Logos are everywhere. We daily come into contact with thousands of logos. They are part of our visual landscape and culture. More than any previous time in history, people are aware of logos. They have strong opinions about them and definite responses to them.

The 7 Types of Logos

A logo is an image that symbolizes a business or a visual mark or a graphic design to identify a company

product or service. organizations, and even individuals.

Words and Letters

1. Lettermarks (or Monogram logos)

IBM, CNN, HP, HBO… Noticing a pattern, yes? They’re the initialisms of a few famous businesses with rather lengthy names. A lettermark is a typography-based logo that’s comprised of a few letters, usually a company’s initials. The lettermark is all about simplicity. By utilizing just a few letters lettermark logos are effective at streamlining any company brand if they have a long name. For example, how much easier is it to say—and remember—NASA versus the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?

2. Wordmarks (or logotypes)

Similar to a lettermark, a wordmark logo is a font-based logo that focuses on a business’ name alone. Think Visa and Coca-Cola. Wordmark logos work really well when a company has a concise and distinct name. Google’s logo is a great example of this. The name itself is catchy and memorable so, when combined with strong typography, the logo helps create strong brand recognition. Also, like with a lettermark logo, typography will be an important decision. Since the focus will be on your name, you’ll want to pick a font—or create a font—that captures the essence of what your business does.

Pictures and Symbols

3. Pictorial marks (or logo symbols)

A pictorial mark (sometimes called a brand marks or logo symbol) is an icon—or graphic-based design. It’s probably the image that comes to mind when you think “logo”: the iconic Apple logo, the Twitter bird, the Target bullseye. Each of these companies’ logos is so emblematic, and each brand so established, that the mark alone is instantly recognizable. The biggest thing to consider when deciding to go with a pictorial mark is what image to choose. This is something that will stick with your company its entire existence. You need to think about the broader implications of the image you choose: do you want to play on your name (like John Deere does with their dear logo)? Or are you looking to create deeper meaning (think how the Snapchat ghost tells us what the product does)? Or do you want to evoke an emotion (as the World Wildlife foundation does with their stylized image of a panda—an adorable and endangered species)?

4. Abstract logo marks

An abstract mark is a specific type of pictorial logo. Instead of being a recognizable image—like an apple or a bird—it’s an abstract geometric form that represents your business. A few famous examples include the BP starburst-y logo, the Pepsi divided circle and the strip-y Adidas flower. Like all logo symbols, abstract marks work really well because they condense your brand into a single image. Through color and form, you can attribute meaning and cultivate emotion around your brand. (As an example, think about how the Nike swoosh implies movement and freedom).

5. Mascots

Often colorful, sometimes cartoonish, and most always fun, the mascot logo is a great way to create your very own brand spokesperson—er, spokes-character(?). A mascot is simply an illustrated character that represents your company. Think of them as the ambassador for your business. Famous mascots include the Kool-Aid Man, KFC’s Colonel and Planter’s Mr. Peanut. Mascots are great for companies that want to create a wholesome atmosphere by appealing to families and children. Think of all those mascots at sporting events and the great dynamic they create by getting involved with the audience!

Combination

6. The combination mark

It’s in the name! A combination mark is a logo comprised of a combined wordmark or lettermark and a pictorial mark, abstract mark, or mascot. The picture and text can be laid out side-by-side, stacked on top of each other, or integrated together to create an image. Some well known combination mark logos include Doritos, Burger King and Lacoste. Because a name is associated with the image, a combination mark is a versatile choice, with both the text and icon or mascot working together to reinforce your brand. With a combination mark, people will also begin to associate your name with your pictorial mark or mascot right away! In the future you may be able to rely exclusively on a logo symbol, and not have to always include your name. Also, because the combination of a symbol and text create a distinct image together, these logos are usually easier to trademark than a pictorial mark alone.

7. The emblem

The last major type of logo is the emblem. An emblem logo consists of font inside a symbol or an icon; think badges, seals and crests. These logos tend to have a traditional appearance about them that can make a striking impact, thus they are often the go-to choice for many schools, organizations or government agencies. The auto industry is also very fond of emblem logos. While they have a classic style, some companies have effectively modernized the traditional emblem look with a logo designs fit for the 21st century (think of Starbucks’ iconic mermaid emblem, or Harley-Davidson’s famous crest).

What is Inkscape?

Inkscape is a free and open-source vector graphics editor; it can be used to create or edit vector graphics such as illustrations, diagrams, line arts, charts, logos and complex paintings. Inkscape's primary vector graphics format is Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), however many other formats can be imported and exported

Inkscape can render primitive vector shapes (e.g. rectangles, ellipses, polygons, arcs, spirals, stars and 3D boxes) and text. These objects may be filled with solid colors, patterns, radial or linear color gradients and their borders may be stroked, both with adjustable transparency. Embedding and optional tracing of raster graphics is also supported, enabling the editor to create vector graphics from photos and other raster sources. Created shapes can be further manipulated with transformations, such as moving, rotating, scaling and skewing.

