Choosing Fonts when Designing a Logo

Conway

New Member
Often when I approach a logo design project I have on a number of occassions chosen a suitable font straight from what is available on my computer systems fonts list, and then I have designed some sort of relevant iconic/symbol/mark to go along with the font to complete the logo.

But this has led me to question my methods when designing a logo. The problem for me is that I don’t ever feel completely satisfied that I can claim my logo designs to be 100% my own work, the fact that i am pulling a font straight off my computer systems font list which has been painstakingly crafted by a typographer designer and using it as part of my own design via a few selection clicks of my mouse just does not sit right with me, it makes me feel that only half the logo design is my own and the other half is the work of the typography designer.

Id be very interested to hear from other designers who feel they are doing the same thing when designing a logo, or maybe you don't, maybe some logo designers really do design their own custom font as well as any symbols to go with it, which I fully respect. However if you don't design your own customised fonts nor do you use fonts straight off your computer system how do you go about choosing them? What places (URLs) do you visit to purchase them? and how do you feel about doing this? Let me know your thoughts please guys...
 
I think if a font is for commercial use then it's built to be applied in ways like this. The designer improves upon the font to create something suitable for the client
 
As a designer it is your job to find a suitable font for the purpose - you will make decisions based upon the client, the market, current typographic trends, budget... Your solution will be a font that ticks all those boxes. If it's Comic Sans, then that's just great.

Some type just needs to be set properly, some needs worked into, that's your call. I have no issues buying a font if I think it will suit the job I'm working on, because the skill of the designer is to use something fit for purpose! How many logos or set type have you seen with unsuitable fonts? Just because a font exists it won't put itself on the logo, the designer has to identify it and apply it. That's real skill.
 
Two classic sites are myfonts.com and fontshop.com. Both take fonts from a variety of foundries.

Other sites/foundries to try include veer.com, typography.com (Hoefler & Frere Jones, Sudtipos.com, houseind.com and hvdfonts.com.

Sourcing and appropriately using fonts is a really enjoyable and thoroughly valid task for a designer. Once you start browsing, you'll find you can hardly bring yourself to stop.
 
I didn't create the colour red, I'd still use it if appropriate though. It's how you apply the font in context more than it's creation.
 
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