What do the ® and ™ beside logos mean?

What do the ® and ™ beside logos mean?

I am not an attorney. I am an art director. What follows is a very simplified explanation of these ™ ® marks in the USA based on my understanding from my professional work career.

As a professional graphic designer any logo I create has copyrights. This is one form of protection of art work. As that logo art is licensed by me to a business, and as the business grows, it may want additional legal protection for the logo asset.

Logos and Trademarks Confusion ™ ® 

A logo is a form of a Trademark.

Today there are at least seven recognized categories of trademarks and logos:
1. Name only logos (BRAUN, Scripto, XEROX, Kellogg’s, FedEx)
2. Name symbol logos (Ford, Bayer, Hertz, Nike)
3. Initial letter logos (IBM, NBC,)
4. Pictorial name logos (Apple Computer’s apple, Jaguar’ leaping Jaguar, NBC colored peacock)
5. Associative logos (Elmers-cow, Michelin-man, Geico-geeko)
6. Allusive logos (flickr, Yahoo, Corollla)
7. Abstract logos (Olympics five intersecting circles, Nike swoosh, addidas stripes)

These seven categories are frequently simplified when presented by professional graphic designers to clients into:

1. Wordmarks
2. Device marks
3. Composite mark–both a wordmark and a device mark. 

A trademark is a device which can take almost any form, as long as it is capable of identifying and distinguishing specific goods or services. Historically, or traditionally, the term “trademark” described only marks designating products or “goods”.
Often the word today is used to describe both goods and services type of marks. Another type of a trademark, a services mark, indicates the source or origin of services. Examples are plumbers or movers with service marks on delivery vehicles.

A ® means registered trademark. The symbol ™ means trademark. Trademark registration occurs at different levels; state level and federal level.

Before a logo has ™ status at the state level it is first registered at the state level and can carry the ® once legally registered. The business goes through the legal gauntlet of the trademark registration process to use the ® next to its logo art . Eventually the legal paperwork gauntlet gets a business logo to the ™ status. To gain federal level protection the paperwork gauntlet is repeated at a greater expense.

This is part of what a good attorney that specializes in intellectual property rights does for a client.

To learn more on your own read;
1. The Copyright Guide; a Friendly Handbook To Protecting and Profiting From Copyrights. By Lee Wilson.
Another book is:
2. Graphic Artists Guild Handbook Pricing & Ethical Guidelines (currently 15th ed).
These reads lead to other books, articles, and people on  ™ ® topics, as well as other associated topics.

What typeface is Coke or Coca-Cola?

It is a Logo.

The Coca-Cola logo art is possibly rooted in the character forms of a popular business correspondence cursive script style writing know as Spencerian script.

Historical Context

In the mid 1880s typewriters started to be common in offices. Business communications were hand written prior to this. A business used business scripts, carefully penned and written by hand with a fountain pen. 

The ease of writing with a ball point pen did not exist until after the typewriter was in place. The ball point pen was improved and was commercially available and sold by the early 20th century.

What Typeface is Coke or Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola lore has it that the script style logo art was penned by the company bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. The 1900 version is his interpretation of Spencerian script. The Coca-Cola logo has evolved and it has been redesigned several times to what looks like the script classification typeface you see now.

link to TMI on history of logo follows:

A Revealing Look at the Evolution of Coca-Cola and Pepsi Logos

Spencerian Script

Logo brand images

After reading all this wouldn't you like to drink an ice cold refreshing coke?

Which font should I use that will match my logo?

“Which font should I use that will match my logo?”

This is a question answered by the graphic design professional in the graphic design process and methodology work flow used when working the problem of creating a logo and identity for a clients' business.

Designing a company or product logo and designing how the logo works and interacts with other graphic elements is part of the value created by working with a professional graphic designer.

A logo and then associated identity guidelines can be set up as part of the logo and identity system that supports the logo and its use in advertising, marketing communications and general customer communications for a company. Choice of typography, or which fonts to use is part of business identity. This graphic design thinking and planning is what becomes identity and brand strategy that establishes the base and results in cohesive communications for the business .

This is one of the services offered when you work with a professional graphic designer to create a logo and its visual systems such as: business cards, letterheads, envelopes, emails, newsletters, presentations, web sites…

Logo and associated identity guidelines are of value in the time saving start of every business communication conducted. The business colors, the tone of writing, the photo visuals, how design elements relate in 2d space, the paper for stationery or other printed marketing communications has all been strategically determined, prepared and so that new projects have many hurdles cleared.

