How To Choose The Best Logo Background + Color Combinations
May 17, 2023
By:Emily Harper
May 17, 2023
By:Emily Harper
In the commotion of scrambling to build the elements of a successful design, people tend to neglect a fundamental piece of the puzzle: the logo background.
Every logo has a background, and most of the time, it’s white or transparent. But don’t yourself in a box—there are tons of other logo background options that could suit your visual branding preferences way more than standard selections.
Choosing the right background for logo designs helps your visuals stand out, and it is the anchor that allows your designs to remain readable and easily understood.
When you are in the middle of creating a logo for your brand, you may wonder about the aspects that drive or hinder the design. Whether it’s the clarity, contrast, and even the imagery itself, your logo background acts as the backbone that structures all the elements coming together beautifully, provided that you choose a suitable one.
Are there specific rules to follow when it comes to choosing the right logo background template? Certainly! And they’re not as complicated as you think.
This time, don’t be afraid to break any rules. Choosing the right logo background is up to your preferences and understanding of your business and industry. Logos are not set in stone—they can be redesigned and developed. Even so, making the right choice can save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.
These are six options for backgrounds for logos.
A white logo background is one of the most common selections, and for a good reason. It minimizes the risks of drowning the elements in too many details or overpowering colors, making the logo shine as the star of the design.
Choosing white is almost like choosing a blank canvas, which automatically provides you with good contrast to most colors, allowing the design to be as readable as possible. Not to mention, white enables the logo to sit perfectly on letterheads, envelopes, documents—anything white by choice or nature!
Though seemingly the perfect choice, a white background for logo designs comes with a few setbacks. Keep in mind that a blank canvas is still blank.
This is a neutral color selection, meaning you may be missing an opportunity to express a particular aspect of your brand personality. Though it is wise to leave room for space and imagination, it can also be misconstrued as basic and lackluster. Then again, this is all a matter of preference and priority.
A common assumption that people make about choosing a white backgrounds for logos is thinking that it is also transparent. A transparent logo background is a totally separate thing (which you should also have, no matter your decision). If you place a logo with a white background on a colored surface or space, the white still remains.
No matter the points of consideration, white is a safe choice as a logo background. It symbolizes peace, goodwill, clarity, and imagination, which are great attributes to include in your brand logo. Most of the renowned and famous logos of the world have a white logo background.
If you want to talk about standing out yet remaining classy, black wears the crown in this aspect. Choosing a black logo background works similarly to picking a white one—it’s neutral, and you get a great contrast with your design. However, black is not necessarily a blank space as white poses; it displays a stronger emotional impression.
Black is easy to pair with other colors, but it doesn’t do so well as a logo background carrying a detailed visual. Think of it this way: black is such a strong color that it can potentially mute more minor elements and similar hues.
A black background logo works excellent with wordmarks or lettermarks, mainly because you have two subtly emphasized components working in symmetry. Black also works well with white because they complement each other’s facets and symbolisms into a unified and balanced understanding.
And that’s the keyword for black: balance. It needs to be paired with other colors and elements that balance it out. Otherwise, it may end up being too overwhelming, and your logo is rendered unreadable. Don’t let black steal the show—let it refine the characters around it.
Black is best in tandem with lighter colors, giving a unique pop to the design as a whole. It also symbolizes timelessness, class, and power. Who can say no to that?
Using a colored background logo expresses a desire to communicate more deeply with your audience. Brand colors help build trust and elicit certain emotions that customers can associate with your business. This is especially important for colored logo backgrounds, as it is the largest part of your design.
You have to be careful when choosing a colored logo background because the wrong choice can lead to mishaps during printing or when displayed in specific contexts and mediums. For example, a black logo background would not be a great fit when placed on documents. The same goes for other colors.
Balance is critical when you’re considering a colored background logo. A balance of what, you ask? Your brand values and the principles of good design. It may be a little daunting to achieve, but it’s certainly doable, and all you really need to do is tap into your intuition and awareness of your business.
For example, you may feel like lime green has a perfect representation of your hiking business, symbolizing growth and alertness. But you also know that lime green can be overwhelming as a background. You may also favor white but choose not to use it because it doesn’t represent your brand values.
Finding the perfect colored logo background means your satisfaction between both your brand personality and proper design.
These are a few basic meanings and symbolisms of colors for your understanding:
Note: Other shades may not have the same connotations as their standard counterparts. For example, periwinkle is not going to have the same meaning as cobalt blue. It helps to do thorough research on the psychology of colors before you make a decision.
A patterned background for logo designs conveys innovative concepts and ideas, making a strong imprint for your brand and memorability. Patterns are almost like pictures, and people are more inclined to remember images effortlessly.
Another perk is the uniqueness of it all. These days, you see black, white, and colored logo backgrounds, but patterns are a dime a dozen. It can boost brand recognition due to its distinction, but it can also prove to be hard to work with.
A patterned logo background is not easy to transfer to other mediums and contexts, as cutting off any portion of it would diminish the symmetry of the design, ultimately leading to having a sloppy logo. Sounds like a big down-turn, but the fact of the matter is, logos need to be pristine and presentable at all times. It is a representation of your brand, after all.
