2. As this Substack is very whimsical and entertaining, I decided to go for the paper airplane motif as it’s something you might construct to entertain yourself, when you’re supposed to be doing something else, with that blank sheet of paper. The typeface is also an elaborate script that exudes ‘I have time to kill and lavish on these three words’ rather than any kind of efficient, businesslike typeface.
3. The colour is Pantone’s VERY PERI. I love purple and was sold on this particular shade, as in my head, it’s short for peri-menopausal which I can very much relate to!
2. My logo is one is made for my photography business and is a basic image of a Swan in my colours. My photography goes under the banner of Swan Pro Pics. I currently have no wording on it.
3. Colour is a bright but deep orange. I just feel like it is an energising colour and represents me now. I have no idea about Pantone colour. I like to think it represents who I am as a person.
4. Less than 20.
5. I love it and think it is recognisable BUT I think popping my Title on it would help. I am also a bit unsure of keeping it as it doesn't feel like it sits with the name Untangled Whispers, which to me is more blues and purples and etheric. So still ruminating on this! I could just change the logo colour I guess, but while the Swan IS me it doesn't feel it fits the name of the Substack...
Thanks for an interesting read and giving me things to ponder upon.
I love the simplicity of the swan - it is soft and mysterious. The 's' of the neck also echoes the 's' sound in Untangled Whispers; plus the clean lines of the neck are untangled and free... so I think there is synergy in name and logo.
I can see the type, but it's very small, did you try it on two lines overlapping perhaps, which could emulate water waves. Might allow the type to get a bit bigger? Just a thought.
2. My logo only exists in my head at the moment as, until I read this, I had no idea I might need one! However, it will be a combination of footprints and question marks as it fits both the name of the Substack and the fact that I have no idea where I’m going or what I’m doing!
3. Currently my page is purple because that’s what the default was set to. I like it so I’d probably keep it I think.
4. 78
5. All ideas are welcome…as I said I have no idea what I’m doing!
I do like the idea of a footprint/question mark combo, they are not totally dissimilar shapes if you think about a bare right footprint on sand, that would be a cool logo, get your sketchbook out and have a play. 🎨
2. Not a logo really - it's an image of me looking out onto the sunrise which I've run through some illustration tool thing online so it kind of looks a bit like a watercolour.
3. The colours are greens (grass) & orange (sunrise) taken from the original photo.
I'd be tempted to have a play with a really simple graphic house in a circle with the bottom half green and the top half blue or orange maybe? Maybe offset to one side so it looks isolated.
2. This pub has gone through a couple different rebrandings, but I've settled on clean lines and a calming color scheme. My wordmark is just the name in a clean and clear font and the welcome page cover is the same font, but "cut-out" of a pencil shape.
3. A dark blue with somewhat greenish undertones is used for the accent, as well as the post covers' background color.
2. Since I haven't got another name that my own, I haven't changed the wordmark yet but do make sure all my photos look like they tie in with each other.
I edit all my photos in a way that makes them look consistent even if they're a blend of sources and it's similar to the photos in my book. It has a slightly vintage/retro feel to me but modern too through the other elements in the photo because I didn't want to go for that typical vintage look you saw often say 10-15 years ago in baking related stuff.
3. I went with a pink-ish button colour. It's a standard substack colour, I may have been influenced in my choice because afterwards I saw quite a few other food publications use the same colour so I saw it there!
4. 53
5. The look is fine but of course I haven't got a name or logo yet. I think it needs to tie in with,* nevermind! I may just have rubber ducked it as I was typing, who knows!*
I looked it up and in the US it means to flip-flop, to be indecisive and change your mind a lot so not the best connotation in that sense 🤣. I've only heard it in 'waffle on' someone who just talks forever, like someone doing a presentation or a speech that just goes on and on🤷♀️.
2. Fantastical/aspirational photo of bookshelves heading up to a kind of ‘heaven’. Have not considered having a logo as such, but this has felt appropriate to my stack’s identity; and I was inspired by another ‘photo’ logo, The Elysian.
3. I always brand a mid purple (favourite colour, wall colour in bedroom for 20 years, intimate) but never considered the Pantone Thing so thanks. Have spent 30 mins trying to work mine out!
4. Subscribers 2200
5. Love it but with some concerns… logo would be clearer, this means nothing when tiny… plus a wrench to change now with this many subscribers? Plus I can’t make my own.
