How Free Graphic Symbols Can Kill Your Logo Design

All graphic designers find one tool in graphic design software to be very useful and fun to use – the graphic symbols! They come in handy when creating logos and even better, they are free! Simply select the symbol type and size, move the graphic symbol across the screen and you can get various styles in one go. No sweat, no aches and you get a near-perfect logo! Sounds cool, right?

There is no doubt that the symbol tool makes the entire design process very easy. However, as fun and useful they are, free symbols have no place in professional logo design, or at least they shouldn’t. Let me take this step by step and explain to you clearly why free graphic symbols could have your logo design in the trash.

Free Symbols – Just Say NO!

When it comes to professional logo design, it is best to simply not use the free graphic symbols. Many logo designers believe that the symbols are licensed simply because the graphic software is licensed. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

All graphic software come equipped with the same free symbols by default. This creates the possibility of trademark infringement as many designers are very likely to use the same symbols for similar logo design projects. This can spell disaster for both the designer and the client.

A few types of Free Graphic Symbols

The Solution – Create Your Own Shapes from Scratch

The best solution to the above dilemma is simply to create your own symbols, or better yet start creating designs and shapes from scratch. Some graphic designers prefer creating their own distinctive symbols extracted from their favorite patterns and images. While this approach works, it eventually leads to redundancy and hence is not encouraged. Logo designers should make sure that every aspect of their design is unique from the ground up. Be original and creative! Even if it means making a square from a pencil tool, the extra effort is worth it. Being unique will improve your reputation as an authentic designer and save you from potential problems in the future.

Remember that free graphic symbols albeit very useful, are counter-productive when it comes to professional logo design. So the next time you want to use a free symbol, think again!