What is a Vector Graphic? Vector graphic is one in which the shape or path of a line is defined by a bit of math. Vector graphics are basically points connected by lines of various shapes, filled with solid or gradient colors. Vector graphics are comprised of paths, which are defined by a start and end point, along with other points, curves, and angles along the way. A path can be a line, a square, a triangle, or a curvy shape. These paths can be used to create simple drawings or complex diagrams.

What is a Bitmap Graphic?

A bitmap graphic (you may occasionally hear "raster" graphic) is basically a large grid - think of a huge checkerboard, or a screen door, or any grid with a lot of little squares. If you put a different color in each little square, you can build an image square by square. When you stand far enough away from the grid, the individual grid squares blend together and you see a complete photographic image.

A bitmap graphic is composed of many tiny parts, called pixels, which are often many different colors.

Two versions of the same two points (A & B). Only the math that describes how to get from A to B (the path) is different.

Five points and the path between them can make a simple shape.

Use enough points and you make things like the Freerange Stock logo.

Illustration 1

Bitmap empty grid.... Filled with colored dots... Enough colored dots make a photo.

Inkscape's Interface Overview

The Inkscape interface is constituted of elements designed to make work simple, harmonious and contextual.  It is composed principally of a single window in which one creates and manipulates drawings.  Within the window, lie particular components which this chapter will identify, enabling readers to easily navigate the software.

We may divide the window into ten major areas:

1. the Menu (at the top of the window)2. the Commands Bar 

3. the Snap Controls Bar

4. the Rulers, Guides and Grids

5. the Tool Controls Bar (also called just Controls Bar)

6. the Toolbox or Main Tools

7. the Page

8. the Color Palette

9. the Status Bar 

10. the Canvas

Menu Bar: If you’re a Windows or Linux user, this’ll be quite familiar. If you’re a Mac lover, this will be your Menu Bar. This will be where the majority of your options are.

Main Tools: This is the bar where your basic tools are located. (Selector, Node Tool, Zoom Tool, etc.)

Tool Setting: Where you’ll adjust the settings for your main tools.

Rulers: Most CG artists are familiar with rulers. A click-drag from either ruler will let you create a guide.

Canvas: The area that contains your page. This is also the area where you’ll create your paths, objects, and raster art.

Page: The area that will hold your artwork whenever you export or print your documents. Any objects outside the page will not print or be exported.

Command Bar: Contains shortcuts/buttons to many of the items/settings within the menus.

Snap Bar: To adjust or set what snaps to what.

Color Pallet: One of the places to select your colors. You can use your scroll wheel to scroll through your color palette back and forth. (You can also use the Fill and Stroke palette to select your colors, located inside the Command Bar.)

Status Bar: This has gobs of information in one glance. The Status Bar tells you the color an object’s using. You can adjust the opacity of an object or path. You can lock, hide/show, and change layers. The Status Bar also provides useful tips. It tells you your cursor’s coordinates. You can also adjust the zoom.

Here is a table with shortcut key(s), tool's name and descriptions for each of the Toolbox tools:

Icon Key(s) Action Description

S Select andTransform tool

From this option you can, select, freehand move, rotate, flip, raise and lower in steps,

raise to top, lower to bottom, change width/height with W/H numeric-value boxes,position with x/y numeric-value boxes, scale, rotate, and skew objects

N Edit Node tool Edit object's nodes, handles and segments to set geometry

W Tweak tool Tweak objects by sculpting or painting

Z, Q Zoom tool Allows you to access a wide set of zoom operations, Q allows quick (temporary) zoom

M Measurement tool

Live on-canvas update with measurements of length and angles as you pass overobjects in your drawing.

R Rectangles andSquares tool

For creating and editing rectangles and squares, with optional rounded corners (Rx, Ry)

X 3D Box tool Used to create 3D boxes

E Circles, Ellipsesand Arcs tool For creating and editing circles, ellipses and arcs

* Star andPolygon tool For creating and editing stars and polygons

I Spiral tool For creating and editing spirals

P Pencil tool Draw lines in freehand or spirol modes, creating dots

B Bézier curvesand lines tool

For drawing bézier curves and straight lines, spiros, straight line segments andparaxial lines, creating dots

C Calligraphy tool For drawing calligraphic or brush objects

T Text tool For creating and editing text

A Spray tool Spray clones, copies or single objects by sculpting or painting

Shift+E Eraser tool Used to erase an area from an object or to delete an entire object

U Fill (Bucket) tool Used to fill objects with a color or gradient and can also color a stroke (border)

G Gradient tool Used to add and edit radial or linear gradients to an object's stroke and fill separately

D Color Picker(Dropper) tool

Used to pick and or drop a color from any image/object to any object within the canvas

O Connector tool Used to create diagram connectors