Then again, there is something to be said about adding a specific texture to your design in a world of flat and simple logos. Patterns provide a certain intrigue to your logo that a flat color just can’t compare. Just take caution about printing a patterned logo; it may not translate well in small sizes.
Clearly, this option comes with a good set of pros and cons. But if your pros outweigh your cons, go for it!
Care to take a creative risk? A gradient background logo can be beautiful when executed correctly. Essentially, your gradient background is an unexpected detail, implementing two colors in a backdrop template.
Because of the frequency of elements in a single component, the logo itself should be simple enough to not overload the entire visual. This is usually why most wordmarks and lettermarks can get away with having gradient logo backgrounds.
Do you have Instagram on your phone? If you do, you will notice that the Instagram logo is a gradient of multiple colors, namely yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and blue. So many colors! And yet, did it ever dawn on you that Instagram employed a whopping six colors in their logo background? Probably not, because the design works seamlessly.
But there is a downside. A gradient may work really well on the screen, but it can be an absolute headache to print. And there is no certainty that the colors flawlessly transition on a material object compared to the way it does digitally. Oh well, you can’t have it all—but this one comes pretty close.
This one is a little different from the others—it’s indispensable.
Regardless of which logo background you choose, you need to have a transparent version of it ready and handy for all occasions. This grants you immense logo flexibility, allowing you to bypass attaching and printing hurdles. You could place this logo on many different mediums with little to no hassle.
This doesn't just apply to merchandise. Transparent logos are essential in the digital world, too.
For example, you need a transparent background Facebook logo to ensure that your design fits well and displays properly on the social media platform. Otherwise, you would be perceived as a business with little forward-thinking.
Remember that your logo may not sit nicely on top of specific colors. So if you are prioritizing a transparent logo background, you should also have a light and dark version of it that you can use, depending on the landscape of where it is placed on. Hello, logo versatility!
These are the six essential aspects of an effective logo background template:
The goal of a logo is to grab the attention of whoever sees it. People don’t have all the time in the world to observe or take in a logo that doesn’t attract them. You have to ensure that your logo is compelling and readable enough that your audience doesn’t even have to try to be interested in it.
Your logo background design sets the tone (literally and figuratively) of the entire visual, and it dictates whether your audience can easily understand it or not. Make sure that you employ the contrasts of your logo accordingly. If the elements of your logo are dark, use a white or plain background, and vice versa.
Keep these tips in mind:
It’s all about ensuring that your logo doesn’t fade into the background, literally. It needs to pop and shine as it should. After all, you put in the effort to create an awesome logo for people to see. Don’t let the wrong logo background choice diminish that reward.
Your brand logo will be everywhere, from your website and social media channels to your packaging and products. It needs to work for digital purposes and material objects alike. Your logo background design can directly affect your logo versatility.
Let’s say you decide to go for a gradient logo background—that would be difficult to print on T-shirts if you owned an apparel business. If you choose a white logo background and the packaging of most of your products is also white, that would end up being a problem.
Before you decide on a logo background, you have to prepare and ensure that the design doesn’t interfere with other branding, marketing, and sales materials. Don’t choose or create an overly complicated logo background template. Avoid compromising the versatility of your logo.
The color of your logo background is the most prominent aspect of your design as it takes up the biggest space. Most businesses opt for a white or transparent logo background because it’s the safe choice, and it pulls focus to the elements of the design. But you don’t necessarily have to go along with the stream.
Choosing the color of your logo background correctly gives you an opportunity to communicate certain ideals and beliefs. Colors organically spark a subconscious feeling in your audience, and your color choice for your logo background can shift the narrative.
You don’t have to choose white or black to play it safe. Choose the color that sensibly and practically works with the rest of the design and perfectly expresses your brand personality.
Take this thought process for example:
Do you own a daycare business? You can choose soft pastel colors for your logo background design. Are professionalism and trust the core priorities of your daycare business? Go with pastel or baby blue. Does your mission revolve around growth and learning? Consider using pastel green. The options are endless. Read below to learn more about the psychology of colors.
Essentially, your color choices help your target audience to know and understand you better as a business. And your logo background template has the biggest display for it—why not take advantage of that?
Pick a background color, hold it against your main graphic or text, validate its legibility under different lighting conditions, and then try another. Picking a background color that makes your logo appear more vivid and arresting is the key. You can tinker with the contrast of your logo background design by adjusting the hue, tint, texture, or gradients.
If your logo is dark, pick a light background, and vice versa. If your logo is of a solid color, try combining it with a textured background color and vice versa. If your logo is bright, you can pick a background color that is just as bright but on the opposite end of the color wheel.
Let’s take a look at Nike:
Nike's logo, also known as the "Swoosh," is a simple yet iconic design. The logo was created by Carolyn Davidson in 1971, and it features a stylized check mark shape that represents the wing of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike.
The contrasting colors in this logo example are typically black and white, but they can also be seen in different colors depending on the context in which it is used. The simplicity and boldness of the design have made it one of the most recognizable logos in the world.
