Logo Editing Software For Non-Techie

Question

A logo... Pretty simple graphic that requires a little TLC when it comes to formatting, etc.... I know that Vector's are great because you can expand and shrink without losing quality... My question is what software would be the best for a business user to take and run with to create logos?

Answer 1

If you want to go with vectors then Inkscape is the standard open source tool to use.

Answer 2

I would recommend using Microsoft Visio for this. It is rather intuitive and I have had excellent results with a minimal amount of effort. Visio also uses "stacking" so you can assemble your artwork in layers which means you are not limited to one type of media. You can insert images where you want them. Overlay stuff over the top. Place letters over the top. Mask out specific areas.

Visio comes as part of the deluxe office suite these days. But you can buy a stand alone copy if you prefer.

Answer 3

Either Photoshop or Illustrator. No application will become your silver-bullet, anything you decide to use will require some practice and experience. Fortunately, Illustrator and Photoshop are enormously powerful, and pack a great punch when it comes to just about anything. For logo's, I would suggest Illustrator before Photoshop though - if you have to go with only one item.

If you're worried about "getting" the hang of things, you could subscribe to Lynda.com and enjoy dozens of instructional videos (low-cost) ranging from beginner to expert.

• Illustrator on Lynda.com

Answer 4

Probably most all of the same graphics packages mentioned for almost all (non-photograph) graphics questions... I'd swear I saw at least two other similar questions.

Photoshop is a perennial choice - There's a million and one Photoshop tutorials.

GIMP is almost always mentioned (justified or not) whenever Photoshop is mentioned. Likewise on the tutorials.

Inkscape is my preferred Vector graphics package. Solid, simple, and free. :)

I'm also very fond of Xara - a low-cost alternative that does not get the credit its due.

You could use Paint.NET as well (another of my free favorites), little harder but it has some great capabilities...

... the list goes on

Answer 5

a good logo should be:

• simple
• memorable
• small
• should convey at least an impression of your brand
• should look good in black and white as well as color
• should still be recognizable when copied a few times and then faxed

Nothing says "just started out in business", if not "going out of business soon", like a crappy logo. Sean Bright got it right: hire a graphic designer. A good one. Your business will likely be wedded to the logo forever, so don't be cheap about it.

Answer 6

I’m assuming that you have already designed your logo correct? If not, then pencil and paper is your best bet as trying to do rough design on a computer (at least for non-pro-artists) is an exercise in frustration.

Once you have your logo, then you will want both vector and raster versions. As mentioned already, Inkscape is your best bet to create an SVG rendering of your logo. It is relatively small, has a decent learning curve, and is free.

You can use that to experiment and learn, and create a digital copy of your logo, then move up to fancier software as/if needed.

Don’t forget to save a bunch of other versions like JPG, GIF, PNG, ICO, etc. at various sizes since the automatic conversion and scaling provided by a lot of software (eg browsers, Explorer, etc.) is not going to be as good as what you can create from your vector master.