So, you just got your logo files and you maybe looking at your Brand Board and all these Logo Variations and feel very confused! Maybe even thinking “WHY DO I NEED ALL OF THESE!?”

I am here to help guide you through them all!

Before we break them down, let’s talk about them as a whole. Logo Variations help keep your business memorable in every setting, from print to digital! Here’s an example: Sometimes you do not have a big space to use your full logo, so you use a logo variation that’s appropriate.

There are NO rules as to where you should use your different variations. However, I can help recommend some ideas and share where they often look best.

Primary Logo:
Your primary logo is the most detailed and often the most used logo. It’s used for websites, business cards, brochures, flyers, you name it.

Now, there are often times your primary logo just does not fit with the space you are working in. You never want to sacrifice legibility, or good design just to squeeze in your main logo. So, that’s where your other logo variations come in!

Stacked:
If your primary logo is more horizontal, then you will certainly want to make sure that you have a Stacked Logo Variation. This is often used when you are working with a more square or circular area. It’s used for social media icons, print materials, or wherever you are tighter on space. These look great in the corner of text heavy material such as flyers as well.

Horizontal Logo:
On the flip side, you may have a more stacked, or vertical Primary Logo design, so, you want to make sure you are receiving a Horizontal Logo Design. This logo is often known as your secondary or alternate logo. This will come in handy on letterhead / envelopes, social media banners, or anywhere you have a more horizontal space to work in.

Text Only:
If you have a graphic in your logo, I highly recommend you have a text only version. This is especially useful if your logo graphic does not convert well to black and white. It won’t be used as often as the rest of your variations, but they come in handy from time to time.

Submarks:
I think submarks are so fun and I usually like them the best. This simplifies your brand to the bare minimum for extremely small spaces where your logo text would become blurry. For example, social media icons, app icons, etc. I also love to use these on social media graphics, or additional pages of documents, proposals, presentations, the back of your business cards, etc. It just adds a nice touch when you already used your main logo on the front or first page.

Favicon:
A Favicon is that icon next to your website URL. They are displayed when someone bookmarks your site too! Favicons are often similar or the same as Submarks. However, I tend to create a separate one for my clients so that their Submark is with a transparent background, but their Favicon has a color background. I like to do this because it stands out much more on your website. You can also use Favicons for e-signatures, social icons, etc! They do not need to be exclusively for digital and can be used on print materials as well.

I hope this post was helpful and you are excited to use your brand new logos! Don’t forget to have fun and try to think outside the box!

If you are in need of any guidance or want W+H to take over your design process, feel free to reach out via email: sarah@wrenharry.com!