Business Logo Design Key Terms

Learn the vocabulary that will help you make the best business logo

Your business's logo is a key component to developing your company's image. The creation of a logo involves designers and printers; it is imperative that you understand the technical terminology associated with designing your logo if you want it to turn out correctly.

As you begin the creation of your logo, make sure you understand the terms aliasing, cap height, color separation, ascending, descending and CMYK. Knowing the right terms will help you avoid problems when communicating with your graphic designer and printing company.

 

Aliasing

Aliasing describes the method of pushing the pixels along the edges of different colors in a digital images close together to provide a smooth appearance.
Try: Go to LogoBlog.org for a definition of aliasing and other logo-related terminology.

Cap height

Cap height is an important term to know if your logo will contain text. It describes the font height from the bottom of the uppercase and lowercase letters in one line of text, to the top of the uppercase letters.
Try: Read the informative definition of cap height provided by E Company Logos.

Ascender

Ascender describes the part of lowercase letters that rise to the same height as uppercase letters in the same line of text. Letters with ascenders are: "b," "d," "f," "h," "k" and "l."22 "h," "k" and "l."
Try: A Digital Dreamer provides a definition of ascender along with a helpful illustration.
a helpful illustration.

Descender

Descender describes the part of a lowercase letter that falls below the baseline of a line of text. Letters with descenders are "g," "j," "p," "q" and "y."2C" "q" and "y."
Try: Get the definition of descender from AboutLogoDesign.com.3EAboutLogoDesign.com.

CMYK

When it comes time to print your logo, it is important to understand the meaning of CMYK. Also known as full color, CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black which are the four base colors used in printing that are capable of creating all printed colors.
Try: Adrial Designs can provide you with all of the information you need about CMYK and how it pertains to your logo.

Color separation

Color separation describes the process of splitting your logo into different layers based on color (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). You will need to understand color separation in order to provide a properly layered file of your logo to a printer for CMYK printing.
Try: Read about color separation at ARS Logo Design.

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