Monogram or signum is a type of logo that seems to be more and more popular lately. It is obtained by combining two or more (usually initial) letters so that we design a unique and recognizable graphic solution.

How to create a monogram?

At first glance, drawing and combining existing graphic elements of a letter may seem simple. However, if you want your signum or monogram design to look professional so that it works for your brand, then you should also follow some of the guidelines and tips in the creation process.

Almost as a rule, if your brand has a long name, then it is recommended to use initials or syllables when creating a logo. For example, the International Federation of Choral Music sounds quite long, so when designing the logo, we logically started with the abbreviation IFCM.

If we were to look at more famous brands, it would certainly be worth mentioning Louis Vuitton, Under Armor, New York Yankees, CNN, Volkswagen, General Electric, DC Shoes, Play Station , etc.

Once we have established what monograms or signums are and how we can make them recognizable for your brand, we should explain the design process itself step by step.

Brief

When designing a monogram, as well as when creating a logo, it is very important to clearly define:

What does the company do?

What is the target group?

Where and how will the monogram be used?

About the brand, what are the advantages, history, location?

Do you want a business or casual solution?

What effect or feeling do you want to achieve with clients?

Which letters or syllables to use?

Although initials are most often used, i.e. the first letters of the word from the name, this does not have to be the rule. In the main, words are taken that are the most memorable and that will clearly indicate which brand it is.

It is also not necessary to use only letters, but numbers can also fit. So, for example, instead of MMM, you can use 3M, or for B to B, B2B is used instead of BTB. You just need to look at all the possibilities and decide on the one that will leave the strongest impression.

A sketch

This step is especially characteristic of monogram designs. While you are still in the process of creation, it would be best not to spend too much time on precise solutions, but to work out the possibilities by sketching them on paper.

The more drawings you have, the easier it will be to find a solution. Take care that this should not be a work of art that you will hang on the wall, but in this step you should consider how the shapes of the letters can fit together, without which elements the letters can be legible and unambiguous, which elements can be shared and so on.

Design

Once you are sure that you have a good sketch, it should be translated into vector form on the computer. At this stage, flaws can be noticed that are not visible on paper, so they need to be corrected. These are mainly flaws related to symmetry, thickness of lines, spaces between elements, etc.

The advantage of drawing monograms on the computer can be that you can use letters from existing fonts and just modify them and adapt them to the basic idea.

It is important that your logo is well balanced and is clear regardless of dimensions.

Colors

It is recommended that you always design your logo or symbol in black and white before introducing colors. In this way, you ensure that your signum will look good regardless of how it is used.

Occasionally, grayscale is created to adjust the contrast of certain elements. This isn’t usually necessary, but it’s worth keeping in mind to make your color choices easier.

Check to see if brand colors already exist or are predetermined so that your monogram works well in this palette. Otherwise, choose an appropriate color for the brand and create your palette.

There are a number of apps on the internet that can help you create color palettes for your brand.

Finally, make sure to test your monogram in the most common use cases by inserting it into a suitable mock up.

Once you go through all these steps, your monogram is ready to use. These graphic solutions generally look great on physical products and have a lasting quality that you can use for many years.

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