Agreed, I really love the towering book shelves, very dreamy, and having it as the lead image on your pinned post on the home page really helps us decipher it.
I must admit I do want to put a bit more white space around your Wordmark, or maybe just make the letters white out of the purple.
If you're not sure how to do this, give Eva Lydon @greatlittleinsights a shout, she's a Canva whizz and starting up a design/artwork service so could generate you a logo on a clear background so you can place it on a background colour.
Love the vibe of your Substack though, so as you say, only tweaks, don't want to upset your loyal following. 👏
Hi Kate. The timing of this post could not be more perfect (especially the bit about done is better than perfect) as I have been working on my logo this week -
1. The Wobbly Middle
2. The Substack is about midlife women navigating the path through the wobbly middle of their careers. While the title is also a nod to out physical side of (ahem) midlife, its not about weighloss so I wanted something that symbolised women and change but not to our waistlines (we don't need those to change - they're pretty perfect as they come). So when I saw the two faces of the woman, I thought, ah yes, I can work with that. I'm still fiddling with font and size: I want something modern and clean - Poppins?
3. I'm looking for a green colour - sage - the sharing of collected knowledge. I don't think I've got the tone quite right yet.
4. Subscribers: 115
5. I can't remember what we were meant to write for 5 but I'd love any feedback on the above.
Yeah, you want something that zings out from your branding colour, 'green' is the most clickable colour for the 'highlight' (buttons etc), but as you're already using sage green, pink would be good here. 🤓
2) I chose to use the Bitmoji illustration because a) This a personal blog I'm writing pseudonymously (Ororo Munroe is not my real name) and b) I use Bitmoji's when I text family and friends. I love trying to find the perfect reaction for whatever I'm writing/reading and thought it would be cool and unique--because my blog is a little unique--to use for a logo and within my posts. How I came up with the name is explained on my About page (https://literallyororo.substack.com/about).
3) I chose the main color of yellow (Hex #f7e98e) because within the past few years it's replaced peach and gray as my favorite color. My home decor is boho-beachy and yellow is one of the pops of color in my scheme. I also chose it as a way to offset the heavy topics I may occasionally write about on my blog. The accent color is dark brown (Hex #402f1e) and I'm honestly not sure why I chose it. LOL
4) Subscribers: 77. I have 192 FOLLOWERS (go figure) but have been holding steady at 77 subscribers since about August.
5) Love my logo (not looking to change that) but am open to feedback on the color. I celebrated my 1-year Substack anniversary last month and think it's time to mix it up.
2. White/grey background, orange colour, Sans/Classic Serif for font and Underlined links. The homepage has a simple feature and no images for the blog post list. It's a simple design to ensure that words and titles stand out. The logo is a whole new beast, I keep changing it. What I have at the moment is a random image I could find. And currently, I am again on the hunt for the perfect logo😂.
3. It's something I keep struggling with and keep circling back to. It's time-consuming, too. The time I should spend on reading and writing. Yet, I keep searching for that one perfect logo. I'm also a big fan of colours. Yet, I keep circling back to standard Substack orange. The images I use to accompany my blog post tend to be natural, so orange or dark green looks good with them. Orange is also a cheerful colour that represents action. That represents my publication, which is focused on accomplishing massive goals.
4. 578 (I've been stuck on this number for about a week, hoping to get to 600, but I think it's stuck😂.)
5. Yes, please to the feedback (but please be gentle; it's what I work on every free minute of my day)
I rather like your logo, it makes a welcome change to see the coffee cup from bird's eye view, rather than side on. I do wish the word 'Coffee' were a little clearer, but I love the playful typefaces used, which relates nicely to the 'break from work and into fun for 10 minutes' that a coffee break represents.
2. My logo is a tree with what I a circle of energy emanating from it. I also have the words Wellness + Longevity and underneath that Wellgevity. I think this logo represents strength, renewal, and resilience. I also use it for my health and wellness coaching business, which is called ReNew You Wellgevity Coaching.
3. My colors are blues and purple. The blues represent calmness and peace. I used a series of blues that remind me of the colors in a beautiful lake that I love. I used purple as an accent color because I like purple and I thought it looked good with the blues.
4. I like it. I created it sort of by accident when I was screwing around trying to learn how to use Canva (before I had the paid version). I'm always open to suggestions. Just because I love it doesn't mean it will resonate with others. So I'd love your feedback.
