back alley
IMAGES
is there special software to make a logo?
can i use photoshop elements?
can i use photoshop elements?
awbphotog
Well-known
Depending on your needs, you should be able to make something in Photoshop. Of course, InDesign is the "it" software for design in general, and would produce the best results in the least amount of time. I've made plenty of simple logos in Photoshop. Good luck!
Andy
Andy
Paddy C
Unused film collector
Professional logos are designed in Illustrator or other vector-based drawing/illustration software.
You would never create a logo in InDesign.
You create them as vectors so that they can be scaled without loss of quality and so things like colours can be managed properly.
You would never create a logo in InDesign.
You create them as vectors so that they can be scaled without loss of quality and so things like colours can be managed properly.
back alley
IMAGES
simple is what i'm looking for...can you give me a quick walk through?
i'm thinking a circle of words...back alley images...being the words.
i'm thinking a circle of words...back alley images...being the words.
back alley
IMAGES
vectors? sounds too complicated for my tiny brain...
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Where do you plan on using the logo, digital (website, fb etc) or in print ?
I agree the tool of choice here is Illustrator, but I'm sure you can find a local graphic designer willing to do this for you
back alley
IMAGES
petronius
Veteran
honozooloo
Established
It's a pain in the butt for the uninitiated to create logos in Illustrator, but I agree with everyone else: You can more than likely find a designer in your locale who can do it for you. The logo you're describing should be quite simple for someone who knows the software to make. I'd try your local college or community college, surely there would be a design student who would be down for a project like this. Maybe you can even trade services with them, and shoot examples of their work for their portfolio?
Creating your logo "the right way" in a vector format gives you a scalable logo that you can print on everything from business cards, to t-shirts, vinyl stickers, signage, or even the side of a large building. Creating your logo in Photoshop or in a not-vector format could mean having to pay someone to recreate it in Illustrator somewhere down the road anyway, I learnt that the hard way when I created a logo in Photoshop and it was too small for a larger print job...I had to redo the whole damn thing, which ended up costing me WAY more time than doing in right the first time around.
That being said, if you have a more recent version of Photoshop, it's quite easy to put simple text on a path around a shape:
http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/qt/cstextonapath.htm
Creating your logo "the right way" in a vector format gives you a scalable logo that you can print on everything from business cards, to t-shirts, vinyl stickers, signage, or even the side of a large building. Creating your logo in Photoshop or in a not-vector format could mean having to pay someone to recreate it in Illustrator somewhere down the road anyway, I learnt that the hard way when I created a logo in Photoshop and it was too small for a larger print job...I had to redo the whole damn thing, which ended up costing me WAY more time than doing in right the first time around.
That being said, if you have a more recent version of Photoshop, it's quite easy to put simple text on a path around a shape:
http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/qt/cstextonapath.htm
back alley
IMAGES
i'm hoping to make one on my own...i have time and no talent...
awbphotog
Well-known
InDesign is great for placing logos within a space, not creating them. Adobe goof!
That being said, for anything other than 'professional' logo creation, InDesign and Photoshop are great for tooling around. As far as Joe is concerned here, considering he has Photoshop Elements, professional may not be exactly what he's (capable of) going for.
As others have said, using Elements will produce a short-term result that I think will suit you fine.
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
What you need is a vector based tool, there's plenty available, if you choose a popular one you'll find tons of video tutorials, there's illustrator, sketch and inkscape off the top of my head
I'd recommend drawing it by hand first to visualize what you really need before starting to fight with the software.
Good luck
honozooloo
Established
Try using Elements to create your logo using this tutorial:
http://debbiehodge.com/2011/03/creating-circular-text-in-pse/
Also, I'd recommend you make the PPI/dimensions for your file HUGE, like whatever the biggest size you ever anticipate x3, that way you'll have a logo that won't ever have too few pixels if you ever happened to need to print it in a large size you aren't SOL.
http://debbiehodge.com/2011/03/creating-circular-text-in-pse/
Also, I'd recommend you make the PPI/dimensions for your file HUGE, like whatever the biggest size you ever anticipate x3, that way you'll have a logo that won't ever have too few pixels if you ever happened to need to print it in a large size you aren't SOL.
back alley
IMAGES
were you really surprised the first time you were banned?
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Not to open a can of worms, but I'd argue that if you were to spend money on this, do so locally: find a designer where you live
lukitas
second hand noob
Illustrator. simple.
Draw a circle, click the text tool on the circle, start typing.
Thinking about scalability is important. It should be recognisable at the smallest size you're going to use it, faultless at the largest. Often, we would do a special version for the smallest sizes : a little more meat on the thin bits, a tad more white between the shapes, so it held together in vey small sizes and less than perfect print runs.
Think about the smallest size you want to use your logo at. Then work in all the information you can put in there and remain readable. Think stamps, with a stronger brand presence. When you design a logo large, you get tempted to put in more than will survive printing on a business card.
I did quite a stretch at a design bureau, logo's were one of our specialties.
Draw a circle, click the text tool on the circle, start typing.
Thinking about scalability is important. It should be recognisable at the smallest size you're going to use it, faultless at the largest. Often, we would do a special version for the smallest sizes : a little more meat on the thin bits, a tad more white between the shapes, so it held together in vey small sizes and less than perfect print runs.
Think about the smallest size you want to use your logo at. Then work in all the information you can put in there and remain readable. Think stamps, with a stronger brand presence. When you design a logo large, you get tempted to put in more than will survive printing on a business card.
I did quite a stretch at a design bureau, logo's were one of our specialties.
CK Dexter Haven
Well-known
• Hire someone. And, not for $50. If you don't know a designer who will do it as a favor, pay some real money if you don't want a piece of crap representing you.
• Consider not doing a symbol or mark, and just using clean typography. This, you can do yourself if you teach yourself a quick lesson in KERNING. Don't set your character spacing to 'AUTO' and don't do it in any Microsoft Office product.
• As noted above, don't do it in Photoshop, unless you know what you're doing with regard to resolution and only need to use the 'logo' on a display (web) device. Use Adobe Illustrator, or some variant that creates VECTOR files, which are infinitely scalable without a change in quality.
• If you will need to PRINT the logo/branding at any time, choose colors with a PMS swatch book.
• SIMPLICITY is better than gimmickry. If you're a person and not a company, you probably don't need a logo MARK. If this is for photographic purposes, think of all the VERY best photographers throughout history and how they represented themselves.
Let me know what you're looking for. Maybe i can squeeze it in.... Send me a message?
• Consider not doing a symbol or mark, and just using clean typography. This, you can do yourself if you teach yourself a quick lesson in KERNING. Don't set your character spacing to 'AUTO' and don't do it in any Microsoft Office product.
• As noted above, don't do it in Photoshop, unless you know what you're doing with regard to resolution and only need to use the 'logo' on a display (web) device. Use Adobe Illustrator, or some variant that creates VECTOR files, which are infinitely scalable without a change in quality.
• If you will need to PRINT the logo/branding at any time, choose colors with a PMS swatch book.
• SIMPLICITY is better than gimmickry. If you're a person and not a company, you probably don't need a logo MARK. If this is for photographic purposes, think of all the VERY best photographers throughout history and how they represented themselves.
Let me know what you're looking for. Maybe i can squeeze it in.... Send me a message?