# Need software to create Logo



## myvinyl333 (Oct 23, 2012)

I know that I should use Photo Shop or one of the plug ins, but I do not have PS or PS skills. Could someone suggest software to create a logo for my website/water mark that does not entail large amounts of dead presidential paper?
Regards


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## cannpope (Oct 23, 2012)

What "look" are you going for with your watermark/logo?


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## Big Mike (Oct 23, 2012)

Ideally, you want your logo (master file anyway) to be a vector graphic, not a pixel based graphic.  So Adobe Illustrator, rather than Adobe Photoshop. 

A vector graphic can be scaled to any size without distortion, a pixel graphic cannot.  

A quick Google search found this...Inkscape. Draw Freely.


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 23, 2012)

cannpope said:


> What "look" are you going for with your watermark/logo?



Here is what I have currently in the wings that a friend of mine made for me. It has limitations as it can only be used on the left as is and of course color selections. (Just the logo, not the photo)


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 23, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> Ideally, you want your logo (master file anyway) to be a vector graphic, not a pixel based graphic.  So Adobe Illustrator, rather than Adobe Photoshop.
> 
> A vector graphic can be scaled to any size without distortion, a pixel graphic cannot.
> 
> A quick Google search found this...Inkscape. Draw Freely.



I did not know this, but it makes sense from what little experience I have had with graphics. Thank you kindly.


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## CCericola (Oct 23, 2012)

If your friend screen printed that for you on the shirt they already have a vector file. You can use inkscape to edit it. It is free

Sent from my iPad using PhotoForum


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 23, 2012)

CCericola said:


> If your friend screen printed that for you on the shirt they already have a vector file. You can use inkscape to edit it. It is free
> 
> Sent from my iPad using PhotoForum


I apologize. I placed the  logo on the photo via Lightroom. Sorry to mislead anyone.


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## runnah (Oct 23, 2012)

Yup, photoshop is for photos. Design it in vector and you can use that logo for every single printed item you can image, from hats to key chains.

Just as a personal opinion, watermarks are not meant to take away from the images. Rather they are a signature. The one you have above is distracting as hell. Keep it simple, small and in the lower right.


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 23, 2012)

runnah said:


> Yup, photoshop is for photos. Design it in vector and you can use that logo for every single printed item you can image, from hats to key chains.
> 
> Just as a personal opinion, watermarks are not meant to take away from the images. Rather they are a signature. The one you have above is distracting as hell. Keep it simple, small and in the lower right.




Thank you for your insight. I am looking to have a logo on my website that it is currently being built. The one pictured above is meant to be the focus of the image. For me I use watermarks that blend into the photo in locations that lend themselves to not being readily noticed.


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## KmH (Oct 24, 2012)

I would not recommend using the lens aperture graphic.


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 24, 2012)

KmH said:


> I would not recommend using the lens aperture graphic.


Thanks for the suggestion. I assume that is because it is obvious and overdone?


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## kathyt (Oct 24, 2012)

If you are looking to purchase a pre-made logo, Esty has some really great ones that are very inexpensive and they give you all of the forms you need such as vector, PSD, and PNG.  Check it out.


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 24, 2012)

kathythorson said:


> If you are looking to purchase a pre-made logo, Esty has some really great ones that are very inexpensive and they give you all of the forms you need such as vector, PSD, and PNG.  Check it out.



As long as this thread concerns my quest for a website/watermark logo. Suggested reading on how to or not select a logo? I looked @ Esty and the choices were endless. How do  I make it me?


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## Big Mike (Oct 24, 2012)

Another option would be to find a graphic design site/forum and commission a contest.  Basically, you tell them what you want and what you are willing to pay (or there is a preset price).  Designers who wish to enter the contest will come up with something and submit entries for you to choose from.  
There are many such sites, just an example is Logo Design Contests $29

As for how to choose a logo...that is the hard part.  I think that common sense should tell you that you want something that is easy to read and that will appeal to your target market.  If you are marking to (typical) young women, you probably don't want skulls, guns & lighting etc.  If you are marketing to men, you probably don't want frilly lace and harts etc.  
The most 'successful' logos are often very simple and clever.  For example, the FedEX logo is genius.  It's simple, easy to read and the space between the E and the X forms an arrow, which is a great symbol for a shipping company.


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## runnah (Oct 24, 2012)

I will give you some practical advice.

1. Colors are expensive. The more colors you add the more plates need to be made and ink and thread need to be used.

2. Simple is better. The more intricate lines and shapes you have the better chance of things getting screwed up while being reproduced. More so in applications like embroidered logos and if your logo is ever used on SD and HDtv.

3. Design logos that fit into squares and rectangles. Your logo should fit into one of these two. It makes uing it easier for everyone involved. Stay away from circles, triangle and designs that are really lopsided. 

4. Keep your font choices tame enough that they can actually be read. The worst thing that can happen is if someone sees your logo and they can't read what it says.


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## jamesbjenkins (Oct 24, 2012)

Hire a graphic designer. If you're near a university, post an ad on the digital media department billboard if you're low budget.

Trying to create a logo yourself is going to look like exactly what it is: amateurish and homemade.

I tried multiple times to design and create my own logo (I have all the necessary software) and it was a complete waste of time. After hiring a designer friend of mine, a week later I had my current logo that I'm thrilled with.


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## texkam (Oct 24, 2012)

As a graphic designer, I can tell you there is an amazing amount of bad design advice in this thread. Like photography, there is a reason people in the know will do it right and pay for a professional. If I held a wedding shoot contest with only the winner getting paid, how many quality photographers would I attract? Make good design a priority and do what you try to convince potential clients to do, save up, work with a pro and get the job done right.


