Suggestions for learning to create good logos

[boogeyboard1]

I'm on a mac so I can't use the logo creator that gets posted on the forums. Any suggestions for things I can do to learn to create good logos for my fictional teams? Thanks

[Mr. Marlin]

Purely my own opinion here. The logos I like the best are usually the simplest. Less is more. MLB cap logos that are mainly single letters or two transected or tandem letters. are the most effective. Fonts are free, there are millions of them, and intersecting them, making them 3D is easy even with the most basic graphics program.

Incorporating a smaller logo in the letters is pretty effective. The logo should be simple since it will be small and will look best if it is contained withing the boundaries of the letters. Take the Seattle Mariners cap logo as a good example. The compass is incorporated over the S but does not obstruct the S. The Miami Marlins is an example of bad logo. The little marlin device above and to the left of the M ruins the symmetry and since the logos in the game are 150x150 pixels it skews the size and alignment. It would probably look better without it. The Chicago Whales of the federal league and Anaheim Angels are other examples of small touches to letter logos that looked great.

Another effective tool is to use fills on the letters. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals alt "DC" logo are great examples.

Like I said, my own opinion only, but keep it simple. The New York Yankees have one of the simplest logos and uniforms in the MLB and they are always high on the list of the best.

[micropterus58]

I'm one of the few who use Paint Shop Pro but I can open most Photoshop files. I copy what other logos makers do and reproduce it in PSP. I'm good at borrowing other's creativity but I can barely draw stick figures myself. The most important thing is that the logos look good to you. Experiment with a dummy league. See if the logos look good as Mr. Marlin suggests. Make google searches for images you can use or adapt or give you inspiration.

[NoOne]

google... rip, resize, use

keywords from mascot/nickname etc.. even if a degree of seperation etc. i'm not a graphics designer. i can't make a cool 'griffon' behind and "M" or something... or realistic lightning or anything at all for that matter.

i can cut /paste / superimpose / make transparent and otherwise manipulate with a good imaging suite.

[Mr. Marlin]

I just wanted to give a tip of the cap to boogeyboard for being willing to make his own logos. Especially without the benefit of the tools. You see this a lot on the Mods thread. "Hey would someone please make logos, caps and home, away, and alt uniforms for my 48 team league with 10 levels of minors and 200 feeder teams?"

Asking for one or two is cool. Asking for hours upon hours of work from total strangers is a bit much. But it happens frequently.

[JaBurns]

Well said above.

[BBGiovanni]

Originally Posted by micropterus58

I'm one of the few who use Paint Shop Pro but I can open most Photoshop files. I copy what other logos makers do and reproduce it in PSP. I'm good at borrowing other's creativity but I can barely draw stick figures myself. The most important thing is that the logos look good to you. Experiment with a dummy league. See if the logos look good as Mr. Marlin suggests. Make google searches for images you can use or adapt or give you inspiration.

This pretty much describes me, including using PSP. I am fine with plain old square logos, I like how they look in the game. For real logos I usually use sportslogos.net, and I just resize cap logos. As you get used to that you can start changing colors, then swapping letters, etc. You'll get lots of team ideas from old and alternate logos too.

Also, you don't have to make uniforms and caps. In the manual there are instructions for using the file name of your logo to set colors for the uni and cap and the game will generate them. I do this for minor teams and in bigger leagues too. In most views of players you can't really see the jersey anyway.

[Le Grande Orange]

Any image-editing app such as Photoshop or similar is fine. Personally, though, I would recommend a vector drawing program such as CorelDRAW, Illustrator, or equivalent. For something like logos I think a vector approach is better, particularly since vector work is resolution independent.

In terms of ideas or designs for logos, the real stuff is, of course, a great source of ideas and inspiration.

[boogeyboard1]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

[HonusWagner]

Originally Posted by Mr. Marlin

The New York Yankees have one of the simplest logos and uniforms in the MLB and they are always high on the list of the best.

Plenty of organizations over the decades utilized pinstripes and stylized letters (likely virtually all teams at some point). The Yankees brand success comes from

1. Having the winning-est team
2. Having the winning-est team in the country's and the world's most famous city
3. Doing both the longest than any other team or league or sport in said country and city.

Baseball also lends itself as a popular brand choice in non-English-speaking cultures because of its use of stylized letters on the caps, something no other sports leagues used (at least in North America). The English lettering lend an exotic appeal to such cultures, similar to the fad of Caucasians tattooing themselves with Chinese ideograms.

[Mr. Marlin]

Originally Posted by HonusWagner

Plenty of organizations over the decades utilized pinstripes and stylized letters (likely virtually all teams at some point). The Yankees brand success comes from

1. Having the winning-est team
2. Having the winning-est team in the country's and the world's most famous city
3. Doing both the longest than any other team or league or sport in said country and city.

Baseball also lends itself as a popular brand choice in non-English-speaking cultures because of its use of stylized letters on the caps, something no other sports leagues used (at least in North America). The English lettering lend an exotic appeal to such cultures, similar to the fad of Caucasians tattooing themselves with Chinese ideograms.

My opinion there is trying to separate the aesthetics of the branding from the team and it's history. Maybe that can't be done? I don't think so. Besides if the Marlins were the the Yankees in terms of longevity & success that logo, branding & color scheme is still ugly AF. Just my $.02

[HonusWagner]

Originally Posted by Mr. Marlin

My opinion there is trying to separate the aesthetics of the branding from the team and it's history. Maybe that can't be done? I don't think so. Besides if the Marlins were the the Yankees in terms of longevity & success that logo, branding & color scheme is still ugly AF. Just my $.02

Winning forgives a lot. I think it also helped the Yankees style is conservative, but it is also from a different time when the society was much more conservative, at least in terms of social conventions. Actually, while the Marlins logo bucks traditional baseball colors (another being the old Astros), I can see it being more popular with kids, which is who these industries make a priority targeting (just look at the logos in the Nippon League).

[HonusWagner]

And, while I'm hijacking, I've always thought that Detroit teams had the best logos. Can't beat the Red Wings across any league and the Tiger's D has always been the classiest letter logo in MLB.

[Mr. Marlin]

Originally Posted by HonusWagner

And, while I'm hijacking, I've always thought that Detroit teams had the best logos. Can't beat the Red Wings across any league and the Tiger's D has always been the classiest letter logo in MLB.

The NHL has been the home of bad logos! Remember that Islanders logo from the '90's? Ugh. Definitely agree on the Tigers and Red Wings. In the NHL I've always thought the Bruins, Oilers, Maple leafs, & Red wings has the best branding.