What does your logo look like? What logo category is it in? Many questions and discussions about your business position, business target audience, business competitors activities are some of the information needed and used to answer, to design and guide you with answering “Which font should I use that will match my logo?” 

Just one benefit of a business relationship when working with graphic design professionals at Ted Baker Design.

What is the worst font

I was asked: “What is the worst font on Microsoft Word?”

Question about Microsoft Word and Fonts come up frequently and the answers generally are not specific to the Word application or Fonts.

Microsoft Word is at its core a word processing application. It can display your text files using any typeface family or individual font installed on your computer. The fonts on your computer are some of the many tools used in visual communications. When utilized correctly fonts can be fun, create interest and assist in communicating ideas.

Worst font; this is a misconception, bad typography is not to be blamed on the fonts themselves. It is not that a particular font design, or the typeface designer intention to make a “worst font”. A “worst font” is not result of the fonts themselves, or the applications or the computers, but on these technologies users.

Sometimes even though the purpose is creating visual communication when using these current technology tools it is not achieved well. It is easy to say this is because untrained ignorant novices are creating bad graphic design. However sometimes graphic designers create crap too.

In the creative services industry creation of a visual communication piece that looks right and functions as it needs to for the intended audience is a combination of such things as fonts, images, media, and the design process thinking in the writing, art direction and graphic design practice. Traditionally skills specifying a font or fonts were taught, learned and gained from collaboration, mentorship, years of study, experience typesetting and crafting typography that resulted in a quality visual communication piece that was then printed on paper media.

Fonts have been around a long time and thousands exist. Historic purpose and context are relevant to ones selection of one font over another. Some fonts are created for display size, others for text size. Each font is created to assist in solving a problem of human communication.

Sometimes in graphic design and typography steps are skipped, design abuse occurs and bad business cards, flyers, websites, movie screen credits, paper back books, ads, magazines, invitations, signs, you name it, are created. Any visual communication creation can have a font that “looks worst”. This is a human failing in font selection and that fonts improper application, not the result of the font or program used.

Consider these fonts below, each was designed with a purpose, direction and consideration. Not of a serif or san-serif classification these fonts fall under special display font classification you would not want to read them in the many pages of paragraphs in a paperback novel. However in other media and for a specific use, for an intended audience, to convey a particular message they have a place.

How do I underline a word in Adobe InDesign?

August 9, 2019

Recently I was asked: “How do I underline a word in Adobe InDesign?”

Underlining text, yes you can do this using InDesign it is a simple few keystrokes, but why underline?

In modern professional western typesetting this is not typically practiced within a paragraph of text or other running text. The goal of setting beautiful legible and readable typography for a reader, well underlining does not achieve this. The use is thought distracting, so underlining in professional publication is not frequently produced in print, PDF or web pages.

Many other practices can be used to indicate emphasis in modern typesetting.

Consult your local graphic designer to learn better visual communications and typesetting practices.

As I mentioned using InDesign underlining can be quickly done. The first step is to select the word, sentence, paragraph that you want to effect and set with an underline.

What is the importance of the logo in business?

Recently I was asked the question;
“What is the importance of the logo in business?”

Many views and opinions exist on the topic of a business logo.

One of the commonly accepted ideas is that a logo acts as identification.

Although this is a truth, a logo's role and function extends beyond this. Your logo not only acts as a building block in your business identity, it is fundamental to your business brand.

Many different businesses exist. These operate in different economies. Some businesses exist based on “word of mouth”. Typically if one of these grows and expands, it builds into an existence in many interconnected economies. The business evolves into a business organization that needs to be distinguished from other competitive businesses. It requires a device that identifies the business’s product or services to consumers. The idea and practice of trademark has evolved as a means to solve this.

Logos and Trademarks confusion ™ ® 

The term logo can be confusing. Logos are one type of device. There are several types of devices and multiple categories of logos and trademarks. To keep it simple these are sorted into three marks;

1. Wordmarks, also text logos, also lettermark, (Name-only-logo; BRAUN, XEROX. Initial-letter-logo; IBM, CNN. Name-symbol-logo; Ford, Hertz, Nike)

2. Device marks, also symbol mark, also brandmark or icon, (Pictorial-name-logo; Apple computer’s apple, twitter bird. Associative-logos; Michelin man).

3. Composite mark, also Combination mark, both a wordmark and a device mark.

A trademark is a device which can take almost any form as long as it is capable of identifying and distinguishing specific goods or services.

Historically, or traditionally, the term “trademark” described only marks designating products or “goods”. Today, the word is often used to describe both goods and services type of marks.

