How to Design a School Seal
School seals serve as a formal and meaningful representation of a school building or district. These classic crests can add an aire of formality to any document or event decoration scheme. Many schools use school seals that were created at the school's inception. If your school does not have a school seal, you can engage students and staff in the entertaining and enjoyable task of creating one of these meaningful laden brands that will serve as an identifying mark for your school for years to come.
Instructions
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Select a seal shape. The standard circle is the most often utilized, and is the easiest shape to work with, although your seal does not have to be limited to this simple shape. Shields are also very popular and can be as elaborate as you wish from a simple shield to a flowery and elaborate shape, featuring scrolls and twists throughout. You could also consider using a non-traditional shape such as a square or triangle, or a combination of basic shapes.
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Explore symbolism. Objects can carry symbolic meanings. Consider what you would like your school to represent, and integrate objects that carry that meaning into your school's seal. For example, if you value peace, you may want to consider the integration of a dove into your design, as doves are a recognized symbolic representation of peace.
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Fill the seal with meaningful images. Once you have determined what you want your seal to convey about your school, place the symbolic objects that you selected within your shield design, or "think outside the box" and have a piece of the object extend slightly beyond the basic shape. You can fill your seal with just one, large object, or instead place a number of objects in different quadrants scattered around the shield.
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Select colors. School seals often feature the school colors within the design. Add color to your design that is representative of your school. If you are planning your seal on a computer, consider using the re-color option that is available in many programs which allows you to change an object from it's original color to black and white or to variegating hues of any color that fits into your design.
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Integrate a motto. Sum up the values and goals of your school in one simple statement, then integrate this small line of text into your seal. You can place it around the perimeter of the seal, or engage in the popular practice of adding a banner or scroll design to the shield and placing the statement within that section of the design. You can feature your motto in plain English, or, if you desire, have it translated into Latin and use this version, as Latin is frequently featured in seals and crests.
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Create a digital seal. A digital seal can be easily added to school documents or letter head. If you created your seal by hand, scan it into the computer to create a digital version of your design. If you used a computer program to plan and create your seal, take a screen shot of the seal and use that version as your digital seal or save it in a standard image format such as JPEG (.jpg) so that it can easily be used by other graphics people, such as those who do the school newsletter or year, and commercial companies that will print the design on school clothing.
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Order an embossing of your seal. If you wish to use the seal for official purposes, such as stamping diplomas, you can order an embossing of your seal. Many companies offer hand-held embossing machines. Contact one such company and send them your digital seal. From this design they can create an embossing machine that you can use to add an official stamp to all important school documents.
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