12 Clever Type-Only Logos

Can Your Logo Be Type-Only or Does It Have to Be an Image?

Not all clients need a symbol or picture as their logo.  Sometimes an effective logo can be made using typography only. After all, logos is Latin for “word,” and a logotype, back in the days of hot metal type, was a uniquely set or arranged typeface. Sometimes the name of a company (or its initials) lends itself to a unique type treatment. The Coca Cola and IBM logos are well known examples.

Here are some of my favorite type-only logos that cleverly use the company name to create a unique branding:

piano keyboard logo made created from company initials

Weisinger Music cleverly uses a piano keyboard to create the initials of the company.

Logo that uses negative space to create a knife

Blade uses the negative spaces of the lower case letter “a” to visually create a knife.

logo with a letter treatment that portrays harmony and co existence

Cobode is a specialist architectural design firm promoting affordable housing for single people based on a unique “co-housing” model.  The letter treatment forwards the idea of harmony and living together. logo using letters to portray a family

The “Families” logo uses the letters to visually show a family.

Logo with a hidden letter image

Ed’s Electric. I love this one. Male and female electrical plugs form the letter “E”. Can you see it? (hint: the “E” is formed from  the black space between the electrical plugs) Reminiscent of the “hidden” arrow in the FedEx logo.

a logo that uses letters that can be read flipped

This concept logo for Flipside Entertainment can be read right-side-up or upside-down.

a logo using negative space to form a letter

This “Illusion” logo forms the “s” with negative space.

logo that use negative space to form an image of a shoe

Treacy Shoes: a clever use of the negative space of the initials to form an image of their product.

a type only logo using a letter to symbolize "network"

Precision Networking: The horizontal lines of the “E”s are connected by a yellow bar – a subliminal “network.”

a simple elgant logo using  caligraphy

Type Division: This one is simply beautiful – elegant calligraphy.

a type only logo using a flipped letter

Upside Down: clever use of flipped letters while retaining readability.

logo using the company name to create an image

Bio: here, the name of the company forms a plant.

Do you have a type-only logo you particularly like?

About Jefferson Hawkins

With over 40 years experience in graphic design, marketing and advertising, Jefferson brings a wealth of old-school basics to the digital age.

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