Commonly, wordmarks are referred to as “trademarks” or “text logos”. Device marks are referred to as “logos” “icon” or “symbol mark”. Composite marks are referred to as “combination logos” as “character” and “emblem”.

This trademark topic is covered in depth in an earlier post. Trademarks, Logos an Introduction 

Trademark considerations, a graphic design perspective on the importance of the logo in business. 

Logos are more than words or devices;

• They identify a product, service or organization.         

• differentiate a product, service or organization from others.

• They communicate information as to origin, value and quality.

• Logos add value-at least in most cases

• Represent potentially valuable assets   

• Serve as important legal properties

To obtain a deeper understanding and a more in-depth answer to your question “What is the importance of the logo in business?”, hire and consult with a local graphic design business.

Ted Baker Design can not only answer this in great depth, but will help you determine if your business is in need of a logo and ensure that you choose the best trademark for your business.

A Question about typefaces

“How many approximate typefaces exist?”

Lots, some are remade and some new ones are released all the time.

Several large established type foundries and typeface retailers are active as well as small and mid size typeface creators.

On the website Fonts.com alone they have 21,343 typeface families. Many text typeface families have four fonts, some even more font weights or styles. Take for example Sabon, a transitional serif typeface that comes with four styles in the family; Sabon Roman, Sabon Italic, Sabon Bold, and Sabon Bold Italic. Then you have typefaces such as Neue Helvetica that has 109 font styles.

For simplicity let us calculate approximate number based on four styles per family starting with the 21,343 typeface families, so that is 85,372 fonts, that is estimated number of typefaces just on Fonts.com.

This plethora of typefaces that are organized into classifications; Sans, Serif, Script, Display Symbol, Monospaced is frequently overwhelming to the average person. For a graphic designer trained in visual communications these typefaces are tools used in creating the many logos, stationery, cards, advertising, websites, motion graphics, cd•dvd•album covers, exhibits, brochures, magazines, newspapers, books, packaging, posters, internet icons, signs, you see everyday.

This specialized knowledge of typefaces and typography, the how, when, and where to use and apply them in creating a visual communication piece is one part of the specialized expertise provided when you work with a professional graphic designer such as myself.

Lots of typefaces exist in the world, hire a graphic designer that will choose one that will convey your business message in it own unique and appropriate way.

Recently I was asked this question; “Why is 11 point font the default on docs and pages if 12 point font is the most popular sized font used?”

It may be statistically accurate that many different text fonts are frequently set as 12 points on 14 points leading.

The practice of graphic design and selecting type size is not a popularity contest. Font and point size choice are part of a bigger whole, these choices are partly a reflection of target audience need.

Many factors impact a visual communication device and a human beings ability to read a page in a book, or column of text in a magazine, or text content of a website displayed on a phone, tablet or desktop computer monitor. The process of reading is important. Good typography supports reading and it forms the words that communicate information, thoughts, important ideas from one mind to others. Ideas and idea exchange is key, it results in learning, opinions, peace, innovation, it is paramount to human beings.

Good typography is the result of informed, carefully made and considered decisions, it is a part of the practice of graphic design. A graphic designers choice of typeface, type size, line length, word-spacing, letterspacing, tracking, kerning, leading or line spacing all these combine and contribute to quality typographic composition. The reading process is enhanced because good typography results in how effectively the words communicate.

The dynamic balance between legibility and readability is what makes for good typography, this is part of what setting type is about. The reader should not be aware of the typography, good typeset text is almost invisible. When the typography is transparent to the reader you have readability. In a long publication, a book, magazine article, annual report, or instruction-manual readability becomes extremely important.

Many typefaces with text weight fonts perform well and have readability and legibility when set at 11 or 12 point size with 13–14 point leading using line lengths or paragraph width from 10 points to 30 points. So your going to encounter and employ these type specifications in variations and combinations when working with body copy text in many visual communication applications and media. For a very broad target audience demographic using these type specifications happen to be a practical, common problem solution. 

Quality typography composition is very hard to do. Despite what the proponents of DIY and marketing people of Microsoft spew to convince one to think that using MS Word is typesetting and the inexperienced and untrained can achieve good typography and quality communication using it. MS Word is a word processing program, it isn’t typesetting and the content generated has to be remade to use it to make acceptable typography and design layout art for commercial publishing.

You have to start somewhere and for the inexperienced, defaults in word processing or dedicated graphic arts programs start the journey.

You can change defaults using properties or preference settings, if you want the default to be 12 point on 14 point leading, then change it.

These are my observations, opinions and an answer to why is 11 point font the default.