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Design A Simple Logo in Photoshop 6

Having a logo professionally designed can be a complex, time-consuming (not to mention expensive) undertaking. It involves the marketing department, an experienced graphic designer, and the blessing of many company bigwigs.

On the other hand, a Photoshop user handy with the Type tool can easily design a simple word mark logo for his own club or business. This month, we demonstrate several text-manipulation techniques useful for creating a logo for use on company letterhead, brochures, PowerPoint slides, even a menu or a sign. This tutorial assumes you are accustomed to working with Photoshop layers.

Before launching headlong into Photoshop, first consider the nature and image of the concern you’re designing for. This will help you choose the best typestyle, or font, for your word mark. Is it a funky ski club? A playful daycare? A manly machine shop?

For Starters

Open a new document in Photoshop. Set width and height to 500 pixels. Mode should be RGB Color; Resolution should be 150 pixels per inch. In the Contents section, select the Transparent radio button. Click OK. If you don’t see the Layers palette, select Show Layers from the Windows menu. Select the Type tool, which is located in the Text tool menu just below the Photoshop menu.

Choose a font from the Set The Font Family drop-down menu that’s appropriate for your project. Specify the size and color of the font you want to use. Next, type the name of your company. Press ENTER to start a new line if necessary.

A Simple Word Mark

The name of a company can make a bold statement on its own, but it’s easy to add a simple border if you wish. Start a new layer by clicking the Create New Layer button in the Layers palette and use the rectangular marquee tool to frame the word mark. To create a black border, select Stroke from the Edit menu. Save your work.

Keep in mind that the transparent background will ultimately translate to a white background.

Warped Text

For another effect, open a new file and type in the company name once more. (A single line works best here.) Click the Create Warped Text button in the menu bar. Under Style, select the Arc option. The words lift over the text baseline, leaving a semicircle of space beneath them. Use the sliders to alter the bend or distort the text. Click OK.

Now let’s add tag information in the semicircle below the company name. Start a new layer. Reduce the point size. Informative tag text might be the street address of the business, the city name, or the year the company was established. Set the cursor in the semicircle below the company name and type in the new text. To place it precisely, use the Move tool. Save your work.

Create A Seal

Another simple word mark takes the form of a seal. Start a new file. Type in the first word or two of the company name. Start a new layer, then type in the last part of the company name below the first. Next, reselect the first layer, highlight the text, click Create Warped Text, select Arc Upper, and click OK. Do the same for the lower text but select Arc Lower. Use the Move tool to place the text as upper and lower sections of a circle. Add tag text, as we did above, to the center of the seal if you wish.

To complete the effect of a seal, start a new layer and use the Elliptical Marquee tool to draw a circle around the words. From the Edit menu, choose Stroke to fill in the outline. Again, use the Move tool to place the circle precisely. Save your work.

Finishing Touches

Be sure to keep the PSD files you’ve created so you can return and edit, delete, or add new layers. Once you’ve finalized the logo and are ready to include it on printed materials, contact a local print shop and ask which digital format it prefers. At that time, you can convert the PSD file to the TIF, EPS, or JPG file format.

These are just three ways to use Photoshop’s Text tool to design a word mark logo. Before settling on a logo, be sure to experiment with other fonts, colors, and text effects. .



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