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## CCericola (Oct 24, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> Another option would be to find a graphic design site/forum and commission a contest.  Basically, you tell them what you want and what you are willing to pay (or there is a preset price).  Designers who wish to enter the contest will come up with something and submit entries for you to choose from.
> There are many such sites, just an example is Logo Design Contests $29
> 
> As for how to choose a logo...that is the hard part.  I think that common sense should tell you that you want something that is easy to read and that will appeal to your target market.  If you are marking to (typical) young women, you probably don't want skulls, guns & lighting etc.  If you are marketing to men, you probably don't want frilly lace and harts etc.
> The most 'successful' logos are often very simple and clever.  For example, the FedEX logo is genius.  It's simple, easy to read and the space between the E and the X forms an arrow, which is a great symbol for a shipping company.



Please don't advocate those sites. They are demeaning to designers and goes against everything we stand for. Although not illegal they go against the code of conduct of the GAG (Graphic Arts Guild) and AIGA (American Institute if Graphic Arts)


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## texkam (Oct 24, 2012)

> I would not recommend using the lens aperture graphic.
> Thanks for the suggestion. I assume that is because it is obvious and overdone?


Obvious is not necessarily a bad thing. Often it's only obvious and overdone to us photogs. If a Mom is searching through a sea of business cards in her purse trying to find "that photographer's" card, the one with the obvious photography graphic will be easy to spot.


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## texkam (Oct 24, 2012)

> Please don't advocate those sites. They are demeaning to designers and goes against everything we stand for. Although not illegal they go against the code of conduct of the GAG (Graphic Arts Guild) and AIGA (American Institute if Graphic Arts)


Not only that, but you won't get good work.

Spend some time here: NO!SPEC | To educate the public about speculative (spec) work
Photographers should be sensitive to a lot of these issues too. : )


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## KmH (Oct 24, 2012)

myvinyl333 said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > I would not recommend using the lens aperture graphic.
> ...


Overdone? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I don't think it would be all that obvious to non-photographers that the graphic is a lens aperture, or that it in any way relates to photography.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo


> Logo design is an important area of graphic design, and *one of the most difficult to perfect*....
> 
> *Logo design process*
> Designing a good logo is not a simple task and requires a lot of involvement from the marketing team and the design agency (if outsourced). It requires clear idea about the concept and values of the brand as well as understanding of the consumer or target group as marketers call. Broad step in logo design process would be formulating concept, doing initial sketch, finalizing the logo concept, deciding the theme colors and format.



http://www.logoblog.org/fedex-logo.php


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## ISO (Oct 24, 2012)

You can also find someone on fiverr to do it, for, well, a fiver.


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## jamesbjenkins (Oct 24, 2012)

KmH said:
			
		

> Overdone? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
> 
> I don't think it would be all that obvious to non-photographers that the graphic is a lens aperture, or that it in any way relates to photography.



So, I guess I don't have to ask if you like my new logo?


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 25, 2012)

jamesbjenkins said:


> Hire a graphic designer. If you're near a university, post an ad on the digital media department billboard if you're low budget.
> 
> Trying to create a logo yourself is going to look like exactly what it is: amateurish and homemade.
> 
> I tried multiple times to design and create my own logo (I have all the necessary software) and it was a complete waste of time. After hiring a designer friend of mine, a week later I had my current logo that I'm thrilled with.


I have a designer that I have used for the iamnotjerry logo (below) and he did the George Burrows Photography.com. pictured on the photo below. I am unsure about the aperture graphic.However I like your logo. I was thinking of trying my hand at making one, but I agree it could be  amateurish and homemade. Thanks
View attachment 23995


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 25, 2012)

texkam said:


> > I would not recommend using the lens aperture graphic.
> > Thanks for the suggestion. I assume that is because it is obvious and overdone?
> 
> 
> Obvious is not necessarily a bad thing. Often it's only obvious and overdone to us photogs. If a Mom is searching through a sea of business cards in her purse trying to find "that photographer's" card, the one with the obvious photography graphic will be easy to spot.



Interesting point. I am not  looking for photographers to recognize my site logo. This is truly not an easy task.


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## Big Mike (Oct 25, 2012)

CCericola said:


> Big Mike said:
> 
> 
> > Another option would be to find a graphic design site/forum and commission a contest.  Basically, you tell them what you want and what you are willing to pay (or there is a preset price).  Designers who wish to enter the contest will come up with something and submit entries for you to choose from.
> ...


Sorry, didn't know that.  
I know a handful of photographers who bought logos that way.  Doesn't seem all that different from photographers offering cheap services on FB or Craig's List etc.  Might get something good, might not...buyer beware.
It certainly doesn't do anything good for the industry, just like the cheap photographers...but hey, that's what you get with a free market economy.


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## Tee (Oct 25, 2012)

CCericola said:


> Please don't advocate those sites. They are demeaning to designers and goes against everything we stand for. Although not illegal they go against the code of conduct of the GAG (Graphic Arts Guild) and AIGA (American Institute if Graphic Arts)



They're the graphic designer's equivalent to the $25 Facebook photographer?


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## myvinyl333 (Oct 25, 2012)

Tee said:


> CCericola said:
> 
> 
> > Please don't advocate those sites. They are demeaning to designers and goes against everything we stand for. Although not illegal they go against the code of conduct of the GAG (Graphic Arts Guild) and AIGA (American Institute if Graphic Arts)
> ...



I decided to look on Craig's list for fun and found a $50 photographer. It was not as fun as I thought, more like embarrassing.


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