GIMP is such a great image editor that you’ve probably wondered how many different projects you can use it for. You may have even wondered if you can use GIMP to design logos, but before we go any further, it’s time for some offbeat, yet honest, advice.
My name is Thomas Boldt, and besides projects like TGT (The GIMP Tutorials), I work as a graphic designer. I graduated with honors from York University/Sheridan College’s design program in 2008 and have been working in this field ever since, so this guide is backed by professional experience.
The quick guide to create a logo in GIMP
Step 1: No.
Step 2: Close GIMP and use a different program than the list below.
Step 3: If you are absolutely interested in creating a logo in GIMP, check out the 4 tips below.
That may seem a bit harsh, but GIMP really, really shouldn’t be used for this kind of design work. GIMP is a raster graphics editor, which means it edits pixel images, and some of the key logo design steps will drive you crazy if you try to do them in pixels, but there’s another option.
Professional layout design workflows use vector graphics instead of raster graphics. Vector graphics are actually mathematical expressions that describe the shape and color of an image, which means you can easily change, scale, adjust, and iterate through many different logo options quickly.
Another great benefit of The use of vector graphics for logos is that they can be scaled to any size without losing quality. If you create your logo in GIMP using pixels and then try to scale it to a larger size, it will be pixelated, distorted, and just plain unprofessional, as you can see above.
Vector graphics can scale infinitely because they are just mathematical descriptions. . You have to save them in a pixel format like JPEG to use them in other programs, but you can save that image to any size you need with perfectly sharp resolution.
Also, don’t worry – Actually , you don’t need to understand the math behind vector graphics to use them. Just know that the program does it all for you 😉
Logo Design Programs
GIMP isn’t the right program for logo design, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to te I leave without a better solution. There are several other graphics programs intended for logo designs and vector graphics, and I’ve listed four below.
1. Inkscape
If GIMP is the free software world’s answer to Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape is its answer to Adobe Illustrator. It’s a free vector graphics program that can handle everything from page layout to logo design to vector illustration, and is an infinitely better choice for creating your logo.
Inkscape was stuck at version 0.92 for years and only managed to get to version 1.0 after almost 17 years of development, clearly I need to update my copy! – but eventually got out of beta. Don’t let that put you off though, as this is an impressive piece of freeware.
Available for free (as in speech and beer) on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
2. Adobe Illustrator
If you’re going to be doing a lot of logo design, you might as well opt for the industry-standard vector graphics program. I know, it’s from Adobe and it’s not free, but it IS the best option available in terms of capabilities and support.
Available for PC and macOS, $20.99 monthly subscription.
3. Affinity Designer
If you’re not interested in the Adobe ecosystem but don’t mind paying for a high-quality vector graphics program, Affinity Designer might be a better fit for you. The Affinity series offers professional-level competition to Adobe programs at a much more affordable price.
Available for PC and macOS, $84.99 one-time purchase fee.
4. Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer (now Corel Vector), is another good option for vector design. Compatible with all major browsers. It costs $99.99/year with 15 days free trial.
Tips for Designing Logos in GIMP
If you’re dead set on creating a logo in GIMP, I’ve put together a few logo design tips to keep in mind. mind as you design to ensure you get the most out of your project.
But really, you’re better off using Inkscape or one of the other programs mentioned above. They’ll save you the trouble of worrying about these first two points, so you can focus on your creative vision and not the technical details.
1. Start Big
Since you’ll be left with a pixel-format version of your logo, making the image very large from the start will give you the most flexibility later. Print resolution is three times higher than screen resolution: 300 PPI (pixels per inch) for print, compared to 72 PPI for most screens.
So if you create your new 500 x 500 logo canvas, it will take up half of a 1080p screen, but will only print as a 1.75-inch square. If you’ve ever seen a large image online, tried to print it, and then wondered why it looks like blurry garbage on the printed page, you’ve already run into this problem.
No You don’t have to worry so much about this if you only want to use your logo once for a single quick appearance on the screen. But if you are serious about creating a logo in GIMP, this is the most important thing to remember at first. They’re all pixels, so you won’t be able to adjust them later!
2. Use Layers and Layer Groups
One of the most tedious parts of logo design is the refining stage. Once you have a general idea of the layout you like, you’ll probably end up spending a lot of time going through different settings and options. This is where vector graphics programs shine, but we can fake it in GIMP. Something like.
If you’re ready to start tweaking but only use one layer for all your logo components, you’ll be stuck. It’s best to separate each image element of your logo on a different layer, and you’ll be able to adjust their position anytime you want without having to redraw them.
To create a new layer, open the Layer menu and choose New Layer, or click the New Layer button > on the Layers palette. Do this for each component of your logo, and be sure to name each new layer as you create it. It might not seem important now, but after 20 more layers…
You can also use groups to help you organize your layers, which may become necessary if you really take this advice seriously (as you should). . Select the layers you want to group and click the small folder icon at the bottom of the Layers palette to create a new group.
3. Choose fonts carefully
This is good advice for any design project, but it’s doubly true for logos, where so much emphasis is placed on the individual letters that make up your company name or brand. . Take the time to choose a good font that is clear and easy to read, while capturing the feel of your brand.
If you don’t like any of the fonts that come with GIMP, I’ve written a quick guide on how you can add new fonts to GIMP and where to find them online.
But when you work in a vector graphics program, you get a lot more flexibility working with letters. Since each letter you type on the screen is just a vector shape, vector programs allow you to edit each letter shape to create unique fonts and styles that simply aren’t possible in GIMP.
4. Keep it simple
Think of the world’s most popular logos: the swoosh for Nike, the “apple” for Apple, and the “T” for Tesla. They are all very simple, which is why they are so memorable and iconic. Compare that to the local plumbing company logo with a full cartoon and too much text to read, and you get the idea.
Keep your images simple and they’ll stay more memorable. Keep your use of text to a minimum, and make sure you don’t choose 600 different fonts and colors. More than two or three and you’re starting to stray out of logo territory, so be careful, and when in doubt:
Keep.
That.
Simple.
A final word on logos
I hope I’ve convinced you that GIMP isn’t the best choice for logo design and that you’ll choose to use one of the other great programs I recommended above. . But even if you did go ahead and make a logo in GIMP, I hope my tips have made the process a little smoother and more successful than it otherwise would have been.
About Thomas Boldt.