Many think of logo animations to add personality to a company or give a product a unique look. But the truth is, animating your logo can do much more than just make it look cool—it can also help improve conversions and brand recognition.
What is Logo?
Logos are the most crucial part of any brand image, and the design is the first impression in the eyes of your clients. The logo animation can add some magic to your logos for advertising purposes. In addition, it can help you to make your brand identity more attractive.
What is Animated Logo?
An Animated Logo is a type of logo animation that uses motion graphics to create a unique and memorable impression. This type of animation is most common to impact your target audience and help brand recognition.
In addition, these are perfect for online businesses, as they give your brand a friendly, fun feel. But animated logos take a lot of work to come by. That’s why most web design companies charge more for animated logos than regular ones.
Purpose of Logo Animation
Logo animations are to convey a message in a short amount of time or show the motion involved in a process. Also, incorporating a logo animation in your marketing strategy will grab your audience's attention.
Despite the fact that it can be as simple or complex. If you need help figuring out where to start, I'll talk about different Types of Logos, from basic flat logos to more complex 3D animations, and even what can be explained with storytelling.
Types of Logo Designs
There are many different kinds of logo designs. Such as some companies that don’t sell any physical products.
For example, the ZenDesk company sells no products but provides services. Similarly, logos are for companies that sell tangible products. Here are the six standard Logo making practices:
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Rotating Designs
There is always something about rotating designs that makes people feel like they’re in secret. They feel part of a secret club when they see logos that move. So the next time you need to choose a logo for your company, think about a spinning design.
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Morphing Designs
Morphing logo designs are a great way to keep your brand looking fresh and modern. The goal is to get the viewer to associate your brand with something fun, creative, and innovative. Therefore, use colors and shapes that are unlike anyone else's.
However, one of the easiest and most effective is to use simple shapes that are put together.
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Reveal Designs
You’re always on stage. Whether you’re pitching a client, pitching an investor, selling a business, or just trying to tell your friends how cool your new startup is, you’re always on stage. So if you don’t like looking at yourself in the mirror, you’ll hate looking at yourself in a photo.
Similar is the case, a Logo Reveal Design is the perfect way to show off your brand or logo in a subtle, tasteful manner.
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Hand-Drawn Design
The hand-drawn animated logo design is an exciting way to make a logo. Its process is simple: you draw the logo on paper, scan it, and use an animation program to turn it into an animated graphic.
In addition to hand-draw logos, you can also create them on a Graphics tablet or panel by connecting with your laptop.
Once you’ve created your graphic, you can use it in your marketing materials. A small business with a limited budget can benefit from this logo design style.
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3D Animation Logo
An animated logo is a powerful tool in your arsenal regarding your brand identity and marketing message. With the ability to animate a logo into a moving piece of artwork, you can easily convey your message to potential customers. Creating an animated logo is straightforward, primarily if you use professional software.
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Emblems
An emblem is a symbol or image that represents a particular group, organization, or individual. In many ways, emblems represent a business as the opposite of logos. Emblems, on the other hand, are meant to represent a specific group or organization.
For example, the Nike Swoosh stands for the Nike brand, not the company. At the same time, “Swoosh” refers to something like movement, power, or motivation.
Best Logo Design Tips & Techniques
Logo design is complex for a newbie, as it needs some knowledge and experience to make the best logo. However, it is possible to create a good-looking logo. You just need to know about logo design and follow some basic guidelines.
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Know Your Target Audience
Before starting any design work, it is essential to know what your audience is. Of course, you can read many blogs or articles on designing a logo, but still, it is better if you know to whom you will sell your logo. If you don’t have any idea, then you can refer to your previous work to get an idea of your target audience.
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Define Your Brand Name
Once you know your audience, it is time to define your brand name. If you want to create a logo that will identify your brand, then it is essential to name it. It should represent what you are all about and what you do.
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Use an Image to Design a Logo
It is also necessary to design a logo by using a visual image. If you have a great idea in your mind, it is effortless to create a visual concept and make it into a logo.
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Keep it Minimalist
As a newbie, try to keep the logo simple, so it will be easy to create and understand. If you want to create a logo that is easy to remember, then try to keep it simple.
