What on earth are all of these logo files?!

You’ve just received your logo files..but wait, didn’t you just get ONE logo?? What are all of these other files?! And what the heck is an alternate logo?? You might be a little confused if you’re not familiar to the world of branding, and as designers, we too are guilty of not explaining what our design terminology means. But today, we’re going to change that! Let’s dive deeper into what these terms mean.

 

Why it matters to your brand

Not everything is a one size fits all solution and neither is your business. That’s why designers provide you with a wide spectrum of variations of your logo. Your logos are all unique and special in their own way and should be utilized as such! Each one is designed to serve your business in a variety of ways so that your brand cohesiveness & quality doesn’t diminish.

 

Primary Logo

Your primary logo is your foundation. It’s the base in which the rest of your brand flourishes from. Your primary logo is the “primary” or main piece of your brand and the main logo that should be used.
Most common uses: Website Header, Signage, Letterhead, etc.

 

Secondary Logo

Your secondary logo is very similar to the primary logo, however it’s commonly manipulated in a more unique or personal way. It’s taking the primary logo and manipulating it on a different scale. This can be done through a different complimentary font, a smaller scale, etc. It still compliments the primary logo, it’s generally just more simplistic & compact.

Most common uses: Business cards, Postcards, Social Media, Letterhead, Packaging, etc.

Submark Logo

Your submark is more commonly referred to as a “stamp” or “watermark”. Submarks are meant to be small. Something that can be stamped on your packaging, or put as your profile picture on social media. It’s taking the primary & secondary logos and scaling them down even smaller!Most common uses: Stickers, Stamps, Wax Seals, Social Media Profile Photos, etc.

Brand Symbols & Marks

Another thing you may come across in your brand files is your brand mark or symbols. These are commonly created as an additional feature to your brand and can be effective pieces in creating a cohesive brand!
Often times you can find these as hand made sketches, symbols, or even monograms!
Most common ways to use: Stamps, Monograms, Sketches, Tissue Paper, Packaging, Stickers, etc.

 

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