6 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Create A Logo Design In Photoshop
Here are some reasons why you should not create your logo design with Photoshop!
Many designers use Adobe Photoshop as their mainstay software to work on their various projects. Adobe Photoshop is indeed a versatile software. It has many features that can help you create your design in various forms of media, from photography to graphic design.
Although the name is Photoshop, which makes the software highly associated only with photo editing needs, this software also has many other features, such as brushes, that can help designers to create illustrations or other design products.
Some designers even use Adobe Photoshop for their web design needs, design assets, digital painting, and many others. But even so, as a designer, you are strongly discouraged from using Adobe Photoshop to design a brand logo.
Although it is widely used for other graphic design needs, this software is considered less suitable if used for creating a logo design. If you are curious about the reason, we will discuss in detail the answer, which we have summarized from several answers from professional designers who already have a lot of experience in logo design for well-known brands. Check out this discussion to find out the reasons and also various other things related to logo design.
The Importance of Logo Design Appearance
Before we dive into a more direct discussion of the reasons why Photoshop is not suitable for creating a logo design, you must first understand the importance of having a good logo design. One of the reasons why Photoshop is not suitable is because this software will give an unfavorable appearance to a logo design, which will be explained in more detail later.
The problem is the logo design for a brand must be able to appear perfect, clear, and consistent in various media or products that will be used by the brand later. If you walk down a street or scroll through various social media accounts of well-known businesses, what you will see are brand logos everywhere. In advertisements, storefront signs, social media content you watch, and various other media.
A logo design is the main identity used by a brand to make the public aware of the existence of its brand. For a brand to be in demand by the public, it must first make sure that people know that its brand and products exist and are offered to the public. Your job as a designer is to help this brand increase its brand awareness through identity branding, especially through its logo design.
The appearance of an attractive, clear, and visible logo will help the brand to be easier to remember and stick in the minds of the public who see the logo. Meanwhile, if the logo is blurry, unclear, or also difficult to see, then, of course, the image of the brand will be bad in the eyes of the public, look unprofessional, and will be difficult for the general public to remember.
Because of this particular reason, the appearance of the logo design must be made well and also with the best possible planning. Not only the appearance of the design but the way you display the design must also be an aspect that you must pay attention to, which is often forgotten by many designers. One of the things that you can do is to make sure the logo design that you have created is good, can be seen, has a high definition, and is also easy to see.
Raster Vs. Vector Design
The main reason why you can't use Adobe Photoshop for logo design is that it produces only raster images, while for a logo design, you have to make it in vector form. If you are a novice or self-taught designer, this term may feel unfamiliar to you. Don't worry; in this discussion, we will discuss in-depth the differences between the two types of design formats.
In the world of graphic design, there are two types of design formats that you can create: an image (raster) form and a vector form. The two have significant differences, which make them specialized for different graphic design needs.
In short, a raster image is a design format that uses pixels to form the design. When you see an image that is blurry or has a low definition, have you ever noticed that the picture that is displayed looks like it is formed by boxes, which ultimately makes the picture displayed to you unable to be seen clearly? This is what can be said to be a raster image. A raster image is made up of pixels that represent a certain color, which, when the size of the box is reduced and enlarged, creates the image we normally see.
This design format is the most widely found and used format in the world, especially for photography needs. Raster or pixel-based formats allow us to present detailed designs with lots of colors and attractive visual effects.
However, we also have designs in vector format. This design uses a vector format instead of pixel boxes to create a solid graphic that is connected from one dot to another to create the entire object. As a result, vector design is much better suited to simple and less demanding design requirements.
The fact that a vector design will always be high-definition is one of its most notable benefits. In comparison to the raster image, the image's constituent boxes can be seen when we zoom in further. No matter how closely you zoom in on a vector design, the design will always appear crisp and clear because it is made up of solid lines.
Photoshop Can Only Produce Raster Image
We can therefore draw a conclusion and understand why Adobe Photoshop is unsuitable for use in the logo design process using the justification provided above. In fact, this is already implied by the software's name. Photoshop is a program that excels at editing or producing images with incredibly intricate details.
The majority of Photoshop's features also allow you to change the way that pixels are organized in an image. Adobe Photoshop is the right choice if you're a designer looking for tools to help you edit pictures with intricate, hyper-realistic details, values, and colors.
As opposed to other image-based graphic design products, logo design itself does not call for intricate details. You can design a logo, it's true, but it won't naturally be the best and most suitable for the use as well as the purpose.
You could use the analogy that you can use the Ms. software to create a variety of things to help you understand. Just paint, but obviously, the software won't work and won't be able to provide designs and formats that match the desired product's visual branding.
The Use of Vector Format in Logo Design
This is what makes vector format the industry standard for creating logo designs because it can always appear in high definition. To ensure that the results always look their best, this standard has evolved into the general rule of thumb when creating a logo.
If you hire a professional designer, they will undoubtedly provide you with the finished design in vector format. This will give you more freedom to customize and use the logo design on any media or platform you desire.
When using vector formats during the logo design process, there are a plethora of benefits that you receive compared to when you use a raster image. Here is a quick breakdown of each of these advantages:
1. High Definition Logo on Every Branding Product
Building your brand's reputation in the public's eyes through product branding is important. Your brand's identity and positioning, which set you apart from competitors, can be shaped and demonstrated through branding. Right now, you have access to a wide range of branding products, some of which can also serve as a platform for direct marketing, such as the content of your social media accounts, advertisements, posters, websites, products, and more.