Formats for Logo
Well, above, I talk about the logo types and some tips. But now, I’m going to describe why selecting the appropriate format for your upcoming logo is vital. Here are the best formats recommended by Graphic professionals:
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EPS
The Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file format is a way of saving a graphic to a computer file. EPS files are typically used for printing purposes and are widespread in print media. Therefore, the EPS format helps high-quality print graphics.
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PDF
If you don’t already have a PDF logo, you’ll need to create one. There are two ways to create a PDF logo: The first is to create a vector graphic file in Illustrator.
Since the process takes time and patience, it’s relatively easy to learn, and the result is worth the effort. Afterward, select the PDF format while exporting the file and save it locally.
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SVG
There’s a reason why this is the most popular file format for graphic designers. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files can scale up to any size and work on all modern browsers without losing quality.
Plus, they’re easy to edit and maintain. The downside is that finding a designer who knows how to use them can be a bit harder. They’re a bit more complex than other graphics formats and require a little more technical expertise.
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PNG
The png file format is a raster graphics file format. The term “raster” means that a png image consists of individual dots, pixels, or squares that form a picture. This type of image is in desktop publishing, printing, and web design.
In addition, PNG images are transparent. So, you can add them to multiple files without irritating extra space.
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JPG
While the jpg format has been around since the early days of the internet, there’s no doubt that it’s fallen out of favor in recent years. With the rise of high-resolution displays, the jpg format became less desirable due to the compression it uses, which causes visible artifacts.
Today, most websites use the png format because it doesn’t compress as much data as the jpg format and, in some cases, is even better than jpg in terms of image quality. Therefore, I don’t recommend you export the logo in JPG.
Best Soft-wares For Logo Animation
Are you planning to develop a creative and interactive logo animation but don’t have a good idea? Don’t worry; you will be able to develop an animated logo in no time with some fantastic software.
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Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is a graphics tool used to create vector art. It allows you to manipulate shapes, rotate, zoom, and move objects around. In addition, you can resize images to fit within a specific space or adjust the size and position of individual objects. Lastly, you can add text, patterns, and colors to an image.
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Adobe Photoshop
In case you are planning on designing a logo, then consider Photoshop. The number of tools in it is countless. Also, it is the perfect fit to blush the completed logos with some color combinations.
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Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects is the best and most preferred tool for making an animated logo. You can create any animation; you just need to add a few things to your project, and it will do the rest for you.
Likewise, Adobe After Effects has many effects and features, but its 3D option makes it fantastic from the rest of the tools.
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Pixlr
In this software, you can do essential functions like adding text and changing colors, shapes, and backgrounds. It is another excellent online software used to create an animated logo. If you need to become more familiar with this software, then it will be better for you to learn it before developing it.
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Canva
Canva is a web-based application available for desktop and mobile users. Tutors recommend it because of its user-friendly layout. Both free and paid versions are available. But first, you should try the free one, and if you find it useful, you can upgrade to the paid version.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Logo animation can be a great way to stand out and convey your message. There are many different types of logo animation, including motion graphics, animation, and 3D logos. Each one has its purpose and benefits.
For example, elegant logos convey the message of a brand more effectively than words alone (taglines). At the same time, 3D logos can be used to create a sense of depth and realism. The key is finding a style that works for your business and brand.
FAQ
What is the difference between a 2D animation and a 3D animation?
A 2D animation is like a logo animation, where you see the entire logo. A 3D animation is a movie clip showing the logo from all angles.
How long does it take to make a logo animation?
Logo animations can take anywhere from one day to several weeks to create. The longer the animation, the more expensive it will be
What software do I need to make a logo animation?
You must have Adobe Illustrator & After Effects to make a logo animation.
How do I animate my logo?
There are many ways to animate your logo. For example, you can use an illustration program, such as Adobe Illustrator, to create the logo and then animate it in Photoshop.
Can I use my photos for my animation?
Yes, you can use your photos or images. You can also purchase stock images if you want to use something other than your photos.
How do I design a logo?
To design a logo, you must consider the company's mission and values. Then, you can create a logo that represents those values.