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As a digital artist and brand designer with over a decade of experience, I‘ve seen the logo design process evolve dramatically. What used to require expensive desktop software can now be achieved with just an iPad, Apple Pencil, and the powerful Procreate app. Procreate‘s intuitive interface, robust brush engine, and precision tools make it an indispensable tool in the logo designer‘s arsenal.
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll walk you through my professional workflow for crafting high-quality, memorable logos in Procreate. From branding strategy to sketching to utilizing advanced features to exporting final files, you‘ll learn the skills and best practices to elevate your logo designs. Let‘s dive in!
Why Good Logo Design Matters
Before getting into the how-to, let‘s consider why great logo design is so essential for businesses. A well-designed logo is the cornerstone of a company‘s brand identity. It visually communicates the brand‘s values, personality, and offerings at a glance.
Consider these findings on the impact of logo design:
- According to a study by the branding firm Siegel+Gale, 60% of consumers avoid brands with unappealing logos, even if they have positive reviews.
- Research by 99designs found that 50% of consumers are more likely to patronize a business with a well-designed logo.
- Adobe‘s State of Create report reveals that companies with a strong design outperform companies with weak design by 219% on the S&P Index over a 10-year period.
In short, investing in high-quality logo design provides a competitive edge and sets the tone for your overall brand experience. Now let‘s look at how to achieve that with Procreate.
Setting the Stage for Success
A great logo starts with a solid understanding of the brand it‘s representing. Before opening Procreate, immerse yourself in the brand‘s world.
If designing a logo for a client, host a discovery session to learn about their:
- Mission, values, and personality
- Products/services offered
- Target audience and market positioning
- Visual preferences and inspiration
- Intended logo usage and reproduction needs
Distill your findings into a concise creative brief that will guide the project and keep you aligned with the client‘s goals.
If designing for your own business, go through the same exercise of articulating your brand fundamentals. Defining who you are is essential to designing a logo that authentically reflects your brand.
Procreate Logo Sketches and Concepts
With a clear direction in mind, it‘s time to explore logo concepts. Procreate is an excellent tool for quickly iterating on logo ideas.
Start by creating a new canvas. For sketching, I like an iPad screen-sized canvas (2048×2048) so I can create multiple concepts on one canvas.
Using a simple brush like the 6B Pencil, sketch several distinct logo concepts. Focus on the basic forms and don‘t worry about precision or details yet. Consider including:
- Symbolic icons or marks
- Pictorial logos (illustrative)
- Letter marks (typography-based)
- Abstract shapes and symbols
- Combination marks (text + icon)
Aim for at least 10-15 rough concepts to start.
Evaluate your sketches and develop the 3 strongest concepts. Refine the rough forms into cleaner vector lines using the Monoline brush or the Shape Tool. Feel free to use references for tracing basic shapes and forms.
Once you have your refined concepts, it‘s time to present them to the client. I recommend showing the logo sketches in context, such as superimposed on a business card or website mockup. This helps the client visualize the end result.
Collect the client‘s feedback and decide on a direction to pursue. Don‘t be discouraged if you need to go back to the drawing board – nailing the concept is a critical step that‘s worth investing time in!
Designing the Logo in Procreate
With an approved concept, you‘re ready to flesh out the logo design. Here‘s my step-by-step process:
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Create a new canvas. For the working logo file, I recommend a large square artboard (at least 4000×4000 pixels) to ensure crisp rendering.
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Keep your canvas organized by using Layers. Create a Layer for each major element of the logo. This will make it easier to edit individual components later.
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Set up your color palette. Tap the color thumbnail in the top-right corner to open the Color Panel. Swatches are a great way to save your brand colors for quick access. To save a color, drag it from the Color Panel to the Palette icon.
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Use the Drawing Guides (under the wrench icon) to create a grid for aligning your elements. I recommend a 24×24 grid.
