How to Make a Professional-Looking Logo
Creating a professional looking logo can be hard when you want the logo to be unique. A simple way to make a unique logo look professional is to use basic shapes to bring the design together. Choosing a font is just as important when creating a logo. A simple font that is easily readable will help bring together the logo and project a professional look. Along with basic shapes for the logo and a simple font, color selection is just as important. Using all three factors can make a logo look professional even if you are not a professional graphics designer.
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Instructions
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Sketch out the logo using the pencil and paper. Use basic shapes to keep the logo clean and uncluttered.
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Open the graphics design software. A pop-up will appear. Change the resolution to 300 dpi (dots per inch). A higher resolutuion will create a crisper image when printed. A dpi greater than 300 is not necessary. Click "OK." A new workspace will appear.
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Turn on the "Tools" window and the "Layers" window. Turn on the "Options" window. Click the "Window" tab and select "Tools" and "Layers." Select "Options" to turn on the "Options" window. The "Tools" box will contain all the necessary tools to create the logo. The "Layers" window will contain all the imported or created images (layers). A layer is an image on top of another. Each layer in the "Layers" window will be named "Layer." A number will be added to the layer name if there is more than one layer. The "Options" window will contain all the short cuts for each tool in the "Tools" window when the tool is selected.
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Click the "Shapes" icon in the tools window to create the basic shapes of the logo. Select the shape from the drop-down menu. The "Shapes" icon is a square box in the "Tools" window. Shape selection is also possible in the "Options" window by clicking the "Shapes" tool. A free-form shape is available. Selecting this will open a drop-down menu with already-made shapes such as arrows, animals and other nontraditional shapes.
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Draw the selected shape onto the workspace with the mouse. Drag the mouse to draw the shape. The drawn shape will appear as a layer in the "Layers" window. Right-click on the shape layer and select "Rasterize." Rasterizing the shape will flatten the image and make it editable if needed such as resizing the shape or adding a different color.
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Resize the rasterized layer by clicking on the shape and holding the "Ctrl" button plus the "T" button on the keyboard. This is the "Transform" tool. The shape will now have guidelines. Click on the guidelines and drag the guidelines bigger or smaller to resize the shape.
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Color the shape by clicking on the color boxes at the bottom of the "Tools" window. A pop-up will appear. Drag the color selector to the color of choice. Click on the "Fill" tool in the "Tools" window. This is a paint bucket icon. Click on the shape to fill the shape with the selected color.
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Select other shapes to be used as part of the logo and draw them onto the workspace. Rasterize the new shapes. Name each shape layer by double-clicking on the layer and type in a new name for the shape.
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Type the business name for the logo or a contact name using the "Type" tool in the "Tools" window. The "Type" tool is the uppercase letter "T."
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Select the font and font size in the "Options" window. Choose the font color by clicking on the colored box. A pop-up window will appear. Select the font color using the color selector and dragging the selector to the color of choice. A easy-to-read font will project a professional uncluttered look.
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Click on the workspace and type in the business or contact information. Include an address and telephone number. Add a fax number, website and email address if applicable.
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Edit the logo by moving shapes and adding text.
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Save the file. Click the "File" tab and select "Save As." A pop-up window will appear. Save the file as a .PSD (Photoshop) file. Click "OK." Saving the document as a .PSD file will allow you to edit the document.
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Save the logo as a JPEG file when all work is complete. Click the "Image" tab and select "Flatten Image." Flattening the layers in the "Layers" window will merge all the layers into one layer and reduce the file size. Saving the file as a JPEG will allow professional printing businesses to print the logo onto business cards, stationary or promotional items.
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Tips & Warnings
Save your work often.
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
