Designing Wordmarks

[scottysprings]

Hey everyone. I'm pretty good on illustrator with designing logos and such but I can never seem to make a nice wordmark. I often don't know where to start. Can someone please give me some starting tips on designing a crisp and high quality wordmark.

[gordie_delini]

Tip one: Start with a GOOD typeface, or create one

Tip two: Don't make it look like any other wordmark

Tip three: Make it consistent with your logo

[scottysprings]

How do you create a typeface? Is it a kind of thing you would draw, scan, and vector? Or is it something you do freehand with the pen tool?

[pollux]

You can do both... The easiest way to personalize a font though is typing the wordmark with a font you like, and then create outlines with it, and modify the result.

To create a typeface, you can either draw, scan and vector or use a font software to create the font file you'll be using.

Of the two methods, I find the first one easier since you only modify characters you really need, and it gives a uniqueness to your wordmark.

[andrewharrington]

You'll get the best results if you take the extra time to sketch a few ideas, then make a nice drawing and scan it. Use Illustrator to trace it and be unique. That's the most important part. The word doesn't have to be flat. It can be angled, have some perspective, some bevels, a two-tone style, anything. If your team is Fish, maybe the F has a little barb on the end to look like a fishing hook.

Another option is to type out a word in a good, bold typeface, then go to [Type > Create Outlines] and modify the letters from there, add outlines or bevels or what have you. This is good as long as you have a solid typeface with which to begin.

The final option is to draw an alphabet of letters in Illustrator that becomes kind of like a set of letters that you can copy and paste for use over an over again, though you cannot type with it unless you make it into a real font using Fontographer or FontLab.

[scottysprings]

Thanks guys, I haven't been able to put these ideas into use but they seem like they will help a lot.