The Logo Process Part 7: Color Development

In this article we take a look at how to implement and use color in logo design.  However, this article is NOT about color theory, the meaning of colors etc.

This article does explain the difference between 4-color process and Pantone, using these color systems for a logo design and what is common practice when using color in logo design.

Before You Start

Before you start using color in logo design your concept should be chosen and done.  At this point you should have a completed black and white logo that is ready to go through color development.  If you have followed the previous articles in this series you have come a long way and you are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

How Many Colors?

In most cases you don’t want to use more than four colors in a logo design.  Just like anything else in logo design many colors add complexity and are unnecessary.  However, there may be times where the logo does need to use more than four colors such as the old Apple logo, and The NBC logo.
If you can narrow down your use of color to just two or three colors that is even better.

Just remember that everything needs a reason.  If you are going to use four colors and not five, ask why you need to use four.  What are the four colors representing.  Can you use less colors to convey the same meaning?  Everything needs a reason in design.  Including color.

Color Trends

When developing a logo’s color it is always a good idea to see what colors are common within an industry.  Anything promoting good health and organic food is usually green, the tech industry is big on blue etc.

Understand the industry and how color is used throughout it.  You must decide whether you are going to blend in or stick out.  Try to choose colors that are different but can convey the same meaning.

Color Systems

As logo designers we primarily use two color systems.  These systems are the Pantone Color Matching System or PMS for short, And the 4-Color Process which uses primary inks of cyan magenta yellow, and black commonly known as CMYK.

Pantone Matching System

Pantone colors are called spot colors.  A spot color is a recipe for a specific color.  This system ensures that you get the exact same color every time.  Spot colors are called upon by number, for example Pantone 286 is a shade of blue.

When using Pantone colors you will come across classification such as Solid Coated, Solid Uncoated, etc.  As for which classification you should use doesn’t really matter.  Just pick one and be consistent with your color choosing throughout a project.  These terms refer to the type of paper the ink is going to be applied to.  Coated is a gloss while uncoated is more of a matte finish.

Communicate with your printer to eliminate confusion when possible.  Usually the printer will use the correct inks with the correct paper type.

CMYK

For most cases you will be printing using 4-color process called CMYK.  This system uses a combination of 4 inks, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, to create the the complete spectrum of CMYK.  These colors are called up based on a percentage of each primary color.  For example C:58% M:33% Y:100% B:14% would be a shade of green.

These percentages determine how much how much ink is applied to the paper.  Be careful not to over saturate using what is called rich black.  For instance if you used 100% of each color to get a rich black the ink will over saturate the paper and bleed out.  The same black can be accomplished using 50% of C, M and Y and 100% of black.

Compatibility

When using color in you logo design you must make sure that the logo will produce as accurately in Pantone as it does in CMYK.  Some Pantone colors can not be produced using CMYK and vice versa.

It is important to keep both color systems in mind in the event you designed for Pantone but the logo needs to be printed using CMYK.  Unless you prepared for this you won’t be able to get a correct match which could result in poor consistency when implementing an identity throughout the brand.

Solution using the Color Bridge

You may be wondering how to make sure that a logo designed for CMYK will work well in Pantone and vise versa.  That is where the Pantone color bridge comes in handy.  A color bridge is a physical swatch book that you can purchase and use to effectively make sure that your colors can be reproduced accurately between color systems.  What a color bridge does is display Pantone colors next to their CYMYK equivalents or their closest match.

When using this you will notice that some colors can reproduce almost perfectly from PMS to CMYK,  others can be close enough and some colors will be completely different.  Always aim for the best match.

Color in Illustrator

When working with color in Illustrator you can tell what type of colors are what by their swatch icon.  Pantone colors have a white corner with a black dot, while CMYK colors are just filled with the color.  A PMS converted to CMYK is a white corner with no dot.

Presenting Color Concepts to the Client

When you are ready to present color options use the same techniques as stated in the previous article: Presenting Concepts to the Client.  Remember to explain your choices of color and support your arguments.   Leave plenty of white space around concepts as well.

In Conclusion

As mentioned above this article was not about color theory and the meaning of color.  However this article discusses the use of color within logo design.  How to choose color, what color systems do what and how to identify them.

When using color in logo design simplicity is always the answer.  Choose colors carefully and with reason and choose colors that will reproduce in Pantone as well as in CMYK.

In the next and final article of this series I will conclude with an article discussing how to finalize a project, prepare the files and archive it when it is completed.

Related Posts:

1. The Logo Process Part 5: Concept Development
2. The Logo Process: The Complete Guide
3. The Logo Process Part 4: Brainstorm and Sketching
4. The Logo Process Part 6: Presenting Concepts
5. The Logo Process Part 8: Finalization
6. The Logo Process Part 1: Gathering Information
7. The Logo Process Part 2: Creating a Contract