Creating Metallic Type

The effect in this exercise is as widely used as the drop shadow. Metallic type can be found in car ads, CD covers, and movie logos. A glance through any magazine will produce a myriad of examples. There will be many intermediate steps to this exercise. Keep in mind that the end result is not really what is important here but rather the steps. These steps with a minor alteration—as the use of a different color—will provide the solution to many other situations.

1. Create a new file.

Create a PhotoShop file large enough to contain the full logo you are about to create.

Add a gradient.

Add a linear gradient from top to bottom with the Gradient Tool, using any colors you wish.

Add type.

With the Horizontal Type Tool, enter the name you want to use for your logo.

Warp text.

In the Type Options bar, click on the Create Warped Text icon. Here you can choose whichever effect and amounts you want. Click OK.

Create a path.

Create а path from the type by going to Layer > Type > Create Work Path. The new path can be found under the Path palette. The original text layer can now be discarded or turned off. Using the Direct Selection tool, the path can be modified to any shape you wish. Additional points can be added to create distortions or mutated shapes.

Fill path.

Once you have the path completed, create a new layer and fill the path with a color. This can be done in many ways. Simply click on the Fill Path button at the bottom of the Path palette. Which color you use is irrelevant because you will be overriding it later.

Add drop shadow.

Double click (Mac) or Alt-Double click (Win) on the layer in the Layers palette with your logo to bring up the Layer Style dialog box. Steps 7–10 will be done in this dialog box. In the Layer Style dialog box, choose Drop Shadow. Adjust it however you wish.

Add bevel and emboss.

Click on Bevel and Emboss. Choose Chisel Hard for the Technique and pump up the Depth.

Add gradient overlay.

Select Gradient Overlay. Click on the gradient to bring up the Gradient Editor. Choose the gradient type that looks like the reflections used in metallic type. When you choose a particular gradient it appears in the Editor box. You can now adjust the gradient in any way you want. Clicking the paint wells below the gradient allows you to move their position or change their color in the settings area. Clicking below the gradient where there is no well will automatically insert a new well. The wells along the top of the gradient control opacity.

Adjust the angle.

Once you have the gradient you want, click OK to exit the Editor. Back in the Layer Style dialog, adjust the Angle so the gradient intersects the logo at the right angle to simulate the reflections in the metal.

Add Stroke.

Finally, choose Stroke to add an edge to the logo. Click OK to exit the Layer Styles dialog. You are now done.

Module 3. Logo and package design

Unit 13.

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

Logo

A logo is an iconic symbol designed to represent a company, product or service, and sometimes certain places (e.g., Canada). It also depicts an organization's personality.

In recent times the term “logo” has been used to describe signs, emblems, coats of arms, symbols and even flags. But in this article we will speak about true logos, which may generally be contrasted with emblems, or marks, which include non-textual graphics of some kind. Emblems with non-textual content are considered one aspect of a complete logo.

The uniqueness of a logo is to avoid confusion in the marketplace among clients, suppliers, users, and the general public. While a logo achieves this aim, it may function as a trademark, and may be used to identify businesses, organizations, events, products or services. Once a logo is designed, one of the most effective means for protecting it is through registration as a trademark, so that no unauthorised third parties can use it. If rights in relation to a logo are correct, businesses will turn to local graphic designers to do a corporate logo.

Distinct aspects of a complete logo:

· Logotype/Wordmark/Lettermark: text or abbreviated text

· Icon: symbol / brand mark

· Slogan: description of the company

Brand slogans.Sometimes a slogan is included in the logo. If the slogan appears always in the logo, and in the same graphic shape, it can be considered as part of the logo. In this case it is a brand slogan also called a claim, a tagline or an endline in the advertising industry. The main purpose of it is to support the identity of the brand together with the logo. The difference between a slogan and a brand slogan is that brand slogan remains the same for a long time to build up the brands image while different slogans link to each product or advertising campaign.

Examples of brand slogans:

• U.S. Army: An Army of One.
• Ryanair: The low fares airline.
• Nokia: Connecting people.
• BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine.
• Nike: Just Do It.
• Lexus: The Passionate Pursuit of Perfection.
• Adidas: Impossible Is Nothing.
• National Basketball Association (NBA): I Love This Game

Logos today

Red Cross and the Red Crescent logos

Today there are many corporations, products, services, agencies using a sign or emblem as logo. But many of them have realized that only a few of the thousands of signs people see are recognized without a name. So, it is quite clear that it has no sense to use a sign as a logo, even together with the name, if people will not identify it. Therefore, the trend in the recent years has been to use both images (icons) and the company name to emphasize the name instead of the supporting graphic portion, making it unique by its letters, colour, and additional graphic elements.

Emblems (icons) may be more effective than a written name, especially for logos being translated into many alphabets; for instance, a name in the Arabic language would be of little help in most European markets. A sign or emblem would keep the general proprietary nature of the product in both markets. In non-profit areas, the Red Cross is an example of an extremely well known emblem which does not need a name to go with. Good branding also helps to facilitate cross-language marketing. The Coca-cola logo can be identified in any language because of the standards of colour and the iconic ribbon wave.

Colour.Colour is important to the brand recognition, but should not be an integral component to the logo design. Some colours are associated with certain emotions that the designer wants to convey. For instance, loud colours, such as red, that are meant to attract the attention of drivers on freeways are appropriate for companies that require such attention. In the United States red, white, and blue are often used in logos for companies that want to project patriotic feelings. Colour is also useful for linking certain types of products with a brand. Warm colors (red, orange, yellow) are linked to hot food and thus can be seen integrated into many fast food logos. Cool colours (blue, purple, green, silver) are associated with lightness and weightlessness, thus many diet products have a light blue integrated into the logo.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 772