GimpShop - any good for making a logo?

jap200

I want a logo for my new business, but as I'm at the start-up stage (i.e. no spare cash), I want to see if I can do it myself before spending money on it.

I found a helpful tutorial here, but it is written for Photoshop CS2. http://www.garysimon.net/logotutorial/

Does anyone know if (free) GimpShop would be up to the job?

Also, is there anything to be aware of or cautious about before I download GimpShop?

Edit: Just remembered (and located) a copy of Photoshop Elements 3.0 that came free with something yonks ago. Would this do a better job than the latest GimpShop? I have neither installed at the moment.

espresso

You won't get anything better for free. It is basically GIMP in a wrapper to make it resemble Photoshop. There are plenty tutorials on the net to show you how to do most tasks that you would want to do to create a logo.

debitcardmayhem

espresso wrote: »

You won't get anything better for free. It is basically GIMP in a wrapper to make it resemble Photoshop. There are plenty tutorials on the net to show you how to do most tasks that you would want to do to create a logo.

Hmmm , I disagree , but only because I learnt my Gimp the hard way :cool:

EchoLocation

The GIMP will certainly be able to replicate that tutorial.

The issue you face is that most logos are created and saved as Vector images rather than Bitmap images. The difference being that Vector images can be easily resized without losing fidelity because they are mathematical based files, as opposed to pixel based files. A bitmap image contains no 'structural' information of the image, so when you resize a bitmap it can only work with the pixel information it has, leading to pixellation and loss of detail. As Vector images are essentially mathematical expressions that 'describe' the image, when resized they can fill in, or maintain, the extra detail needed. The GIMP is only a Bitmap (or raster) image editor.

If you think that you'll need your logo in different sizes and may want to make changes in future, I'd suggest trying out something like Inkscape which is a free Vector graphics editor. If however you just want a fixed logo that you're never likely to change at all then just go for it with the GIMP - remember to save an 'original' file of your logo as an .xcf file to maintain all the image and text layers. Also remember to save the final logo image in a lossless format like .png

jap200

EchoLocation wrote: »

The GIMP will certainly be able to replicate that tutorial.

The issue you face is that most logos are created and saved as Vector images rather than Bitmap images. The difference being that Vector images can be easily resized without losing fidelity because they are mathematical based files, as opposed to pixel based files. A bitmap image contains no 'structural' information of the image, so when you resize a bitmap it can only work with the pixel information it has, leading to pixellation and loss of detail. As Vector images are essentially mathematical expressions that 'describe' the image, when resized they can fill in, or maintain, the extra detail needed. The GIMP is only a Bitmap (or raster) image editor.

If you think that you'll need your logo in different sizes and may want to make changes in future, I'd suggest trying out something like Inkscape which is a free Vector graphics editor. If however you just want a fixed logo that you're never likely to change at all then just go for it with the GIMP - remember to save an 'original' file of your logo as an .xcf file to maintain all the image and text layers. Also remember to save the final logo image in a lossless format like .png

Thank you. I shall heed your good advice and try first with Gimp. If I have the need (and time) later I can also then try Inkscape.

InsideInsurance

Gimp or GimpShop are ok but I would reiterate the view that you should be creating it in vector format.

Almost without fail you are going to want both a web and a print version of your logo which will be require two different resolutions. If you do it as a bitmap then the only way to get very good quality in both resolutions is to make your logo twice, rescaling is never perfect. With a vector image you create it once and no matter what scales you need it it will automatically be right.

EchoLocation

Dont be fooled into thinking that you absolutely need a logo for your business. I tend to associate logos with corporates and brands, smaller businesses sometimes really only need to present their name in a 'graphic', rather than have an image representation. There are alot of pointless generic or cliched logos out there that hold no meaning whatsoever for the business they are supposed to represent. If you want some inspiration for a logo have a look though the gallery here, but you may want to consider just having your business name as the 'logo'. A tidy font, bold colour, maybe partially in italics or embolded. It may be a more effective, and simpler, route.

neilwoods

Very few small business have an identifiable logo to represent them. At the end of the day, the brand is all about your product and the people behind it.

Yes it can be effective to have a logo, something people can look at and immediately associate it to you. As already said, keep it simple, the more detail you have, less chance of remembering it.

InsideInsurance

Would agree with not paying £100,000 for a logo to be developed for a startup small business but would disagree with simply putting the name at the top of the site. I have come across many ecommerce sites that are using a standard oscommerce or wordpress template with their site name simply in large text at the top and there is little that gets more alarm bells ringing as it looks so unprofessional

EchoLocation

My post was intended mainly to advise that a logo isn't always necessary, I wasn't suggesting just simply typing out the company name as a substitute - I agree that it would need a design presentation element to it.

If the OP comes back, perhaps they could give us the company name, background and any particular ideas they have, and I expect a few of us would help out with some ideas of our own.