Gradients on a logo?

[Fred_the_frog]

I have read threads that say you shouldn't use gradients on logos, but then look at Apple, UPS, Google, Valkswagen, Virgin Media, and some more.

So, does it really matter if you use a gradient in your logo?

 

[crphillips]

Hmm....clearly a load of rubbish then

What's the reason for recommending against gradients?

 

[The Web Guy]

Subtle gradients are IN at the moment.
Don't believe everything you read!

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Hmm....clearly a load of rubbish then

What's the reason for recommending against gradients?

From what I read, it is something about them being hard to photocopy in black and white or something. I'm sure a graphics designer will be along soon to tell us why they shouldn't be used

 

[fisicx]

It's not that gradient on a logo are bad, it's how people use gradients.

The examples you give are not gradients as such, they are lighting highlights. They are only used in specific media. They usually aren't used on documents or posters and other media. VW for example doesn't use a gradient on their car badges and apple doesn't have a gradient on their products.

Try faxing a gradient logo or having one sown onto a t-shirt or printing on a B&W photocopier or creating a favicon

So create a gradient if your wish but make sure you have a plain version as well.

PS: gradients have been and gone more often than platform shoes and flairs.

 

[sla3]

They can produce horrible results when compressed into jpegs etc. Instead of a smooth transition from beginning to end you get obvious bands. They probably add to the size of the resulting jpg too.

The thing is, 'wisdom' gets outdated very quickly these days. Back in the day when a 1200/75 dial-up modem was the latest thing (a step up from the 300baud acoustic coupler) all sorts of things were recommended/necessary to make things work at all. These 'rules' are remembered but not the reasons for them: when the reasons disappear so can the rules.

You can't always believe what you read on t'interweb. But - on the other hand, some rules last forever especially when they were written down 2000 years ago by some beardy-weirdies: : "Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together." (Deuteronomy 22:11): if you wear polyester-cotton you're in for a shock on the day of judgement.

 

[dedwardp]

I would suggest that the logo is always plain - if you then choose to apply effects depending on the media that it is being used for then that's an altogether different thing.

Designing the logo to include those effects though isn't ideal in the first instance. So you can have a gradient, but not on everything, so it's easier to start plain.

 

[Calibre Designs]

It's not that gradient on a logo are bad, it's how people use gradients.

^ Spot on +1

Also, the branding on those companies are so recognisable, their brand guidelines would allow them to use certain styles and variations in certain areas without wrecking it all.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Yeah, I don't mean the gradients that are from WordArt, with bright rainbow colours (I don't understand how businesses can want to use WordArt for logos?! :O)

I mean having gradients like the ones in the first post, or having a gradient of a light colour to a darker version of the same colour.

 

[HFE Signs]

Its fine to use logos either way, the only reason not to use gradients is for signmaking reasons.. if you have a gradient you can't do it in cut vinyl, it would need to be printed vinyl, this is not really a problem as both methods work perfectly well, however cut vinyl methods offer longer life and higher durability. Also if its something you'd like to engrave then the same applies... so if you don't use gradients you have more options for usage..

Hope this helps..

 

[Calibre Designs]

BTW, the gradients used on the logos shown on the first post is to make them look 3D.

 

[The Web Guy]

99% of logos are created in Adobe Illustrator.
This is the industry standard graphics tool of choice for every graphic designer. If gradients were a problem, you'd have to remove about 70% of the worlds branding Lol! Vector gradients can be scaled up or down without any image degredation. To suggest that gradients cannot be used because they don't translate well in the photocopy machine is a joke! You don't need a graphic designer to come along and tell you that.
When you approach a graphic design studio for a logo, you get your full colour vector AI / EPS file alongside a greyscale / b & w version and you can request variations for other purposes too - rubber stamps, raster image for web and more.
Hope this explains it all