Logo design: free tools, AI and what a studio adds
When free logo makers and AI are enough, and when they aren't. How to test a logo, what the process looks like, which files you should get and what drives the price.
A logo is the identity's signature
Most people who search for "logo design" start in the same place: a free tool, an AI generator or a template site. That isn't a bad start. But to know what you're getting, it helps to separate what a logo is from what it isn't.
A logo is the brand's signature, not the whole identity. On its own it doesn't carry a poster, a website or a social account. What carries them is colour, type, imagery and the rules for using them. This post is about the logo; for the document where those rules live, see our post on brand guidelines.
When are free tools and AI enough?
The honest answer: sometimes they are.
- If you want to see an idea quickly,
- if you need a mark for a one-off event or a short project,
- if the brand doesn't yet know what it will be,
ready-made tools and AI can do the job. We use AI too, for ideas and for trying variations, and we say so where we do, as in our character language study.
Where they fall short usually shows up later:
- Originality. Thousands of people using the same tool get results that look alike. If you plan to register the logo as a trademark, similarity can be a real problem; talk to a trademark attorney about that.
- System. A tool gives you an image, not rules. How the logo behaves on a dark background, in one colour or at a small size stays undefined.
- Files. A single PNG or JPG won't hold up on a sign, in print and on screen alike.
How to test a logo
Before asking whether you like it, ask these:
- Does it read small? Is it still recognisable as a 16-pixel browser tab icon, or as a social profile picture?
- Does it work in one colour? On a black-and-white photocopy, a rubber stamp, a single-colour print?
- Does it hold on different backgrounds? Light, dark and photographic.
- Does it have variations? Horizontal, stacked, emblem only. Every medium gives it a different space.
- Does it say something? Is it decoration, or does it carry an idea about the brand?
What we did with our own logo
When we started the Creaphic identity, the emblem and wordmark already existed and we left them untouched. What was missing wasn't the logo but an idea that gave it a way to behave. The sun emblem has seven points, one for each discipline. In the identity system the sun became a window that reveals rather than decorates.
We tied the variations to rules as well. In print the rule is short: the emblem may bleed, the signature may not. A large decorative emblem can run off the edge of the frame, while the small signature in the same composition always stays clean and readable. One side of the business card belongs to the brand, the other to the person.
Sometimes good logo design is deciding not to draw a new logo.
How a logo project with a studio works
Every project differs, but the steps are usually these:
- Brief. Who is the brand, who is it talking to, where will it appear? What do competitors look like?
- Research and question. What is this brand not saying yet?
- Sketches and directions. A few directions, each with a reason.
- Choice and development. The chosen direction is tested small, in one colour and on different backgrounds.
- System and delivery. Variations, colour codes, usage rules and files.
Which files should you get?
- Vector masters: SVG and PDF (or AI). Every size you'll ever need comes from these.
- PNGs for the web: transparent background, a few sizes.
- Colour codes: HEX and RGB for screens, CMYK for print.
- Variations: horizontal, stacked, emblem only; versions for light and dark backgrounds.
- A short usage note: clear space, minimum size, what not to do.
What drives the price of a logo?
We don't publish a fixed price list, because the price follows the scope: a logo alone, or an identity system with colour, type and applications? How many variations, how many applications, how many rounds of presentation? Tell us in a few sentences what you need, and we'll pin down the scope together and send a quote.
Logo design from Iğdır
Creaphic is a studio based in Iğdır, Türkiye. We work on logos and identities with businesses in Iğdır and, remotely, with brands in other cities and countries. Whether you have a logo and are wondering how to carry it, or you're starting from scratch, write to info@creaphic.com.
What we do is set out on the logo and brand identity design page.
Questions
- Are free logo makers good enough?
- For trying out an idea, a one-off event or a personal project, often yes. A brand that will be used for years, may be registered as a trademark or appears across many channels needs originality and a system for using it, which ready-made tools rarely give.
- Can you design a logo with AI?
- AI is fast at generating ideas and trying variations. A designer still has to check that the result is original, reads at small sizes and works in one colour. We use AI with intent and say so where we do.
- Which files should a logo be delivered in?
- A vector master (SVG and PDF or AI), PNGs for the web, colour codes (HEX, RGB, CMYK for print) and variations such as horizontal, stacked and emblem-only. A single JPG is not enough.
- What drives the price of a logo?
- Scope: a logo alone or an identity system, how many variations and applications are needed, and how many rounds of research and presentation. We don't publish a price list; tell us what you need and we'll quote for that scope.
