A review of the process of creating a custom logo with the free logo design features of LogoMaker.com.
Logo Design
Every business needs a logo design to set it apart, something recognizable and distinctive. For the entrepreneur, what could be more appealing than a free logo? An online enterprise, LogoMaker, offers free logo design with a user friendly and easy to use online logo maker.
Being decidedly non-artistic, frugal, and adventurous, this writer recently jumped in and designed the logo shown in the accompanying graphic. This review of an actual design experience is for the benefit of others considering a do-it-yourself custom logo design, and looking for a low cost logo solution.
Sample Custom Logo Design
You can test-drive LogoMaker's site without registering, but eventually you'll want to register to save your work. Registration requires only a user name, email address, and password.
Getting Started on Your Free Logo Design
LogoMaker offers many logo examples and thousands of icons to get you started. Start by picking an industry/business sector for an appropriate icon to your business. Icons are grouped in three categories: symbol based, letter based, and abstract. You can browse the icons or search using a keyword.
Getting Creative With Logo Design
After selecting a logo symbol, you can re-size it, rotate it, or change colors. When that's complete, you can add up to two lines of text. There are multiple fonts available and they're easily previewed so you can experiment for just the right look. Text can be re-sized, rotated, and colored. Your logo is limited to one icon and two lines of text.
Additional Features
When you have a design you want to keep for later re-work or to consider purchasing, you can save the design on LogoMaker's site, but you must register. To encourage you to save your logo, they offer the incentive of a free e-book and design analysis by a professional designer. However, neither were automatically offered in this writer's experience. A response from support indicated both incentives must be requested.
Design as many logos as you like at no cost, but you can only save six at a time. A nice potential feature allows you to use a small version of any of your saved logos on a web site without purchasing them. However, the free logo failed to load for this writer's application. A response from support indicated server problems, which now appear resolved.
A handy feature allows you to ask your friends and associates for evaluations of your logos by sending them an email invitation through Logomaker's site. You'll want to notify them in advance because they'll be receiving an email with an embedded link. Clicking the link takes them to the host site where they vote on their top three choices. You receive an email when someone has voted and you can see the results by logging in to the site.
When You Create the Perfect Logo
To purchase and fully own your favorite logo design(s), pony up $49 each by credit card. Shortly after purchase you'll be able to download your logo in several sizes and formats. The sizes are: small, medium, and large, in formats of gif, tif, jpg, and eps, EPS is artwork-quality for commercial printing.
In addition to your logo graphic file, you can purchase business cards, stationery, apparel, and various promotional items with your logo from the on-line store.
Logomaker offers a 30 day, 100% satisfaction guarantee, which translates to applying your purchase price to the cost of a professional logo design. That's the stated guarantee. Unstated is the policy of permitting minor modifications, such as spelling corrections, color and font changes at no additional charge. Email support or call to obtain this service.
All in all, designing your own logo is relatively easy and inexpensive at LogoMaker. With a few hours of effort, you can create several design alternatives, get opinions and advice from others, firm up your design, download it, and start using it to differentiate your firm.
Related Article