I would consider a different accent color than the purple. Something that contrasts with the blue would make it more eye catching and easier to read. Green or yellow might be nice.
When you purchase an image from Shutterstock, you are typically granted a license to use the image, but the type of use allowed depends on the licensing terms. Shutterstock offers both Standard and Enhanced licenses.
Standard License: Generally allows you to use the image for purposes like blogs, websites, and social media, but it typically does not allow the use of the image as a logo or trademark. Logos require more exclusive rights because a logo needs to be unique to your brand.
Enhanced License: Offers broader usage rights and may allow you to use the image in branding, including logos and trademarks. However, you should always review the specific terms of the license to ensure it covers your intended use.
To be safe, you'll need to check the specific licensing terms of the image you're purchasing or consider creating a custom logo to avoid potential legal issues.
Things have been a bit crazy here for the last 24 hours, what with your post and Sarah Fay’s and Claire Venus’s. Plus did my yoga class this morning and have my slightly autistic 14 year old grandson wanting to tell me in glorious detail about his new classes and new teachers and new friends. BUT Thanks so much for giving me this information. I have never understood Shutterstock but AI did the trick. Of the images, I liked the extremely simply ones (the hint of a headstand) - and perhaps I could create that with the help of a friend. Anyway lots to think about and thanks for your generosity.,
2: The font of my logo is the same as my business name; Sonya the Home Stylist, using a stylised “S” for both Stylish and Sonya and an icon of a simple house logo with the “S” in the centre.
3: The colour is Mink, as a lover of all things neutral and particularly brown tones this links well to my interior style and I believe the tone has a modern feel, yet warm and inviting.
4: Subscribers: 196 (so close to my next milestone)!
5: Yes I’m very happy with it, it’s exactly as I imagined when I briefed my graphic designer, although am always open to any feedback. 🤎
Agreed, love the colour and the logo. I also love that you continue the colour theme with your lead images, so the home page looks very cohesive. 👏
The only slight stumbling block is using the logo within the confines of Substack's very tight parameters, I'm sure it looks great in it's 3 line centred format for the email headers, but how about the following for your home page:
Logo: try just having the house icon with the S in it, you only have 256x256 pixels to play with here so that would stand out and be really clear.
Wordmark: how about putting the stylised text all on one line without the house, just the letters. I see you have opted for your title to be ranged left on the home page, so it would sit beside the 'house in a square' nicely. Make it as big as you can within the 1344x256 pixel maximum space.
I think these two adjustments would really enhance your Substack header.
I’ve took on board your feedback Kate and made the adjustments you’ve suggested. 🤎
I wasn’t sure on having Stylish Home by Sonya the Home Stylist all on one line, so stacked it and think it works well. Would love to hear what you think.
The logo is perfect now, and I love that the 'S' stands for Stylish, Sonya and Stylist, it's really all you need for the little icon.
For the Wordmark, the trouble with putting type in a box is that you, quite rightly, have left some space around it to let it breathe, but that has meant the typesize has reduced to accommodate it, so the 2nd line is not that clear.
Also, because it's the same colour as your highlight (Mink) it now looks like a button. (More on highlight colours in a later post! 😉)
How about reversing it out, so the type is the Mink colour, moving the 2nd line up a tiny smidge, to give you a tad more depth to play with, and them make it as big as you can within the allowed depth. Just crop the image file as tight as you can to the top and bottom and it will fill the space.
It looks like you have a white background, so you don't need to worry about blending it in.
Finally got round to taking on board your feedback Kate, would love to hear what you think now. Personally reversing out the colour makes it so much clearer.
Please help! My logo and wordmark look tiny, although I used Substack's recommended sizing. I then remade them with triple-sized images and uploaded them - same thing. I can't work out what I'm doing wrong. Any ideas?
Hi Anna, they look about right to me, in that they are as big as the space allows, which generally means the type looks tiny.
Here's what you can do:
1. Leave the one on the Welcome page, that looks perfect (600x600 pixels).
2. Just use the stack of books for the tiny 'Publication Logo' (200x200pixels).
3. Ditch the green box on the 'Publication Wordmark', make the lettering green on a white background and reduce the size of the book stack to the same depth as the lettering, and crop the image to as close as the letters (top and bottom) as you can. It will then resize to fill the space (1344×256 pixels). Reduce the space between the two lines if you want it bigger.
Does that makes sense?
Let me know if you manage to change it, as it will make a good before & after!
