4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Design A Logo In Photoshop

October 27, 2021

By: Kari Amarnani

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Design A Logo In Photoshop

Is it a good idea to design a logo in Photoshop?

Photoshop appears to be able to do everything from its editing abilities to its extensive graphic work. It might seem like an easy assumption to deduce that Photoshop would also be great for designing logos, but the opposite is more accurate.

To put it simply, no, it isn’t the best idea to design a logo in Photoshop.

Unfortunately, the two are incompatible in multiple fundamental levels (which you’ll learn about soon enough). Logos are meant to be simple and substantial, while Photoshop works best with detailed and complex visuals. Additionally, designing a logo in Photoshop would likely render it less flexible and unsuitable for printing.

Though Photoshop is a design software made for various uses and diverse graphic needs, some visual projects don’t work well with the platform. Professional logos are definitely in this category.

A great logo is an essential component of a business’s visual branding, and it tends to be present in many different locations and mediums. To reach the standards of an effective logo, these are the four technical requirements it entails:

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Versatility

This is one of the most crucial qualities of a good logo. When a business is highly visible with a wide range of exposure, its logo will be at the forefront of several social media channels, merchandise, platforms, billboards, and so much more. It must be easily modified and adjustable to accommodate different methods of viewing.

Scalability

Designing an effective logo means that it appears clear and understandable, whether for large-scale purposes or restricted to a tiny space. You want enough flexibility for the logo not to lose a single detail even when viewed at the size of an inch. The logo must retain its integrity and readability regardless of the medium it’s placed on.

Professionalism

A professional logo generates trust and credibility. It’s a representation of your brand identity and potentially attracts your target audience. For a professional logo to exist, it must likewise be created professionally, preferably with services that exclusively call for it. This includes comprehensive logo makers or experienced logo designers.

Simplicity

It’s vital to design logos that are simple in nature. Not only does it help your branding as a business, but it also makes it easier to understand. For example, you can design a complex logo with 20 brand colors, but these details would likely not display well in small sizes, nor would your audience understand the design.

Considering these four elements, designing a logo in Photoshop fails to adhere to these essential requirements. Find out why below!

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Design A Logo In Photoshop

Though Photoshop is highly capable as a graphic software, it doesn’t work well with logos. These are the four reasons why logos and Photoshop just do not mesh well as a duo.

1. Photoshop processes Raster graphics.

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This is arguably the most important reason not to design a logo in Photoshop.

Photoshop works on Raster graphics which offer poor flexibility scales, especially for logos. Designing a logo in Photoshop with Raster graphics will likely degrade and distort the image when you zoom in. And what more for modified for small and large-scale mediums? Chances are, it would be unreadable.

The optimal choice for logos is Vector graphics, which can be scaled infinitely. Yes, infinitely! Whether how big or small, the logo’s design is intact. Vector graphics are high resolution in nature and highly compatible with varying mediums of use. Using Photoshop’s Raster would defeat the scalability and professionalism of the logo.

2. Photoshop tools are more complicated than logo makers.

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Photoshop’s toolkit is hard to navigate when designing a logo. The platform itself offers broad graphic benefits not exclusive to logos, so finding your way around your preferences for the design may be harder to achieve than you think (which, by the way, is the last thing you need in the middle of designing a logo).

When it comes to logo creation, it should be pretty straightforward to easily make changes to the design. After all, you are trying a bunch of different combinations in an effort to reach the perfect logo. However, Photoshop has poor adjustment capabilities, which may ultimately end up with you having a subpar logo.

This is especially bad for the flexibility of your logo. You can’t just have one primary logo. You need to prepare several variations for different purposes, such as social media platforms, email signatures, etc. Making the adjustments with Photoshop’s tools would end up being a time-consuming project.

3. Photoshop offers poor logo versatility.

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A logo needs to be prepared to work in a multitude of contexts and mediums. Regardless of where it’s placed, it must still achieve its mission of building brand recognition. Unfortunately, Photoshop’s Raster graphics is a significant setback in this goal.

Vector files, which logos should be, can be saved as JPGs, PNGs, and other raster types—basically, every type of logo file. However, it does not work the other way around. You cannot save Raster files and also receive all the different logo file types.

This ultimately hinders logo versatility as you will need different files for varying purposes. Not only will the logo be unreadable when scaled, but it will also be unsuited for several platforms and needs.

4. Photoshop is not a professional logo maker.

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If you’re not too picky or creating the logo for recreational purposes, this rule is bendy. Go for it! But if you’re a graphic designer or creating a logo for your business, this is absolutely not the place to design a professional logo.

You don’t want an inflexible and limited logo for your business. It would be more practical to use an efficient logo maker, a software specifically designed to create compelling logos. And as a designer, it would be a highly unprofessional practice to submit a logo to your clients with no Vector versions of it. It’s almost as if sending them a faulty product.

The client may not know better, but you, as the expert, should. It is your responsibility to provide your clients with a high-quality, versatile, and professional logo. It would be massively difficult (and almost impossible) to achieve this with Photoshop.

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Frankly speaking, the only time to edit a logo in Photoshop is if you want to incorporate some finishing details into it, such as dusty effects, sparkles, etc. Aside from that, it would be best to steer clear and rely on a proper logo maker to supply you with an excellent and effective logo.

Luckily, you can depend on our AI-powered logo maker, which gives you Vector images, all the logo files you need, and a free domain name. Depending on the package, you also have the option to easily modify the logo at a later time as much as you need to. Our biggest priority is to provide you with your ideal design in the most convenient way.

Can you design a logo in Photoshop? Yes, but you shouldn’t.

Logos are required to be Vector files so they can easily scale and never lose their design integrity. Nor would it be fair for you to lose the impact of your efforts with a logo that can’t be understood when modified for different sizes and settings.

Ready to design your logo? Get started with our logo maker!

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