Wordmark logos: famous examples and how to design one

A wordmark is a logo made only of type: the brand's name, set in a distinctive way, with no separate icon. Google, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Sony and Visa all use one. A wordmark works best for short, pronounceable names, because every time people see the logo they learn the name. To design one, start with a typeface that matches the brand's character, then customise it: adjust a letter, tighten the spacing, join two characters, until it belongs to you and no font can reproduce it.

Wordmark vs lettermark, logo symbol and combination mark

Wordmark is sometimes used interchangeably with logotype. Both mean a logo built from the name in type. The other common logo types differ in what they show.

Famous wordmark examples and what makes them work

Notice that the Supreme route depends on the box and the colour as much as the font. A wordmark set in a popular typeface with no other customisation is easy to imitate. Famous brand fonts shows how many big brands commission their own.

When a wordmark is the right logo

• The name is short: roughly four to ten letters fit comfortably at small sizes.
• The name is new: a wordmark teaches it, while a symbol on its own would ask people to remember something they have not learned yet.
• The name is distinctive: an invented or unusual word does more of the logo's work for you.
• You need to move fast: a good wordmark is quicker to design and easier to apply than a symbol system.

If the name is long or descriptive, a wordmark still works as the main logo, but plan a lettermark or monogram for favicons and profile pictures from day one. Logo variations covers the full set.

How to design a wordmark

1. 1

   Describe the character in three words

   For example "warm, precise, local". Every typeface choice is tested against these, not against personal taste.

2. 2

   Set the name in 20 typefaces

   Serif, sans, geometric, humanist, script, slab, in capitals and lower case. The name's own letters will favour some styles; a word full of round letters looks very different in a condensed face.

3. 3

   Shortlist three and check the licence

   Make sure the font's licence allows logo use and modification. Font licensing explains what to look for.

4. 4

   Customise one or two things

   Redraw a distinctive letter, add a ligature between two characters, trim a terminal, or use the space between letters. One clear idea beats five small ones.

5. 5

   Space it by hand

   Default font spacing is made for text. A wordmark needs optical spacing pair by pair. Kerning shows how.

6. 6

   Convert to outlines and test

   Turn the type into vector shapes so it never depends on an installed font, then test it small, large, on dark, on light and in one colour.

Test your wordmark at real sizes

A wordmark that looks great at the width of your screen can fall apart at the width of a favicon. Test it in the places it will actually live, and check that it still reads in one flat colour. Logo sizes has the full list.

Your wordmark on a background

Wordmarks are simple, so the surroundings carry much of the brand's feeling. A plain name on a distinctive background is a strong, simple identity: the type is yours, and so is the look around it.

That is the idea behind a Mark in Gradiently: a living background that has exactly one owner once you claim it, so the look around your wordmark is yours alone. Owning a Mark is a Gradiently registry record, not a trademark; protecting the name itself is a separate step. Logo on a gradient background covers contrast and placement, and lettering vs typography helps if you are deciding whether to draw the name or set it.