Legal Writing

Setting Logotype ? Part II

In our last installment on logotype, (Setting Logotype ? Part I), we noted that logotypes are typically stored as images, rather than as text. Because of that, font smoothing — the process used to make type look good at all sizes — can’t be applied to logotype.

Now we ask, “Why?” Why store logotypes as images rather than as text?

Well . . . there’s a darned good reason for that.

First, recall the poor quality logotype that often graces Venable’s publications. Here it is:

Now, what we’re going to do is create a high quality version of Venable’s logotype (shown below).

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Let’s get started.

To begin, Venable’s logotype is set in Times Roman, all caps, with the initial cap being larger than the rest.

So, we start by setting the logotype as text:
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VENABLE

As you can see, Venable doesn’t look all that impressive when set as plain-jane text.

Next, we stretch the type vertically by 50%:

Then, we adjust the spacing between the characters, eliminating the big gap between the first two characters and equalizing the spaces between all the characters:

Finally, we add the trademark symbol and the LLP:

So, there’s our logotype, which is stored as a graphic image.

Why store it as an image?

Because we want a browser to display the logotype at the firm’s web site, but browsers — unlike typesetting programs — can’t do the things we did to transform the name set in Times Roman to the logotype. (Though they will be able to do such things in the near future.)

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Now, zoom way in on this page. As you do, note that the one instance of Venable set as text is the only one that remains nice and smooth at any level of zoom. All the others, being images that can’t be smoothed, look fuzzier and fuzzier the more you zoom in on them.

In our next and final episode, we’ll see what we can do to improve the quality of the logotype at all levels of zoom.

Full post as published by Set in Style on February 01, 2010 (boomark / email).