Top Branding Experts Agree: Don’t Use a Free Logo Maker
By: Sacha Brant
Tags: Logo Design, Branding Strategy, Graphic Design, Branding

Are there free logo ANY benefits to using

a free logo maker?

There are, I need to be honest. If you need something within a specific set of parameters, for a specific period of time, this can be useful. Here are the areas where you may actually want to consider using a free logo maker.

Ease of use: So long as you come prepared with time and patience, you can scroll through and easily select different icons, fonts, colors, and mix and match slogans with ease.

A choice of icons: Most logo creators are based on the library of “The Noun Project”. It’s a library of over 2 Million curated icons that are free for commercial use. Some of the icons have basic editability though they are not intended to be customizable to a great extent.

Time saver: Most logo creators can create the same logo in different sizes and show you a preview for websites, business cards, t-shirts, etc.. This will speed up your creation process by giving you visuals. It also increases their upsell potential as they want you to get the things they have mocked up for you.

No software installation required: All you need is a modern browser! You sign up and start creating.

So, if you need something NOW — do it. Understand that you will likely outgrow it. Quickly. If your business is successful. However, if your business is not successful, it could very well be your free logo maker creation that’s playing a part in that.

AND there are more drawbacks to Free Logo Makers

Icons aren’t unique: Yes, there are many icons. Yes, there are high quality options, but no, there is no way to ensure that exact same icon won’t pop up in your competitors branding. What this amounts to, in the end, is that your logo will probably have a generic look.

No custom fonts or icon upload: Easy is good and all, but sometimes easy becomes a hindrance. Without the ability to add your own icons or fonts, you’re pigeon-holed into only what’s provided. Ew.

Locked with logo maker: you can export your existing logo, but all options are saved in the logo maker platform itself. And they like to make you work to get them.

You don’t own the copyright: Free logo makers can’t give away the license to their own images for free. They’d go bankrupt. That wouldn’t work at all. To acquire a copyright to a logo design you’ve created, you have to pay mucho money. And if you don’t own the copyright, that means anyone else can use the same exact logo design without penalty.

You won’t be taking advantage of the skills and talent of professional design experts: As written on BritishLogoDesign.co.uk

“Professional logo designers are highly skilled, talented and experienced individuals. They know all the ins and outs of creating brand identity, and keep up to date with trends and the latest research of how certain fonts, colours and graphics are perceived. There is no way that a logo maker could stand up to a logo designed professionally. They can advise you and design something which exactly fits your needs, is creative, appropriate to your industry and up to spec in terms of the software used to create it.”

It can be overwhelming: A excerpt from porternovelli.com says

“Designing something yourself can be fun at first. “Look! Purple triangles and a spooky font! I love it!” Hold on there. Not to be overly blunt, but you’re not a designer… and that’s OK. It’s fun to look at the options and you may even get some great ideas from exploring prefab logos. But you’re an expert in your own industry with unique offerings. Focus on that.”

A free logo maker may reuse designs for several of the clients getting free work: mortendesignco.com adds

“Your company logo performs best when it’s aligned with your message and branding; consumers know companies by their logo. How is a logo going to make your business stand out if it’s the same look that six other businesses have?”

The Brain Surgeon Says You Need a Tumor Removed

– Don’t Argue

In a lot of cases, your branding expert needs to do the same thing when you come to us AFTER your forays into Canva and Wix logo makers.

A good brand will take a little research and hassle to sort out who your audience is and what they would be drawn too. It takes money to hire someone who can create something unique to you and your brand, something that you can take to the bank so to speak.

Plus, have you considered expertise? Do you HAVE any? We all want to believe we know what will attract our customers, but most only truly understand what will attract them. An expert works with you to find out who your audience is, how to appeal to them while maintaining the you, the brand an the emotions needed, and how to use all the elements to create a manipulated experience causing a lasting effect.

Let’s say you need heart surgery. Your doctor told you, confirmed it with tests, and set you up with a specialist. The specialist is there to work with you to repair the problem with your heart to get you working as close to 100% as possible. Day of the surgery, you tell this esteemed surgeon that, no, you don’t want his treatment, you read online that this OTHER THING that can be done to your shin bone will work instead.

Do you think that you’ll come out healthy and happy with an extended lifespan? Truly? That the treatment will work? If this sounds like something you would do, PLEASE USE A FREE LOGO MAKER and spare all of the professionals of the world from trying to argue with you.

If you’re like the rest of us, and can see how ridiculous it would be to do that to your accomplished, esteemed, knowledgeable surgeon, I’m sure you can extrapolate and understand bringing a Canva logo to a professional designer is about the same damn thing.

Yeah, I know, I likely shook some of you up a bit with this information. We all WANT to believe the doing it ourselves online will save us time, hassle, and money. Thing is — you get what you pay for. Always.