Today's logo designers need software, clip art, and fonts to go along with their design talents. While there are a multitude of choices for each, there are a few more popular, industry-standard software programs that serious designers should consider. The field is wide-open as to clip art and fonts but there are certain packages that can help new designers get up and running quickly.
Illustration Software
Illustration or drawing programs produce scalable vector artwork making them ideal as the all-around logo design tool. For commercial printing, scalable EPS graphics are the format of choice and import easily into most major page layout programs for creating letterhead, business cards, and other documents. CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator are examples of illustration software.
- Illustration Programs - Mac
- Illustration Programs - Windows
Image Editing Software
Logos for the Web, even if created initially with illustration software, will need to be converted to GIF or JPG. A bitmap program handles that job and usually allows for other special effects, including simple animation. They are also ideal for integrating photo-realistic elements into your logo designs for Web or print. Adobe Photoshop and Corel Photo-Paint are examples of image editors.
- Image Editing Programs - Mac
- Image Editing Programs - Windows
Clip Art
Clip art is a matter of taste. Key points to consider when choosing a package are style, variety, and format. You may develop preferences over time, but initially look for a wide range of styles such as modern, retro, iconic, or cartoonish. You'll also want a variety of types of images such as food, business, people, and shapes. EPS or WMF images will generally provide the most flexibility.
- Clip Art Collections - Mac
- Clip Art Collections - Windows
- Free Pictures
Fonts
Some logos consist entirely of text while others incorporate text and images. Individual characters can be manipulated to create interesting logos. You'll need a good selection of display or decorative faces, text faces, and even dingbats and flourishes. Choosing TrueType or Type 1 fonts is a matter of preference but it is usually best to build your collection around one format or the other.
- Classic Fonts
- Type Foundries
- Free Fonts
From Jacci Howard Bear,
