I am often asked if it's possible to create logos in Adobe InDesign.
While this platform is primarily used as a publishing layout tool for print and e-book projects, the answer is yes — you can design logos in Id.
The first thing to note is that unlike Adobe Illustrator — the main program used for logo design — there are some limitations when using Id to create marks.
However, if you're comfortable using InDesign and haven't tried Ai before, this could be a nice stepping stone as many of the simple tools remain the same.
Let me show you what I mean.
In this tutorial, I will show you how to make a simple badge logo and use the Pathfinder option while adding a vector icon from Illustrator. I will also go over how to export the logo in different file formats, including .EPS as well as .PNG.
Let's design a fictional logo for Bruce Peninsula National Park, which will include type, a line illustration and a circle.
Type on a Path Tool
Select the Elipse Shape Tool or Ellipse Tool from the toolbar and draw out a circle while holding Shift to maintain the shape's proportions.
Select the Type on a Path Tool and click at the top of the shape. A blinking cursor will appear — type "Bruce Peninsula"
Choose a bold or black sans serif font. I went with Gotham Black — my favourite! (Follow the steps in my video to learn how to line everything up.)
Copy the text frame and go to Edit > Paste in Place. While holding shift, hover over the corner of the frame and rotate 180 degrees. Replace the text with National Park.
Select "Bruce Peninsula" text and go to Type > Type on a Path > Options. Set alignment to Ascender and To Path to Bottom. Repeat steps for National Park, but set alignment to Descender and To Path to Top. Adjust spacing to your liking in both situations.
* Make the text White in both frames and give the one on the top a colour fill.
Next, it's time to grab a vector illustration and open it in Adobe Illustrator. Just copy and paste it into the InDesign document and follow these steps.
Pathfinder > Subtract
Create another Ellipse shape and give it a White fill. Place the illustration on top and use your alignment tools to make sure they are centre aligned vertically and horizontally.
With your Selection Tool, click on the illustration and go to Object > Ungroup or Shift + Command G to ungroup it.
All the elements in the graphic will still be selected, so while holding Shift, now click on the Ellipse shape.
Make your way to Object > Pathfinder and choose Subtract. The result is similar in nature to Adobe Illustrator's Minus Front option.