Types of Logos: Text, Symbol and Combination Logos

Types of Logos: Text, Symbol and Combination Logos
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.

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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