2. My Substack is about reconnecting to our true selves before taking a different direction in life, career or business. I used a curved line with a "connector" to represent the name.
3. The colours are earthy - sand and sage green - to reflect my work in sustainability, love of Nature and to create a calm, inviting space with a nod to Mother Earth.
4. Subscribers: 69
5. I'm happy with it after enjoying sketching it out before creating in Canva, but definitely open to feedback :) Thank you!
2. This week someone said of my writing ‘saw your words this morning my exhaustion turned to joy’ - love to be upbeat, see the funny side of a situation, find the flip and celebrate other folk’s wins. I chose the name tip because I love words and humble little tip can mean so much and ‘thinking in public’ is me being brave and not keeping my thoughts to myself.
I decided to go for the lemon because my Pa used to call me that when I was being a wally or slow to get going
3. Simple clear font with a splash of bright - understated but a tiny bit tart
4. Subscribers: 29
5. More Feedback, please. You commented last week and I have had a play but of course, it’s a work in progress - a WIP TIP. Lol
Really strong and clear, love the way you've introduced the section of lemon too, it really works! 🙌
The only tweak I would make... if I'm being über pedantic... which I always am... is to play with moving the lemon up a bit, so that the widest part of the lemon is vertically centred on the words. That might not work, but it might. I'm struggling with how close the edge of the lemon is to the top of the 'I'.
PS: also as the 'tip' by itself works brilliantly as the icon, can you make the background the same as your home page background (rather than white) so it looks cut out, as you have done with the Wordmark, by the look of it.
1. OFF ON A TANGENT with Kate Darracott
2. As this Substack is very whimsical and entertaining, I decided to go for the paper airplane motif as it’s something you might construct to entertain yourself, when you’re supposed to be doing something else, with that blank sheet of paper. The typeface is also an elaborate script that exudes ‘I have time to kill and lavish on these three words’ rather than any kind of efficient, businesslike typeface.
3. The colour is Pantone’s VERY PERI. I love purple and was sold on this particular shade, as in my head, it’s short for peri-menopausal which I can very much relate to!
4. Subscribers: 1,037
5. I love it!
Love the peri reference!
Very peri - TOO GOOD!
1. UNTANGLED WHISPERS with Kym Swan
2. My logo is one is made for my photography business and is a basic image of a Swan in my colours. My photography goes under the banner of Swan Pro Pics. I currently have no wording on it.
3. Colour is a bright but deep orange. I just feel like it is an energising colour and represents me now. I have no idea about Pantone colour. I like to think it represents who I am as a person.
4. Less than 20.
5. I love it and think it is recognisable BUT I think popping my Title on it would help. I am also a bit unsure of keeping it as it doesn't feel like it sits with the name Untangled Whispers, which to me is more blues and purples and etheric. So still ruminating on this! I could just change the logo colour I guess, but while the Swan IS me it doesn't feel it fits the name of the Substack...
Thanks for an interesting read and giving me things to ponder upon.
I love the swan motif, very unfussy, yet elegant! 👏
Perhaps play about with the colours and try the title in lots of different typefaces, you might find one that just gels with the curves of the swan.
You can put the text in here and see it in lots of different options:
https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts
Thank you 😊 I shall have a bit more of a play with it and see what I can come up with.
I love the simplicity of the swan - it is soft and mysterious. The 's' of the neck also echoes the 's' sound in Untangled Whispers; plus the clean lines of the neck are untangled and free... so I think there is synergy in name and logo.
That is beautiful! Thank you so much for that ❤️
Just checked out your new logo, and I'm a bit confused... am I missing something... is there somewhere that the logos appear big?
I've clicked around on desktop and mobile and I can only ever see these as tiny thumbnails, the biggest I can find is like here:
https://substack.com/@kym0518
The tiny type issue is really baffling me. 🤣
I have no idea lol. It is the same as it was before I just added writing to it. Maybe when I edited it and resaved it, it messed it up somehow 🤷♀️
I can see the type, but it's very small, did you try it on two lines overlapping perhaps, which could emulate water waves. Might allow the type to get a bit bigger? Just a thought.
I love your logo Kym and think it fits your Substack title perfectly, the elegance of the swan is just beautiful.
Thank you Sonya, that is really helpful to know and I am grateful you took the time to pop that comment to me 🙏🏻
1. WONDERINGS AND WANDERINGS
2. My logo only exists in my head at the moment as, until I read this, I had no idea I might need one! However, it will be a combination of footprints and question marks as it fits both the name of the Substack and the fact that I have no idea where I’m going or what I’m doing!
