Logo & Symbol Design

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Color Options - Chrome & Tropical Symbols

3D modeled logos offer nearly limitless color and lighting options. Two versions of the same symbol with dramatically different color schemes. Bright, saturated, tropical island colors and reflective chrome, rendered on theta symbols.

Chrome Symbol Theta - Shiny Reflective Metal: Tap for Interactive

Tropical Colored Symbol Theta - Mapping Coordinates for RTT

3D Logos

With a logo modeled in three dimensions, you can try a wide range of colors, textures and lighting for the logo itself. Plus consider viewing the logo or symbol for different perspectives.

3ds Max RTT

I prepared the model with 3ds Max. Exported to WebGL, then rendered the model online with different texture maps.

While modeling, I applied render to texture (RTT) then found that other textures conveniently wrapped around the symbol in a way that highlights the beveled edges.

3ds Max's render to texture (RTT) feature for the chrome reflective map, conveniently patterned tropical colors along bevels of the tropical island colors example, with UV mapping.

Logos and Symbols

Often the terms logo and symbol refer to two different aspects of a product's branding. Logo usually involves a brand's name in a specific font along with a standalone symbol. For example the Nike swoosh represents Nike apart from the text which says Nike. The swoosh alone is the symbol.

The best symbols provide quick brand recognition. The ideal symbol looks great in black and white reduced down to one half inch square. Prepare a color version as well, to grab attention. However black and white symbols work on packaging with limited color options. Successful products can omit both the logo text and color scheme yet people continue to recognize the brand by the symbol.

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