A traditional logo consists of two key elements: text and shape. This type of logo is also called a combined logo, and the two elements can be used together or separately. Many companies use a font-based logo because it is more recognizable.
Depending on how you classify and name it, there are three to seven types of logos. I won’t go through them all here because the design concept is basically the same. Once you learn how to create logo text and branding, you can create any logo shape you want.
In this article, you’ll learn how to create a logo and text logo combination from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. I will also share some useful logo design tips throughout the tutorial based on my personal experience.
Before we start, I’ll quickly explain what a text logo and a combination logo are.
What is a combo logo?
A combo logo is a logo that consists of a word mark (text) and a logo mark (shape). The text and icon can often be used together or separately.
Some examples of combined logos are Microsoft, Adidas, Adobe, Airbnb, etc.
What is a text logo?
No, a text logo is not a typeface. There is more.
A text logo can be called a word mark or a letter mark. Basically, it is a logo that shows the name or initials of the company.
Logos such as Google, eBay, Coca-Cola, Calvin Klein, etc. that display the company name are word mark logos. Letter brand logos are usually a company’s initials or other short letters, such as P&G, CNN, NASA, etc.
Is that what you’re trying to create? I’ll show you how to modify an existing font to make a text logo in the steps below.
Note: The screenshots in this tutorial were taken from the Mac version of Adobe Illustrator CC 2022. Windows or other versions may look different.
How to Create a Text Logo in Adobe Illustrator
You can choose a font or create your own font for a text logo. Creating your own font for a text logo requires a lot of work, brainstorming, sketching, digitizing the font, etc., starting from scratch.
Honestly, depending on how original you want the logo, if it’s for quick use, modifying an existing font is much easier and you can do something cool.
Before the technical steps, you should think about what kind of image you want to create for the brand. This is very important to think about because it will affect your font, shape, and color options.
Say you want to create a text logo for a holiday fashion brand called This Holiday.
Step 1: Use the Text tool (keyboard shortcut T) to add text to a new document in Adobe Illustrator. The text must be the name of the logo. I’ll put the brand name “This Holiday” here.
Step 2: Select the text, go to Properties > Character and choose a font.
Be sure to double check the font license before using a font for commercial purposes. I would say that Adobe Fonts is a safe choice because with your Creative Cloud subscription, you can use the fonts for free.
For example, I chose this font called Dejanire Headline.
Step 3: Use the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + O to create a text outline This step converts the text to a path so you can edit the shapes.
Note: Once you outline your text, you can’t change the font anymore, so if you’re not 100% sure about the font, duplicate the text a couple of times . times in case you change your mind.
Step 4: Ungroup the outlined text so you can edit each letter individually and start tweaking the text.
Honestly, there is no rule on how to modify the text. You can use the tools you want. For example, I’m going to use the direction selection tool and eraser to touch up the edges of the font and cut off some of the text.
Step 5: Add color to your logo or keep it black and white.
A quick tip: Choosing the right color is important because colors need to represent the brand and appeal to its target group. Statistics show that color improves brand recognition by up to 80%.
For example, if you’re creating a logo for a children’s brand, black and white might not work very well. On the other hand, if you’re designing a logo for fancy clothing, simple black and white can be a great choice.
Since I’m creating a text logo for a holiday fashion brand, I’d like to use some colors that represent a vacation – the color of the sea.
You can also distort the text. For example, I’m using Envelop Distort to warp the text to make it more wavy.
This is a lazy solution but honestly, as long as you get the result you want, why not?
If you feel like you’re missing something and want to add a shape to your logo, read on.
How to Create a Combo Logo in Adobe Illustrator
A combo logo has text and branding. You can use the above method to create a text logo, and in this section, I will show you how to create a vector shape as your logo mark.
Branding the logo is basically creating a shape, but it’s not just about making an attractive shape, you also need to think about how the shape can impact a business or a brand.
Instead of the technical steps of designing a logo, I’ll share with you how you come up with an idea for a logo design in the steps below.
Step 1 : Brainstorm ideas. Think about what the logo is for. And what can the industry represent? For example, let’s create a logo for a cocktail bar. Thus, the elements that are related to the brand can be cocktail glasses, fruits, cocktail shakers, etc.
Step 2: Sketch your ideas on paper, or directly in Adobe Illustrator. If you don’t know where to start, you can start by tracing images with the elements.
Step 3: Create shapes in Adobe Illustrator. You can use the shape tools to create basic shapes and then use the Pathfinder or Shape Builder tools Tool to combine shapes and create a new shape.
For example, I used the Rectangle tool and the Ellipse tool to make the outline of a martini glass.
I’ll use Pathfinder’s Unite tool to combine the shapes.
Look, now we have a basic shape. You can add as many details as you want.
You can also use the Pen tool to trace your sketch or, if you chose to use an image, trace the image.
It all depends on the style of logo you are creating. Or you can even turn a photo into an illustration and create a logo from there.
Tip: It is highly recommended to use grids and guides when designing a logo.
Step 4: Create the text logo part by following the method above. For example, I’m going to call the bar “sip n chill”. Remember, the choice of font must be consistent with the form. If you are creating a line logo, try to avoid using very bold fonts.
Step 5 – Choose colors for the logo. If you want to keep it as a line logo, just change the fill color to stroke.
Step 6: Decide on the positions of the text and the shape. Generally, a combined logo has two versions, the shape above the text and the shape next to the text. But like I said, there’s no hard and fast rule.
Step 7: Save the logo!
Tip: If you find it too difficult to create something from scratch, you can always take inspiration from logo creation tools and then recreate your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to logo design, there are many questions. If you still have questions or want to know more, this section has questions related to logo design that can help you.
Is Adobe Illustrator good for creating logos?
Yes, Adobe Illustrator is the best design software for logo design. I can’t say it’s the easiest software to use, because there’s a steep learning curve, but if you know how to use it, it’s definitely great for creating logos.
Why do designers use Illustrator instead of Photoshop to create logos?
Designers typically use Adobe Illustrator to create logos because Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based program, which means you can edit the logo. Photoshop is raster-based software, which makes it more complicated to edit vector shapes.
How big should I design a logo in Illustrator?
There is no “best size” ” for a logo. Depending on what you are using the logo for, the size of the logo can be different. The nice thing about designing a logo in Adobe Illustrator is that you can change the size of the logo without losing its quality.
How to make a logo with a transparent background?
When you create a logo in Adobe Illustrator, the background is already transparent. You are looking at a white artboard due to its default settings. The key is to choose a background Transparent when you save/export logo as png.
Final Thoughts
Many people think logo design is difficult, but I would say the steps they’re actually not that hard if you know how to use the tools the hardest part of logo design is brainstorming ace.
It can take you hours or even days to come up with a concept, but it will only take you hours to do the design in Adobe Illustrator.
If you’re interested in learning more about logo design, you can also read my logo stats article where I collected some logo stats and data 🙂
About June Escalada.