3. Currently my page is purple because that’s what the default was set to. I like it so I’d probably keep it I think.
4. 78
5. All ideas are welcome…as I said I have no idea what I’m doing!
I do like the idea of a footprint/question mark combo, they are not totally dissimilar shapes if you think about a bare right footprint on sand, that would be a cool logo, get your sketchbook out and have a play. 🎨
Helen, have you just whipped up that logo in the last couple of days since you Sept 11? If so, it is great! I'm very impressed. Well done.
Kate took my idea and ran with it. We worked on the final design together at a meet-up yesterday. Without Kate it would still just be an idea!
Totally down to your great idea Helen... which stuck in my head to the point where 'I had to have a little look'. 😂
Colours were Helen's choice, great to be able to workshop it in person at our little Co-Work Corner session. 😊
I’m currently working on the heading version so I may need your input again this week!
Well done both of you!
1. ORKNEY OUTPOST
2. Not a logo really - it's an image of me looking out onto the sunrise which I've run through some illustration tool thing online so it kind of looks a bit like a watercolour.
3. The colours are greens (grass) & orange (sunrise) taken from the original photo.
4. Subscriber: 132
5. Not happy with it as it's not a logo!
It's a lovely photo!
I'd be tempted to have a play with a really simple graphic house in a circle with the bottom half green and the top half blue or orange maybe? Maybe offset to one side so it looks isolated.
Oooh I really like the sound of that thank you - Canva here I come!!
It might not be a logo, but it looks pretty cool ☺️
Thanks so much Jana 💚
I LOVE YOUR LOGO. I can't believe you did that in two days. Very good.
1. NUMBER 2 PENCIL
2. This pub has gone through a couple different rebrandings, but I've settled on clean lines and a calming color scheme. My wordmark is just the name in a clean and clear font and the welcome page cover is the same font, but "cut-out" of a pencil shape.
3. A dark blue with somewhat greenish undertones is used for the accent, as well as the post covers' background color.
4. Subs: 157
5. I love it!
I love the look and feel of your substack - the blue tone is perfect and the illustrations are so confident. Mega impressed.
Thank you so much, Patsy!!
1. Sarah Frison
2. Since I haven't got another name that my own, I haven't changed the wordmark yet but do make sure all my photos look like they tie in with each other.
I edit all my photos in a way that makes them look consistent even if they're a blend of sources and it's similar to the photos in my book. It has a slightly vintage/retro feel to me but modern too through the other elements in the photo because I didn't want to go for that typical vintage look you saw often say 10-15 years ago in baking related stuff.
3. I went with a pink-ish button colour. It's a standard substack colour, I may have been influenced in my choice because afterwards I saw quite a few other food publications use the same colour so I saw it there!
4. 53
5. The look is fine but of course I haven't got a name or logo yet. I think it needs to tie in with,* nevermind! I may just have rubber ducked it as I was typing, who knows!*
Inspired by your latest post, how about calling it Belgian Waffle?
You are a Belgian pastry chef talking about sweet treats. 😉
Or maybe it's only us Brits that use the word waffle for talk?
I looked it up and in the US it means to flip-flop, to be indecisive and change your mind a lot so not the best connotation in that sense 🤣. I've only heard it in 'waffle on' someone who just talks forever, like someone doing a presentation or a speech that just goes on and on🤷♀️.
Hee hee, yes, it doesn't really work globally. 😂
Well all the food looks utterly delicious.
Thank you, Han! I do try and get the best photos I can 🙂.
1. WRITING A BETTER WORLD with Ros Barber
2. Fantastical/aspirational photo of bookshelves heading up to a kind of ‘heaven’. Have not considered having a logo as such, but this has felt appropriate to my stack’s identity; and I was inspired by another ‘photo’ logo, The Elysian.
3. I always brand a mid purple (favourite colour, wall colour in bedroom for 20 years, intimate) but never considered the Pantone Thing so thanks. Have spent 30 mins trying to work mine out!
4. Subscribers 2200
5. Love it but with some concerns… logo would be clearer, this means nothing when tiny… plus a wrench to change now with this many subscribers? Plus I can’t make my own.
Agreed, I really love the towering book shelves, very dreamy, and having it as the lead image on your pinned post on the home page really helps us decipher it.
