I'm going to use
the Polar Grid Tool.
Click and hold down
drag from the center point.
I'm holding down my alt
key and my shift key.
Now I need to let
go of those for just a moment.
And if I press my down arrow
that will reduce
the number of concentric rings
which in this case
is what I want.
And if I press my right arrow,
that will increase
the number of segments
and I'll hold the alt
and shift key once again
to constrain that.
Now I can release
come and choose
my Live Paint Bucket
click to make a Live
Paint Group and then I can
apply alternating colors
to each of the segments.
Live Paint can also
be used to create
an interlocking effect.
I'll use my Ellipse Tool
and then I'm going to switch
the Fill and the Stroke.
I'll increase the weight
of the stroke.
Let's make that quite heavy.
I'll now duplicate
this by holding down
the optional alt key
and the shift key
while I drag away from it.
Apply a different color
to the Stroke of the second one.
And now to create the impression
of these two rings
being interlocking, I first need
to convert these strokes
to outlines to actually
make them into fills.
So with them both selected,
I'll come to the Object
Menu and to Path
and choose Outline Stroke.
Then to my Live Paint Bucket,
and all I need to do is click
to make it a Live Paint Group
and then make sure
I'm using one of those two
colors to give the impression
of the two rings interlocking.
A fourth way in which
you can create interesting
shapes is to use Transparency.
And you can use
that in combination
with the Rotate Tool
to create multiples of a shape
often radiating from a center point.
So here I have my inverted triangle,
I'll choose my Rotate Tool,
hold down the optional alt key
and click on the bottom anchor point.
And then I'll choose an angle
of rotation now to move
the shapes to the right,
I need a negative angle.
I'm going to make that 10.
Let's just have a look
at the preview
and I'll go ahead
and copy that.
Now to repeat that transformation
I'll use the keyboard
shortcut command or Control + D.
And then I can swipe
over that series of elements
and come to my Transparency Panel
and change the Transparency Blending Mode
from normal to in this case multiply.
(bright music)