What makes the perfect logo to promote your business brand?
In a recent survey of Fortune 500 companies, the most popular logo combined a graphic with text. The second choice was Wordmarks or text only. The majority used a san-serif font to promote their brand.
Choosing the right logo font is essential when crafting the perfect logo. The font helps shape how customers will see your brand and if they will interact with it.
This article looks at how to craft the perfect logo.
We break down the most popular major font types used in logo design. Then we provide tips on what to consider when choosing a font for your brand.
Read on to get a clearer picture of the importance of branding and how font choice impacts your business.
What Is a Logo Font?
A logo is a graphic, symbol, and/or stylized name used to identify an organization or brand.
A font is the graphical representation of text that gets embedded within the logo. It’s defined by a typeface, weight, color, size, and design.
Logos have been in existence for millennia.
The earliest examples were simple marks or emblems used to identify ownership. In more recent history, Jack Daniel’s famous logo dates back to 1870. It still stands out today with its unique font and iconic black and white design.
Modern logo design has changed the industry into a psychological artform.
The goal is to identify a product, organization, or brand as separate from their competition. It should reflect their ethos and goals and build trust over time.
The power of a good logo and font draws on the fact that people remember images more than words. Something called the picture superiority effect.
The Picture Superiority Effect
This phenomenon states that humans tend to recall pictures rather than other forms of information.
Faces are easier to remember than landscapes. Isolated objects are better retained than noisy scenes. And that filters down to logo design.
The more overcrowded a logo the harder it is to memorize. The more fonts the more cluttered it becomes. Inversely, the more white space the more the focus gets set on the image or font.
Less is always more.
Major Logo Types
There are several variations of logo design to consider when choosing your brand’s identity. The following seven types are recognized as industry standards:
- Combination logos – a mix of symbols and text/font
- Pictorial icons – graphic-based icons
- Wordmarks – text/font only
- Lettermarks – initials like GM for General Motors
- Emblems – more traditional ‘stamp-like’ logos with text
- Abstract icons – an unusual shape with no associated text
- Mascots – usually a cartoon character associated with the brand
Top brands like Twitter or Apple use pictorial icons because they’re firmly established.
New-start businesses don’t have that luxury. So they often choose a combination style or wordmarks or mascots to brand themselves. That way their name always goes with their logo.
Major Font Types
Fonts are like people. Each has its own personality.
There are two basic types of fonts used within the logo design process: serif and san-serif.
Serif fonts have decorative strokes that appear at the end of each letter’s stem. They look like feet and help adjust the eye for longer text elements.
Sans-serif literally means without serifs or feet. The text is more rounded and smooth.
If you want your brand to say ‘traditional’, ‘established’, or ‘trustworthy’ then consider a serif font. Text appears more refined which is perfect for industries like law practices or insurance.
Selecting a sans-serif font tells your audience you are modern, casual, and friendly.
Facebook, Adidas, and Airbnb all use a sans-serif font. They are social companies formed within the past 10-20 years. Their brands appeal to younger audiences but also any demographic who want to have ‘fun’.
Good Fonts for Logos
There are lots of variations within typography like scripting and display fonts. Each has its own weight and individual flair. But not all are good for logo design.
Some of the best modern fonts include:
- Helvetica Now
- Avenir Next Pro
- Futura PT
- TT Norms Pro
Google these fonts and you’ll notice that they all have one thing in common: they are bold and easy to read.
When choosing a font for your logo make sure it stands out. Colors should match your chosen palette which in turn must reflect the nature of your brand.
To help, we’ve outlined some essential tips when selecting the best font for your logo.
Tips on Choosing the Best Font for Logos
Below are 4 top tips to consider when selecting the typography for your brand. Follow them to capture your company’s soul and share it with the world.
1. One or Two Fonts Max
Every logo should focus on delivering one clear message. This filters into the number of fonts that are used.
Try to work with one bold font. Two is the maximum. Three or more says cluttered and gives the impression of chaos.
Keep it short, sweet, and simple.
2. Don’t Follow Trends
You see a logo that’s different and stands out from all the rest. You may be tempted to copy this brand new style.
Don’t.
Following a trend is short-term thinking. Fashions change and what seems ‘hip’ now may look foolish next year.
Trends also age poorly and categorize a company with others in that period. If they’re seen as a failure then your brand will suffer too.
3. Match Your Industry
Before designing brand identity research your competition.
See industry trends and expectations. Are they formal? Friendly? Are colors muted or bold? Do brands contain only logos, or text, or a mix of both?
Yes, you want to stand out from others but consider the market’s expectations.
4. Consider Custom
Although there are thousands of fonts to choose from, think about having one custom-made.
Netflix uses its own ‘Netflix Sans’ font and a bold red/black contrast in its brand. Google’s ‘Roboto’ font is utilized through all its products and is easy to spot.
There are logo font generators that can create custom fonts. Yet they don’t consider your own set of requirements.
To be truly unique and have the edge over the competition you need to shape your own future. To do that, you should hire the right graphic and logo design team.
Shape Your Future With Bianca Frank Design
Now that you understand the importance of logo fonts you can’t leave your brand’s future to amateur designers.
Bianca Frank Design has over 10 years of experience in brand identity design.
Our glowing testimonials and 5-star reviews prove just how successful our work is. We don’t do cookie-cutter packages because all our clients are unique. And that includes designing a bespoke logo for your brand.
Contact us today to discover how Bianca Frank Design can shape your future.