I must admit I do want to put a bit more white space around your Wordmark, or maybe just make the letters white out of the purple.
If you're not sure how to do this, give Eva Lydon @greatlittleinsights a shout, she's a Canva whizz and starting up a design/artwork service so could generate you a logo on a clear background so you can place it on a background colour.
Love the vibe of your Substack though, so as you say, only tweaks, don't want to upset your loyal following. 👏
Thanks, Kate, I will have a re-look at the Wordmark. It has never felt quite right.
I love the logo, maybe because I love the books ☺️
Thanks Jana, that's good to know.
The photo is so evocative and mesmerzing - it draws up and up and up wtih your eyes squinting into the blinding light.
Thank you, Patsy. I love that. Sounds like I will keep it!
Hi Kate. The timing of this post could not be more perfect (especially the bit about done is better than perfect) as I have been working on my logo this week -
1. The Wobbly Middle
2. The Substack is about midlife women navigating the path through the wobbly middle of their careers. While the title is also a nod to out physical side of (ahem) midlife, its not about weighloss so I wanted something that symbolised women and change but not to our waistlines (we don't need those to change - they're pretty perfect as they come). So when I saw the two faces of the woman, I thought, ah yes, I can work with that. I'm still fiddling with font and size: I want something modern and clean - Poppins?
3. I'm looking for a green colour - sage - the sharing of collected knowledge. I don't think I've got the tone quite right yet.
4. Subscribers: 115
5. I can't remember what we were meant to write for 5 but I'd love any feedback on the above.
Well done you! It looks fab! 👏
Yes, I agree, Poppins is a lovely clean, modern font, def have a play with putting the Wordmark in this typeface. ✔️
Loving the colour sage with its hidden meaning. Nice one. 🙌
The green is lovely in your logo! Right now, the biggest change I'd make is changing the accent color so it matches the logo. :)
I'll experiment with different accent colours - pink? blue? What do you think?
Yeah, you want something that zings out from your branding colour, 'green' is the most clickable colour for the 'highlight' (buttons etc), but as you're already using sage green, pink would be good here. 🤓
Agreed with Kate!
1) LIT*ER*AL*LY, ORORO w/ Ororo Munroe
2) I chose to use the Bitmoji illustration because a) This a personal blog I'm writing pseudonymously (Ororo Munroe is not my real name) and b) I use Bitmoji's when I text family and friends. I love trying to find the perfect reaction for whatever I'm writing/reading and thought it would be cool and unique--because my blog is a little unique--to use for a logo and within my posts. How I came up with the name is explained on my About page (https://literallyororo.substack.com/about).
3) I chose the main color of yellow (Hex #f7e98e) because within the past few years it's replaced peach and gray as my favorite color. My home decor is boho-beachy and yellow is one of the pops of color in my scheme. I also chose it as a way to offset the heavy topics I may occasionally write about on my blog. The accent color is dark brown (Hex #402f1e) and I'm honestly not sure why I chose it. LOL
4) Subscribers: 77. I have 192 FOLLOWERS (go figure) but have been holding steady at 77 subscribers since about August.
5) Love my logo (not looking to change that) but am open to feedback on the color. I celebrated my 1-year Substack anniversary last month and think it's time to mix it up.
I agree, your branding is really strong! 👏
1. COFFEE BREAK newsletter
2. White/grey background, orange colour, Sans/Classic Serif for font and Underlined links. The homepage has a simple feature and no images for the blog post list. It's a simple design to ensure that words and titles stand out. The logo is a whole new beast, I keep changing it. What I have at the moment is a random image I could find. And currently, I am again on the hunt for the perfect logo😂.
3. It's something I keep struggling with and keep circling back to. It's time-consuming, too. The time I should spend on reading and writing. Yet, I keep searching for that one perfect logo. I'm also a big fan of colours. Yet, I keep circling back to standard Substack orange. The images I use to accompany my blog post tend to be natural, so orange or dark green looks good with them. Orange is also a cheerful colour that represents action. That represents my publication, which is focused on accomplishing massive goals.
4. 578 (I've been stuck on this number for about a week, hoping to get to 600, but I think it's stuck😂.)
5. Yes, please to the feedback (but please be gentle; it's what I work on every free minute of my day)
I rather like your logo, it makes a welcome change to see the coffee cup from bird's eye view, rather than side on. I do wish the word 'Coffee' were a little clearer, but I love the playful typefaces used, which relates nicely to the 'break from work and into fun for 10 minutes' that a coffee break represents.
