Design How-To: Making a Distinctive Monogram

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Design How-To: Making a Distinctive Monogram

A monogram is more than a $5 option on an oxford-cloth shirt. It's an individual stamp, your own personal logo, and a mark of distinction. Making a memorable monogram for personal or business use isn't that difficult, if you keep a few design principles in mind.

Written by John McWade on July 9, 2003

Categories: Fonts, Graphics, Illustration, How-Tos

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This story is taken from & After" Magazine).

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We're accustomed to thinking of monograms as a relic of another era, one in which propriety and tradition were of utmost importance. But if you think of a monogram as a personal brand, then these letter-based logos are as relevant today as ever.

Creating a monogram is an interesting design exercise. You need to incorporate letters or even words in a concise format that delivers graphic punch. Color is critical as is choice of typeface. But with monograms especially, less is more.

In this feature from our partner "Before & After" magazine, learn how to compose a monogram of style and distinction that can be used for either personal branding or business marketing. It all begins with a circle.

This article is a reprint from the archives "Before and After," you'll see references to older version of software. The design concepts, however, are timeless.

We've posted this story as a PDF file. All you do is click this link "Monogram Logo Conveys Character" to open the PDF file in your Web browser. You can also download the PDF to your machine for later viewing.

To open the PDF, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Get it here: