Logo design terminology can sometimes be perplexing for non-designers. As a client, you might not know the specific industry lingo. If you are looking to engage with an agency to have a logo developed, it might be beneficial to understand some of the basic terms. Here is a list of common terminology that designers often use in logo design:
Brandmark
A brandmark is a graphic mark or symbol that represents a brand without the associated name. For example:
Wordmark
Additionally, wordmark logos are unique text-only typographic treatments of the brand’s name. The exact typeface, color, letterspacing, and arrangements are carefully chosen so that the name becomes the instant identification of the brand without any additional symbols or graphics. For example:
Lettermark or monogram
Lettermark logos resemble wordmark logos; however, they differ in that lettermarks consist of the initials of the brand name or business. In contrast, wordmark logos prominently feature the full name of the brand. Moreover, a lettermark proves to be particularly useful for long names, especially when a brand has already established widespread recognition through its acronym. Therefore, the choice between a lettermark and a wordmark boils down to branding strategy and the existing recognition of the name. For example:
Combination mark or lockup
While wordmarks, brandmarks, and lettermarks can function independently, you can also combine them, creating what is known as a lockup. Businesses often use a lockup, also called a combination logo, as their primary identifying mark. This ‘lockup’ is an exact arrangement of the individual pieces that creates a new whole. For example:
File type or file format
A file type or format, refers to the standards used to encrypt and compress an image file digitally.
Bitmap or raster
A raster graphic or bitmap image is made up of a dot matrix data structure, in varying file formats such as JPEG, PNG or GIF. Raster/bitmap images loose quality if scaled up.
Vector
Vector graphics are computer graphic images and are made up of points, lines, and curves and can scale in size without losing any quality, unlike raster images that can get blurry when scaled. Common vector graphics formats are SVG, EPS, AI or PDF.
Pixel
A pixel is a minute area of illumination on a display screen (the word comes from “picture element”). A pixel is the smallest unit of programmable colour on a computer, and images are made up of many individual pixels.
Resolution
Resolution is the degree of detail visible in an image. It refers to the number of pixels in each dimension that can be displayed.
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