1. WELLGEVITY WARRIOR with Daria Diaz
2. My logo is a tree with what I a circle of energy emanating from it. I also have the words Wellness + Longevity and underneath that Wellgevity. I think this logo represents strength, renewal, and resilience. I also use it for my health and wellness coaching business, which is called ReNew You Wellgevity Coaching.
3. My colors are blues and purple. The blues represent calmness and peace. I used a series of blues that remind me of the colors in a beautiful lake that I love. I used purple as an accent color because I like purple and I thought it looked good with the blues.
4. I like it. I created it sort of by accident when I was screwing around trying to learn how to use Canva (before I had the paid version). I'm always open to suggestions. Just because I love it doesn't mean it will resonate with others. So I'd love your feedback.
I would consider a different accent color than the purple. Something that contrasts with the blue would make it more eye catching and easier to read. Green or yellow might be nice.
Thank you, Sorcha.
Ann Richardson
1. THE GRANNY WHO STANDS ON HER HEAD
2. I would love to have a cartoon of a headstand, but I can't draw and don't know how to find this
3. I did try changing the colour but think I ended up going back to the original;
4 Subscribers 884
5. It’s ok – could be better
You could try and source one from stock images, then you've paid for the royalties:
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/headstand?consentChanged=true&image_type=vector
Lots of different styles there to think about! 😊
Wow, what a lot of headstands. I don't understand about the royalties - am I allowed to use these any way I want?
From ChatGPT:
When you purchase an image from Shutterstock, you are typically granted a license to use the image, but the type of use allowed depends on the licensing terms. Shutterstock offers both Standard and Enhanced licenses.
Standard License: Generally allows you to use the image for purposes like blogs, websites, and social media, but it typically does not allow the use of the image as a logo or trademark. Logos require more exclusive rights because a logo needs to be unique to your brand.
Enhanced License: Offers broader usage rights and may allow you to use the image in branding, including logos and trademarks. However, you should always review the specific terms of the license to ensure it covers your intended use.
To be safe, you'll need to check the specific licensing terms of the image you're purchasing or consider creating a custom logo to avoid potential legal issues.
Things have been a bit crazy here for the last 24 hours, what with your post and Sarah Fay’s and Claire Venus’s. Plus did my yoga class this morning and have my slightly autistic 14 year old grandson wanting to tell me in glorious detail about his new classes and new teachers and new friends. BUT Thanks so much for giving me this information. I have never understood Shutterstock but AI did the trick. Of the images, I liked the extremely simply ones (the hint of a headstand) - and perhaps I could create that with the help of a friend. Anyway lots to think about and thanks for your generosity.,
So maybe use them as inspiration to create your own. Simple is good.
1: THE STYLISH HOME by Sonya the Home Stylist
2: The font of my logo is the same as my business name; Sonya the Home Stylist, using a stylised “S” for both Stylish and Sonya and an icon of a simple house logo with the “S” in the centre.
3: The colour is Mink, as a lover of all things neutral and particularly brown tones this links well to my interior style and I believe the tone has a modern feel, yet warm and inviting.
4: Subscribers: 196 (so close to my next milestone)!
5: Yes I’m very happy with it, it’s exactly as I imagined when I briefed my graphic designer, although am always open to any feedback. 🤎
Agreed, love the colour and the logo. I also love that you continue the colour theme with your lead images, so the home page looks very cohesive. 👏
The only slight stumbling block is using the logo within the confines of Substack's very tight parameters, I'm sure it looks great in it's 3 line centred format for the email headers, but how about the following for your home page:
Logo: try just having the house icon with the S in it, you only have 256x256 pixels to play with here so that would stand out and be really clear.
Wordmark: how about putting the stylised text all on one line without the house, just the letters. I see you have opted for your title to be ranged left on the home page, so it would sit beside the 'house in a square' nicely. Make it as big as you can within the 1344x256 pixel maximum space.
I think these two adjustments would really enhance your Substack header.
I’ve took on board your feedback Kate and made the adjustments you’ve suggested. 🤎
I wasn’t sure on having Stylish Home by Sonya the Home Stylist all on one line, so stacked it and think it works well. Would love to hear what you think.
I love it now, so much clearer! 👏
Did you take a screen grab of the ‘before’, I’d love to feature it in my post next week?
