The Pencil-Pen-Pigment Logo Test
It’s important not to become attached to a logo simply because it looks good. When it comes down to it, an effective logo is more valuable than a pretty one. In fact, given the choice between an ineffective, attractive logo and an effective, unattractive logo, I would always choose the latter. Let’s talk about what makes a logo effective.
It needs to do the job in different situations
An effective logo is designed to work for all mediums where it will be used. For most brands, the logo should be useable for the following applications:
- Websites
- Social Media
- Product Packaging
- Print Advertising
- Email Marketing
- In-Store Displays
- Branded Promotional Products (USB drives, Pens, Drinking Glasses, Bags, Umbrellas etc..)
- Influencer Marketing
- Events and Expos
- Embroidered on caps and shirts
This list is not comprehensive. Some brands may require additional applications such as letterheads and large-scale branding on structures like stadiums. The Pencil-Pen-Pigment (PPP) Test is a quick framework to judge the effectiveness of a logo.
An effective logo is easy to identify regardless of the medium. Based on my research and hands-on experience, I’ve distilled the core principles into the PPP Test. Here’s a break down of my Pencil-Pen-Pigment Test for basic effectiveness of a logo.
- Pencil Test — It should be easy to draw
- Pen Test — It should be recognisable on the side of a pen
- Pigment Test — It should be recognisable when presented as a single colour
These rules provide good guidelines for an effective logo. That’s the gist, we could stop here, it will probably be good enough to get you started. But… let’s say a bit more.
Brands don’t always start with effective logos
In my opinion the KFC logo didn’t start out as the most effective logo. You can observe the evolution of their logo over time.
Microsoft took awhile to come around. They generally passed the pigment test, this was very likely important when placing their logo on printed manuals. Over time they evolved towards something more likely to pass the pencil and pen test.
Additional Considerations
In addition to the PPP test, here are some additional things to think about.
Start with a wordmark and maybe have a symbol
I generally recommend wordmarks over symbols for most young companies. A wordmark, also known as a logo type, is a type of logo that consists of the brand’s name or representative word.
A symbol is a visual element that represents a company or brand in logo design. It is often an abstract or simplified representation.
Here are some more examples:
ASOS, the online beauty and fashion brand, actually have a symbol as well.
Make the logo work on Dark and Light backgrounds
An effective logo is identifiable on both dark and light backgrounds. Some brands use badges, this is common among food brands. Other brands will include a light and dark variation of their logo in their brand guidelines.
Choose colours that are printable
Not all colours that are produced on a computer screen can be printed. This is because screens rely on lights (RGB colour), while printers use pigment (CMYK colour). Not all RGB-based colours that can be generated on your screen can be printed. If you plan to do embroidery, on shirts or caps, you may have even more limitations, based on colours of thread.
Do think about logo variations
If you can’t pull it off with a single, perfect logo, consider having variations. While there may be a main logo with a main colour, you’ll often need versions for single colour use and for specific use cases, for example profile pics are most commonly square or circular.
These are the variations you’ll want to have:
- Full-color version: for use on digital and print media where color reproduction is possible
- One-color version: for use on materials that have limited color options or that need to be printed in black and white
- Monochrome version: for use on materials that require a single color, such as embroidery or engraving
- Reversed version: for use on dark backgrounds where the standard logo may not be visible
- Simplified version: for use on small or low-resolution screens or print materials, where the full logo may not be legible
- Stacked version: for use in vertical spaces or where a horizontal logo would not fit
- Icon version: for use as a standalone symbol or icon, without the company name, on social media profiles or mobile app icons
By including these variations, companies can ensure that their logo is presented consistently and effectively across all mediums, while also maintaining its core identity and brand recognition.
Once you know the why behind these rules, feel free to break them based on your context.
Final Note
You may have already committed to a logo which doesn’t pass the PPP-test. Perhaps you’ve created thousands of labels and brochures, or maybe a physical billboard. Don’t worry, you can take comfort that many billion-dollar brands got their start with a “non-PPP” logo.
From a business perspective, it’s more important to develop a service or product that people are throwing money at you to get. You can update your logo in the future.