Your top priority should always be the visual appeal of your product branding, along with the content it consists of. Your brand's logo is undoubtedly one of the most crucial components that will serve as the focal point of your branding. As a result, you must also take steps to ensure that your logo looks absolutely flawless, one of which is to always display it with the proper size and definition.
Depending on your preferences and style, each product or form of media calls for a different logo size. The logo must be able to be seen in both very small and very large sizes. Due to this, the logo must be created in vector format rather than raster using Photoshop.
If you use a vector format, you will have more freedom to choose the logo's size without having to be concerned that the image will appear in low definition and look pixelated.
2. More Flexibility
The second advantage of using vector images, which is also the justification for not using Photoshop for logo designs, is that they give you more flexibility when implementing the logo design for product branding. To apply the logo to various product branding with different sizes and then adjust it, you only need one file. Contrarily, when using a raster image, you must save numerous files with various resolutions in order to use the logo for your product branding.
The design process is significantly more efficient because of the flexibility since you don't need your logo's resolution when you're designing.
In addition, you should be aware that when we talk about flexibility, vector designs can be easily converted into other design formats, including pixel/raster-based ones like PNG, JPEG, and many others. Additionally, you can change the resolution of any image you desire.
If we compare it to raster images, it will be very challenging to convert the design to other forms other than pixel-based design, which lessens the reliability of the flexibility aspect. Additionally, you are also less likely to raise the design's resolution. The resolution's size can be quickly decreased, but it will be challenging to increase it.
3. Vector File Has Smaller Size
This factor is crucial to take into account, especially if you plan to use the logo you create for website display purposes. The majority of businesses today use a brand or company website as one of their primary branding and marketing tools. Brands with their own official websites present a more credible and professional image. However, how the current website looks also plays a role in this.
You won't convey professionalism if your website's user interface is poor in its appearance; in fact, your brand will appear unreliable. Displaying high-definition icons and logo designs is one way to show a good interface.
The issue is that when you want to display high-definition elements, the file size will be too big and burden your website. Websites with a lot of elements that are large in size will be difficult to load, which will decrease traffic and visitor numbers.
Therefore, as an alternative to raster images, you can use a vector design, which has a much smaller file size.
Alternative for Photoshop to Create Logo Design
After going over the reasons why Adobe Photoshop shouldn't be used to create logo designs, you should also be aware of the best software to use. The appropriate software is one that can produce designs in vector format, as was previously stated. Adobe Illustrator is the best application for this. Professional designers already rely heavily on this software for a variety of straightforward graphic design needs, including those that call for a high-definition display.
Adobe is already well-known as a mainstay product for all design needs. They offer a variety of software that has been specialized for a variety of different graphic design needs, ranging from making videos, photos, and websites, to logo design. Adobe Illustrator is a product that has been specially designed to help designers create flexible logo designs for their branding needs.
Designers can create a variety of logo designs by using the features offered by Adobe Illustrator to their liking. They also offer a variety of necessary tools for professional logo-making requirements, which you never even think you'll need. Naturally, the various tools and features at our disposal will greatly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the design process.
Without any limitations, you are able to visualize your ideas exactly as you have previously planned. Despite this, you sometimes need to adjust yourself first in order to find each feature or create the elements you want because there are so many features and tools at your disposal. It goes without saying that you can design a logo quickly and effectively once you have it down pat.
Additionally, it is simple to connect to Adobe Illustrator if you are a graphic designer who uses a variety of Adobe products. For instance, you can send your design directly from Illustrator to Photoshop and continue working on it there if you want to edit your logo design to include complex elements or images that are not supported by Adobe Illustrator.
Using Adobe Photoshop in Logo Design Process
Adobe Photoshop is not the best program for you to use to create logo designs, as can be inferred from all the justifications that we have discussed above. However, it's possible that you will still require Adobe Photoshop during the creation of your logo, demonstrating that this program is indeed essential to all design procedures.
You will require a mockup to present the design to clients after the design process is finished and to showcase it in your portfolio. Unfortunately, because Adobe Illustrator isn't made for that, you will have trouble accomplishing this in that program.
As an alternative, you can upload your design straight to Adobe Photoshop and produce a quality mockup image for your logo design. You can create any style of presentation or mockup you want.
You have the option of creating your mockup from scratch or using one of the many templates that are available on the internet. Typically, only Adobe Photoshop can be used to edit the majority of these templates.
Therefore, even though Adobe Photoshop is not the best software for creating logos, you still need to use it during the design process to present and show your logo designs to clients so that they can get a sense of your visual concept while also making them appear more professional.
Final Words
One of the first steps you must take to ensure that the design process runs smoothly and that the end results are satisfactory is selecting the appropriate software to create the design you desire. You can design logos using Adobe Illustrator or other vector-based software to help you come up with your ideal logo.
Hopefully, the previously discussed discourse can help you understand why Adobe Photoshop is not advised and is thought to be less suitable for needs related to logo design. The previously mentioned explanation should have helped you gain a better understanding of the variations between professional design platforms, particularly Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as different formats used in the graphic design industry.