Thank you Kate, I have all versions saved 😊 I’ll send over as a DM later for you to chose what you’d like to include xx
Well implemented Sonya! 👏
The logo is perfect now, and I love that the 'S' stands for Stylish, Sonya and Stylist, it's really all you need for the little icon.
For the Wordmark, the trouble with putting type in a box is that you, quite rightly, have left some space around it to let it breathe, but that has meant the typesize has reduced to accommodate it, so the 2nd line is not that clear.
Also, because it's the same colour as your highlight (Mink) it now looks like a button. (More on highlight colours in a later post! 😉)
How about reversing it out, so the type is the Mink colour, moving the 2nd line up a tiny smidge, to give you a tad more depth to play with, and them make it as big as you can within the allowed depth. Just crop the image file as tight as you can to the top and bottom and it will fill the space.
It looks like you have a white background, so you don't need to worry about blending it in.
What do you reckon?
Finally got round to taking on board your feedback Kate, would love to hear what you think now. Personally reversing out the colour makes it so much clearer.
Great feedback, I’ll have a look at this and have a bit more of a play around.
That’s amazing feedback thank you Kate!
I’ll look into to this and take on board your suggestions 🤎
THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORY with Anna Sayburn Lane
https://annasayburnlane.substack.com/
Please help! My logo and wordmark look tiny, although I used Substack's recommended sizing. I then remade them with triple-sized images and uploaded them - same thing. I can't work out what I'm doing wrong. Any ideas?
Hi Anna, they look about right to me, in that they are as big as the space allows, which generally means the type looks tiny.
Here's what you can do:
1. Leave the one on the Welcome page, that looks perfect (600x600 pixels).
2. Just use the stack of books for the tiny 'Publication Logo' (200x200pixels).
3. Ditch the green box on the 'Publication Wordmark', make the lettering green on a white background and reduce the size of the book stack to the same depth as the lettering, and crop the image to as close as the letters (top and bottom) as you can. It will then resize to fill the space (1344×256 pixels). Reduce the space between the two lines if you want it bigger.
Does that makes sense?
Let me know if you manage to change it, as it will make a good before & after!
I've already screen grabbed its current look. 😉
Thanks so much Kate. I'll give that a go and let you know how it goes.
Take a look at this one, who made these adjustments if you're not sure what I mean:
https://sonyamallett.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search
So much cleaner and clearer. 🥰
Thanks Kate, I’ve had another go and mine looks better now - although I wish they’d make our logos a bit bigger! https://annasayburnlane.substack.com/
Yes, that does look much better, much more legible in the space allowed. 👏
Have you played with putting the second line of text in a different font so it doesn't fight with the top line?
This one does it rather well: https://thehyphen.substack.com/ 😉
1. RECONNECT TO REDIRECT with Caroline Harris
2. My Substack is about reconnecting to our true selves before taking a different direction in life, career or business. I used a curved line with a "connector" to represent the name.
3. The colours are earthy - sand and sage green - to reflect my work in sustainability, love of Nature and to create a calm, inviting space with a nod to Mother Earth.
4. Subscribers: 69
5. I'm happy with it after enjoying sketching it out before creating in Canva, but definitely open to feedback :) Thank you!
TIP - THINKING IN PUBLIC with Rebecca Letty
2. This week someone said of my writing ‘saw your words this morning my exhaustion turned to joy’ - love to be upbeat, see the funny side of a situation, find the flip and celebrate other folk’s wins. I chose the name tip because I love words and humble little tip can mean so much and ‘thinking in public’ is me being brave and not keeping my thoughts to myself.
I decided to go for the lemon because my Pa used to call me that when I was being a wally or slow to get going
3. Simple clear font with a splash of bright - understated but a tiny bit tart
4. Subscribers: 29
5. More Feedback, please. You commented last week and I have had a play but of course, it’s a work in progress - a WIP TIP. Lol
Oh wow, that looks amazing! 👏
Really strong and clear, love the way you've introduced the section of lemon too, it really works! 🙌
The only tweak I would make... if I'm being über pedantic... which I always am... is to play with moving the lemon up a bit, so that the widest part of the lemon is vertically centred on the words. That might not work, but it might. I'm struggling with how close the edge of the lemon is to the top of the 'I'.
Does that makes sense?
PS: also as the 'tip' by itself works brilliantly as the icon, can you make the background the same as your home page background (rather than white) so it looks cut out, as you have done with the Wordmark, by the look of it.