Printing your logo in different formats and applications will give you a true sense of how adaptable it is. Your merchandising will present unique challenges for your logo to be visible, which is where the background will help it stand out.
Whether on a pen, a sticker, or a van, your logo’s background will help it stand out, no matter the color of the surface. If you are unsure about what kind of surface, you can choose a plain background and avoid textures.
Colors have meaning. Each shade appeals to us differently. The study of color psychology has established how some colors suit certain businesses. Color combinations in a logo are important because they can evoke certain emotions and associations in the viewer, which can help to communicate the brand's message and values.
Different colors can also create visual interest and make the logo more memorable.Like your logo, its background should also fall within the appropriate color categories. Next, you need to test combinations that work for all applications.
There exist well-established and proven color combinations that have worked for brands. We have listed some of them below with examples. You can never get these combinations wrong.
No two colors contrast each other like black and white.
This timeless combination helps you understand the power of contrast. We recommend you create all your logos in black and white before introducing color to the mix. In doing so, you can establish the prominence of contrast between both colors.
Trustworthy, friendly, and approachable, this color combination has charmed us through some of our favorite brands. Ikea is the exemplar of this refreshing color combination.
While these colors do not combine to create a sharp contrast, they complement each other effectively. Different shades of blue have proven to work well when combined with yellow.
Energetic and powerful, the LA Lakers logo has immortalized the combination of purple and gold. There aren’t many colors that synchronize organically with the metallic shade of gold. Purple manages this feat effortlessly.
Pink and blue are the most gendered colors. By combining them, you can inspire trust, warmth, and dependability.
Baskin Robbins uses the color combination creatively to bring out the hidden 31 in the unit. The logo doesn’t have a field of color as a background but uses pink and blue circles to create a perimeter for the logo. Notice how blue stands out against a field of pink on the store’s signage.
The image hosting website, Flickr, uses pink and blue interestingly. The ‘r’ in the logo is pink, setting it apart from the rest of the typography, which is in blue.
Mastered by the beverage industry, yellow and green have been used as a preferred combination to inspire youthful energy, happiness, and refreshment.
Both colors are associated with all things fresh, including fruits and vegetables. They have an odd citrus kick to them. It is no surprise why the food industry banks on these colors heavily.
Subway’s experiments with the usage of both colors have gone a long way in making the brand’s logo a powerful statement in the fast-food industry, setting it apart from the usually ‘red’ logos.
Artists and designers have experimented through decades to find logo backgrounds that work. Their creative work can inspire you with new ideas for your logo design. Here are websites that offer you the best design portfolios from which you could pick a lesson or two.
By far, the avenue of choice for logo designers, Behance allows users to sign up, upload their work using an easy portfolio-building module, and propagate it to the world.
Not everyone has the time and resources to develop a full-fledged design portfolio website. Behance makes something that can resemble your online portfolio while offering several customization and categorization options.
You can learn and get inspired by creators like Saxon Campbell, Gemma O’Brien, Ryan Atkinson, and Josh Nychuk.
Dribbble (don’t miss the third ‘b’) is a popular website for designers to draw inspiration. It offers an easy means to upload content, up-vote or like content, and even save content that you find inspirational.
With its global userbase, Dribbble allows creators to network with some of the best minds in the industry. One could find hours scrolling through the ‘Inspiration’ section on the website.
You can swiftly search for art by filtering color and by using tags. Some interesting profiles you could start following are Divan Raj, Creative Mints by Mike, and Filip Justić.
If you prefer being in the company of champions, then Awwwards is where you want to hang around. This company hosts a competition for web design and web development projects. It honors and facilitates the best design and web work globally.
The site offers you an option to search for winning work based on various criteria. Some of the work can be inspiring for your branding journey.
Pinterest needs no introduction. It is the original image-led social media that shot to fame and has been a mainstay in the lives of artists and designers. You can search for work using hashtags.
Its illustrious member list comprises graphic designers, digital artists, photographers, videographers, cosplay artists, and more. The intuitive search feature will show you content through a continuous scroll.
It is among the most resource-rich platforms with its vast audience and member base.
What are some commonly asked questions about choosing the best logo background? Get your questions answered with these three FAQs.
To create a Zoom background with your logo, you will need to do the following:
Note: Bypass all these steps and get Zoom backgrounds with your logo with LOGO.com. Every logo you create will have Zoom backgrounds with the design with our affordable Brand Plan.
There are several ways to get a logo without a background, here are a few:
It's worth noting that, depending on the complexity of the logo and the quality of the original image, the process of removing the background may take some time and skill to achieve the desired result.
You can get a free logo with LOGO.com that includes several files, some of which have transparent backgrounds in multiple color schemes. These files are saved in your dashboard for your easy access. You may also download them and use the transparent background files for your website, merchandise, social media platforms, and many more.
There is no denying that a logo background design is essential. Your logo background can significantly alter and refine your design to make it feel complete. Don’t sweat over much of the principles. The best thing you can do for your logo is to have it flawlessly and effectively communicate exactly who you are and what you do.
Before you decide, create drafts of the logo backgrounds that you are interested in and get opinions. It can do more for you than you think. Feedback is fundamental in every component of a business.
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