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Royalty free logos and logo stock images

Logos are important in the branding world. Whether it's for your own personal brand, an organization, or a business, a logo tells the outside world who you are with a few meaningfully arranged lines. Typically, it's best to work with a graphic designer if you would like a logo you can trademark. To get some inspiration for your own logo, simply scroll down to see our curated collection of logo stock photos and royalty free images from contributors all over the world.

All about logo stock photos and royalty free images

Logos are everywhere. Your bank has a logo, your vehicle has a logo, even NASA has a logo. We use logos to communicate with broad groups of people very quickly, primarily using tone. Tree logos and mountain logos, for example, have an exploratory, free tone. Food logos, bakery logos, and coffee logos really only have one job: telling people that food and drinks are available in a pleasant environment. A beauty logo, a medical logo, or a real estate logo are representing professional services, so they all need to communicate professionalism so clients feel confident that they're spending their money in the right place. Whatever the logo represents, it must set the right tone.

Trending logos images and backgrounds

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Questions about logos images and backgrounds


What is a logo?

A logo is a simple graphic that serves as the symbol of a brand, be it a personal brand, an organizational brand, or a professional brand. The logo can stand in for the brand's full name and brand identity simply by being present. When you put your logo on an advertisement, for example, you're saying "I approve this message." Logos help us quickly identify storefronts, and they create an imagistic symbol of the experience we'll have there that we can easily remember. When we see logos of things we're familiar with, we're more inclined to re-engage and do business again. The right logo sums up your brand identity with only a few cleverly designed lines, like a circle logo or a star logo — and every good brand needs one.


What is the meaning of a logo graphic?

The meaning of a logo graphic is the nature of the brand itself. Often, logos won't have any inherent meaning in and of themselves. They might be a simple symbol, a stylized letter, or a basic illustration. Taken in the context of a logo, whatever image you see in a logo isn't actually indicating that image. Logo graphics borrow images and designs that mean something else, and they repurpose them to mean Your Brand — that means the goods or experiences you offer or represent, the personality of you or your team, and the values you consider important. The meaning of a logo graphic is the experience a customer can experience when they engage with your branding.


What is a good logo?

A good logo is a functional design. That means that it's easy to recognize, it's easy to understand, and it's easy to remember. Logos aren't necessarily better than one another visual, but they can do a better job of telling your branding story. This means your logo has to feature the right image or design to grab attention and represent your brand. If there's a disconnect between the design of your logo and the branding experience you offer your customers, then it's not a very effective logo. Customers will expect one type of experience based on how your logo represents you, and if they receive a different experience, then they'll be disappointed or put off of your product. For this reason, it's critical to choose the right metaphorical image and style of design for your logo.


What is a modern logo?

A modern logo takes advantage of recent trends in logo design. This can mean contemporary elements like color schemes, line shapes, or types of illustration. It can also mean stylized type design intended to represent the cutting-edge of technology. Rather than more classic logos, which were always symbol- or character-based, and could often be full images in and of themselves, modern logos may feature only a portion of the overall image, sometimes using broken lines or incomplete characters to capture the idea of breaking through tradition. Some modern logos actually imitate more classic logos, but they do so in a distressed or bespoke fashion to make the logo itself look like an antique item. Logos that take chances with their design and offer the viewer something a bit more exciting than a simple illustration are among some of the most eye-catching logos in the market today.


Can you license a logo with Shutterstock?

Licensing a logo with Shutterstock requires a few extra steps. The Shutterstock terms of service does not allow you to use stock photos or vectors for something you're going to trademark. In this case, you need to purchase a special exclusive license, which protects you, the image, and the artist. The exclusive license gives you exclusive rights to the image, which means you can use it as a trademark or a logo. An important detail to note is that others may have downloaded the logo you want as a royalty free image for non-logo or non-trademark purposes. Your exclusive license is not retroactive in regards to these previous agreements, so those users who downloaded the image will still be able to use it in royalty free capacities.

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How to create and use logos creatively

Logos for small businesses Logos images can be great for small business design projects. If you want to create mailers, advertisements, takeaways, or any other promotional product that looks professional, it's great to use some elements from the Shutterstock logos design library. You can create coupons, brand your marketing events, stylize your mailers, or otherwise bring a professional designer's work to your own designs. Look for pieces of the images you see in the logos image library that you might want to use in sections of your project. You don't necessarily have to use the entire logos image — if there are graphics or elements that you think work well with your small business, you can use these even if you don't need the whole image. Compositing images like this together is a great way to create truly unique marketing materials. Logos for designs and projects General designs can really benefit from a robust collection of logos images. Because design work often means collecting assets that you assemble into a full-fledged project, logos design images come in particularly handy. Other images may be more difficult to pick apart and tailor for your design, but logos images can have specific elements that you want, like a hand logo to tell the viewer to stop and pay attention. A school logo or a business logo can come in handy if you're designing for either of these organizations. Photography logos and building logos can serve like clip art, allow you to piece together a custom design unique to your project. Spend some time browsing the logos images library, and open your mind to many different types of images. If you can create a collection of potentials, then you can begin narrowing down your favorites for each project you're working on. Logos for websites Logos images work great for websites. Because websites often need to guide the viewing experience using signs, indicators, and images, logos images can serve more than one function. First, they can help reinforce your brand — choose logos images that are in the same spirit as your business or organization. Are you a laid-back organization? Choose fun logos. Are you a serious firm? Choose something more modern and formal. Second, logos images can help you guide your visitor through the site by indicating special offers, additional content, site navigation, downloads, and more. By using a collection of logos images that all complement each other, you can create the impression that your brand is with the visitor at every click, presenting options, and coaching them on where to go next.

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