When it comes to design, I am inspirationally impaired. This is true for many aspects of my life, whether it be buying curtains for my house or buying clothes for myself (incidentally, these are two tasks that that bore me to tears!). I have frequently purchased the clothes that the shop mannequin was wearing because it helped me so what see what the clothes would be like.
This can cause me problems when I need a logo or banners designed. Designers are not psychics. They need to have some sort of idea of what you need designed. The problem with me is that I do not know what I want. It is like the famous expression – “I don’t know anything about art, but I know what I like”. That is me in a nutshell. Once I see a design, I can tell whether I like it or not. I am sure many of you are the same.
In the past I dealt with this problem by using design competition websites such as 99Designs. Unfortunately, I have not been overly impressed with the entries I have received the last few times I used it. More than once, I ended up paying a few hundred dollars for a logo that was just OK. To get a wide variety of designs with a design competition website, you need to increase the prize to over $500. However, for me, that is an unnecessary expense for most simple blogs and websites.
I would like to share with you how I resolve this issue: I design logos and banners myself. This is true for 95% of my projects. On other occasions, I simply edit a cheap logo template that costs around $29. For really big projects, I will reluctantly hire a designer.
Firstly, I would like to clarify that I am not a good designer. Most of my logo designs are not complex. They are usually simplistic and comprise of two parts: Text and a symbol or icon.
Secondly, I would like to stress that my reason for designing logos myself is not due to financial reasons. It is because:
- I cannot convey the type of logo I want to designers. Due to this, there is a very high risk of me paying over $100 for a logo that I do not like and will not use.
- Designing my own logo allows me to make edits quickly and easily at a later date (colours, size, font etc).
Without further ado, this is how I personally find the right font for logos and banners.
How to Find the Right Font for Your Logos and Banners
Graphic River sell a ridiculous number of logo templates. As I write this post, there are over 22,600 unique logo templates listed in their directory. Any of these logos can be purchased for only $29. Once you have purchased and downloaded a template, you can customise the logo with your own text. Purchasing a logo template is quick and easy and it allows you to choose a logo you like.
Here is the best part. The vast majority of designers advise the font(s) that are used in the logo within the description area. Many designers also directly link to a page where you can download the font free. If a designer does not explicitly state what font they are using, they will usually let you know if you ask them within the comment area.
With over twenty two thousand logo templates currently on offer, and more being added every day, you can see a wide range of fonts in action. Once you find a font you like, simply download the font and use it to create your logo or banner. It is that simple.
I realise that this may be obvious to some of you; however I was genuinely surprised when I noticed that most designers openly state what font they are using. It is by far the most effective way of finding the right font for your logos and banners. I highly recommend you try it out.
Good luck,
Kevin
