Adobe Photoshop Logo Design Instruction

The program version used in this instruction is Adobe Photoshop CS5 MS Windows Edition. You may experience minor differences when you work on different version of Adobe Photoshop This instruction will guide you through key functions of Adobe Photoshop and teach how to make a basic logo.

Figure 1 Instruction Logo

As shown in <Figure1>, the style of logo taught in this instruction consists of a silhouette represent the organization and an organization title. This instruction will teach you: how to open and create a file use polygonal lasso tool. create textbox and input text. fill selected area with color change size of layer objects and image size

Get familiar with Photoshop Interface

Figure 2 Photoshop Interface

-Green Box- Menu bar using menu bar, you can create new file and layer, open a file, change image size etc. -Blue Box- Tool box- Toolbox allows you to select all tools available on Photoshop. An example of these tools includes pencil, object, text, blur and select tools. -Yellow Box- Layer box- using Photoshop, you can add additional layers on top of a picture. The layer box is used to select and edit different layers

Figure 3 History Window

-History Window (Figure 3) - The history window lists a history of actions you have done during the session. History window allows you to go back to previous step on the list.

Figure 4 Navigator Window

-Navigator Window (Figure 4) This window allows you to zoom in and out. To zoom in or out, slide button in the red box on the bottom of window.

Pre-design
1. Sketch a concept logo on a paper. Just like any designing process, logo designing starts with a paper drawing. Again, logo design in this instruction consists of one silhouette and organization title. 2. Find a picture for the silhouette will be used in the logo. Find a picture of silhouette matches to your concept drawing. Picture used for silhouette should have clear outline and easy to be recognized even when it is converted to a silhouette.

Figure 5 Example Picture

Warning: the picture must be either owned by your organization or used under permission of the copyright owner. 3. Check for similar design. In the worst-case scenario, conflicting logo design may result in a lawsuit. Check online for similar designs to eliminate any issues with pre-existing trademarks.

Photoshop Design

1 2

Click File->New on the Menu bar (Refer Figure 2) Tip: you can Ctrl+N on MS Windows, and Command+N on Mac OS.

Figure 6 Create a new file

Set Name as desired. Change Width and Height of canvas. 1500 pixels by 1500 pixels recommended. Set Background Contents as Transparent.

Click File-> Open on the Menu bar (Refer Figure 2). Search and open the picture file for silhouette.

Figure 7 Two files opened on one canvas

After opening a file, you will see two taps on the top left of your canvas as indicated in red box on figure 7. You can switch between your logo canvas and the picture using these taps.

Figure 8 Polygonal Lasso Tool

Click on polygonal Lasso Tool icon in the tool box. If you do not see the polygonal lasso tool, click and lasso tool until you see polygonal lasso tool.

Figure 9 Lasso tool selection

Using polygonal Lasso Tool click outlines of picture. If you made mistake, hit backspace on your keyboard. When using polygonal lasso tool, you must return to starting point to complete outline. Having Difficulty with this step? Go to http://youtu.be/8mSrlPQh1UA <YouTube>.

Figure 10 After Selection

Your picture will look like figure 10 after selection.

To move your selection to your logo canvas, a. Drag your outline to the logo canvas tap as shown in figure 11.

Figure 12 Moving Selection 1

b. When the canvas is switched, drag and release the outline onto the logo canvas.

Figure 11 Moving Selection 2

If this step was successful, you will see an outline on your logo canvas

Figure 13

Now you need to create a new layer on Logo canvas.

Figure 14 Creating a new layer

a. Click on-> Layer-> New-> Layer

Figure 15

b. Hit ok.

Figure 16 Layer Window

If the layer is properly created, you will see layer 2 on the layer window. Now you are ready to fill in color into your silhouette (outline).

Figure 17 set foreground color

a.

Click on set foreground color in the tool box.

Figure 18 Color Picker

b.

Pick your silhouette color and hit OK.

9
Figure 19 Paint Bucket Tool

a.

Click on paint bucket tool in the tool box.

Figure 20

If paint bucket tool is not shown, click on gradient tool for few second and switch to paint bucket tool (refer figure 20).

Figure 21Filling in color

b.

Using Paint Bucket Tool, fill in color by clicking inside outline area.

10

If your silhouette is too small compared to the canvas, a. Click Edit-> Free Transform on the menu bar

Figure 22 Enlarge

b. While pressing shift, drag edge to enlarge

Figure 23 Check Mark

c. After changing to adequate size, click on check mark as shown in screenshot Tip: you need to press shift in order to change size in proportion.

Now, you are ready to create a rectangular box for text.

11

a. Pick a color for rectangular box as shown in step 8. b. Select retangualr tool from the tool box.

Figure 24

12

Figure 25 Rectangular Box

Create Rectangular box by drag and release.

13

As shown in figure 25, the recStangular box is covering part of silhouette. We need to put the box layer below the silhouette.

Figure 26 Changing Layer order

To change layer order, Drage Shape 1 layer between layer 2 and layer1 using the layer window.

14

You are now ready to input text into your logo. a. Click on the text tool.

Figure 27 Text tool

Figure 27 Text tool font setting

b. Select the font and size for logo from text menu. (figure 28) c. Click on canvas to create a text box. Tip: You can create multiple text box in one canvas. Warning: Every font is copyrighted- if you plan on trademarking your logo, you need to get permission or purchase a right to use the font from the copyright owners.

15

Figure 28

If you need to move your text in a situation like figure 29,

Figure 29

a. Select Text Layer from layer window

Figure 30

b. Select move tool

Figure 31

c. Drag and drop the text

Your logo is ready to be used.

16

File-> Save or Ctrl + S to save. Save in photoshop format (PSD). PSD file cannot be used as an image file, but it can be opened on photoshop for future editing. File-> Save as to save in GIF format. Gif format can be used on websites and documents.

What you can do with Adobe Photoshop

Techniques you learned from this instruction can be adopted for your everyday college or office use. Logos are widely used from a small student organization to a company project group. You can also create a logo for your research papers or project proposals. Also, you can create silhouette for different document or input text onto a photo using Adobe Photoshop. Use techniques you learned from this instruction. Be creative with Adobe Photoshop!

10