Page Setup... to make sure my
document is big enough.
If you select the dropdown in the Page Setup popup, you can navigate to "
Custom" which will allow you to set your document size in inches or pixels,
whichever you prefer. I recommend pixels since you'll probably be creating
this logo for your website. The default tends to be set at 960x720 pixels,
which is plenty big for what we need.
The bigger the canvas size, the less chance of losing resolution
(crispness) if you go to drop it into your website later on, so I recommend
starting with something close to 1000 pixels (1000px).
Step 3: Start your design by adding a text box with your business name and
picking out your typefaces.
I'm not going to get too much into how to choose typefaces for your logo,
though I do go into it at length in the Better Branding Course, but you
want to select a typeface that matches the personality of your brand.
As an example, let's pretend I'm launching my wedding photography business
under my name "Caroline Kelso." I want my brand to feel elegant and
slightly feminine, but with a modern edge.
First, use the Text Box tool to drag your text box across the canvas (you
want it to stretch as far across your canvas as possible.) Then, type your
brand name in the text box.
After highlighting your text, navigate through the Google Font options in
the formatting toolbar to find something that fits the tone your going for.
In my case, "Unna" is a serif font (meaning it has the bars across the
letter forms) which makes it feel a bit traditional and classic, but the
square shape of the letters and the sleek, straight feel of the serifs give
it a more modern edge.
Be sure to change the size of the font to stretch the text across the width
of your text box, and center it using the button in the toolbar (this will
help with alignment later on!)
Now this is a great opportunity to add an additional identifier to your
logo. In the case of my example, if I'm launching a photography business
and that's not abundantly clear from my name, I'll want some way for people
to immediately understand what I do.
This is when you'll want to add an additional text box in a complementary
font. I chose a thinner san-serif font (without bars) to balance out my
main font. Also, remember to create hierarchy in your design. You want to
help people understand which is the more important part to read first (your
brand name) followed by the more secondary information (your identifier.)
To establish hierarchy, I made my identifier smaller in size and a thinner
font.
First I highlighted my text, and changed the font the "Muli" using the font
drop-down.
Now, I admit that your text formatting options are more limited than a
design program here, but that's when you get creative! Try typing your text
in all caps (see above) or try using an italic font to create visual
interest.
Quick Trick: If you want to adjust the tracking in your type (the space
between letters) to make it feel a bit more sophisticated, unfortunately
the text formatting tools won’t let you. However, you CAN manually type one
space between each of your subheading letters to give the illusion that the
tracking has been altered. Sneaky, I know! That's what I've done in my
"wedding photography" subhead here:
Then be sure to center and adjust the size so that it feels in balance with
your primary brand name.
Step 4: Adjust spacing and alignment of your logo
If you have more than one text element at this point, be sure to select
both text boxes and use the alignment tools to make sure they're centered
with one another and that the spacing between them is just the way you want
it.
Step 5: Add your brand colors.
Highlight your text and use the text color tool to change the color if you
want. Use one of the colors in the drop down, OR select "Custom" to use
your own unique hex code.
In my case, let's say I used a tool like Coolors.co to find the hex code of
a color I want to be my primary brand color. I simply paste it in the color
picker to modify the color of my text.
For my example, I decided to go with an orangey-coral color, inspired the
color of the gorgeous floral bouquet I'll be photographing in my fictional
business world. :)
Step 7: Crop canvas and save as a transparent png file.
Now that you have your brand new logo, you'll want to crop down your canvas
size so that if you upload the file onto your website, there won't be
extraneous space around the edges.
The simple way to do this is to grab the bottom right-hand corner of your
document and drag up until you have about the same space all the way around
your design.
Once your logo is the proper size and crop, select File > Download As... >
PNG image. This will export a .png file with the transparent background in
tact, allowing you to easily upload it to Wordpress, Squarespace or
whatever website platform you're using.
Tip: If for some reason your canvas background is not the checkerboard
transparent background you see above, right click anywhere outside your
document (in the gray area) and select Background > Transparent.
You also have the option to export your logo as a vector file by using
File > Download As... > Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg). This will create a
file that could be scaled up or down without fear of losing resolution. You
could use this to print your new logo on a large banner for an event OR you
could give it to a designer to edit in a vector program like Adobe
Illustrator. Pretty cool!
Step 8: Use on your website!
Finally, you get to see this new puppy in action! I made a fake Squarespace
site with my new photography logo, but all I had to do was upload my .png
file that I downloaded in Step 7. Good to go! A few style tweaks of one of
their templates and I'm ready to launch a professional, quality brand!
Optional Step: Add brand icon/graphic elements to your logo.
Now, if you're a beginner, just stop reading here! No need to complicate
your beautiful type-only logo with unnecessary elements. However... if
you're itching to pump up the volume and curious what other design features
are available to you in Google Drawings, here are some options I've played
around with.
Add geometric shapes as graphic elements for more pizzazz.
Tiny colorful circles become... confetti!
A dotted line plus some random shapes using the "Polyline" selector under
the Lines drop-down adds fun and visual interest. Drop the transparency on
the color fill bucket of the shapes for added fun.
White text on a color-filled rectangle can be understated and sophisticated
yet professional.
Ready for even more of a challenge? Use an icon resource like The Noun
Project to find an icon (this one with a Public Domain license so it's free
to use) and use it as a template to draw your own illustration using the
Polyline tool. In this case, the lines were too thick for my taste so I
drew my own and put it on top of a Pentagon shape using the "Shapes"
dropdown.
Or... one of my personal favorites, use the "Scribble" tool to create the
illusion you've colored in your illustration.
Start with an icon from The Noun Project like I mentioned before (this one
created by Alex Berkowitz.) Choose "Scribble" from the Line dropdown and
drag your cursor over the illustration.
Then, change your line width to something thicker like 8px.
Change the color of your line to the color you want your scribble to be.
Finally, use the Arrange > Order > Send to Back option to put the scribble
beneath the illustration outline. Now you have a "color outside the lines"
brand icon!
These are just a handful of ways you can use and build on Google's
Drawings tool.
Don't let your fear of Photoshop hold you back from creating a professional
logo that you're proud of!
What can superheroes, barbecue sauce and Taylor Swift teach you about
branding?
Join the 5-day Believe Your Brand Challenge and find out!
Each day you'll get a free & FUN email lesson helping you clarify your
brand foundation. Sign up below to get started!
Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.
There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.
Email Address I'd like to receive the free email course. Join the challenge
Featured Apr 7, 2016 Caroline Winegeart Apr 7, 2016 Caroline Winegeart
About The Author: Caroline Winegeart Apr 7, 2016 Caroline Winegeart Apr 7,
2016 Caroline Winegeart
Caroline is the creator and instructor for the Better Branding Course. She
helps soulful creatives become the best, brightest versions of themselves
over at her creative learning commmunity, Made Vibrant. INSTAGRAM |
WEBSITE
Apr 7, 2016 Caroline Winegeart Apr 7, 2016 Caroline Winegeart " />