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Use vector-based tools as much as possible for a crisp result. The Shape Tool combined with the Symmetry Tool can be used to create perfect geometric forms.
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Fine-tune text with the Typography panel. Experiment with different fonts, weights, and letter spacing for the right look. Be sure to use OpenType fonts for the best rendering.
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Get creative with layer Masks, Clipping Masks, and Alpha Lock for distressing effects, textures, and unique treatments.
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Experiment with Blending Modes to create dimension and interest. Multiply and Overlay are great for shadows and shading, while Screen can add convincing highlights.
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Create a Layer underneath your logo artwork and fill it with various colors to test the logo‘s versatility. You want it to look great on light and dark backgrounds.
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Zoom out frequently to check the logo‘s legibility and impact at small sizes. You can also pinch the screen with two fingers to zoom out beyond the canvas for a preview.
Remember, the beauty of Procreate is that every action is editable via the Layers panel, so don‘t hesitate to experiment! Iteration is key to arriving at an excellent result.
Finalizing the Logo
Once you‘ve refined your logo design, it‘s time to prepare it for delivery. Here are some tips for finalizing your logo in Procreate:
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Zoom in to at least 200% to check for any stray marks or imperfections. Tidy up with the Eraser Tool as needed.
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Group related Layers for a tidy file organization. For example, group all your text layers together.
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Duplicate your logo artwork and create a version with crisp, outlined edges using the Quantization effect (Adjustments menu). This will ensure the edges are pixel perfect.
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Create any necessary color variations (black, white, grayscale) as separate Layer Groups.
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Use the Canvas Crop and Resize feature to fit your logo perfectly to the artboard, leaving some padding.
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If needed, add a discreet watermark with the © symbol and your name or studio name on a low opacity layer. This helps prevent unauthorized usage.
When you‘re satisfied with your finalized logo, it‘s time to export.
Exporting Logos from Procreate
To prepare your logo files for delivery, export them in several formats:
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PNG: Go to Share > PNG for a high-res logo with transparency. This is great for web usage.
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PDF (Vector): Go to Share > PDF for a vector file that can be resized infinitely for print. Be sure your logo is ungrouped and flattened.
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JPG: Go to Share > JPG for a version of the logo on a white background. Useful for certain web applications.
I recommend exporting black, white, and color versions of each file type to cover all usage scenarios. Clearly name your files and provide a guide with specs on color values, fonts, and sizing for consistency.
Adapt for Various Use Cases
A great logo is designed with versatility in mind. Consider creating logo variations such as:
- Horizontal and vertical lockups
- Icon/brandmark only (no text)
- Simplified versions for small applications like favicons
- Social media banners and profile pics
- Versions optimized for dark mode (inverted colors)
By anticipating the different ways the logo will be used, you‘ll have a flexible system that empowers the brand to show up consistently across mediums.
The Future of Logo Design in Procreate
As Procreate continues to evolve, so too will logo design workflows. Procreate‘s latest updates have brought even more powerful features for vector editing, typography control, and asset management.
I predict we‘ll see more logo designers embracing Procreate as their go-to tool, as it offers an intuitive, mobile-first solution that doesn‘t sacrifice quality. We may see more Procreate add-ons specifically for logo and brand design, such as AI-powered suggestions and template packs.
Procreate‘s ease of use also opens up logo design to a wider pool of creators, enabling more diverse voices and visions to enter the field. It‘s an exciting time for logo design, and Procreate is leading the charge in making professional tools accessible to all.
Go Forth and Design!
We‘ve covered a lot of ground in this ultimate guide to logo design in Procreate. To recap, a successful logo is built upon:
- A strong understanding of the brand
- Strategic concepting and iteration
- Intentional design decisions
- Versatile exporting and adaptation
With practice and experimentation, you‘ll develop an efficient workflow that results in outstanding, memorable logos – all from the power of Procreate.
So fire up your iPad, break out your Apple Pencil, and get ready to create some logo magic!