My First Attempt at Circular Logos

[DCHepler25]

Wondering what other think?

I did this with the GIMP.

[dcpcarmona]

awesome 1st attempt, they look like you have been doing them for awhile!

[remangiii]

Originally Posted by dcpcarmona

awesome 1st attempt, they look like you have been doing them for awhile!

"

[knuckler]

There are a lot of D.C. guys posting in this thread, so I'll add on to it, it looks sharp.

[Raidergoo]

Looks like an old-school wood carving. Awesome!

[DCHepler25]

Thanks guys!

I have been playing with it for a while, but it was my first attempt after learning how to use text and paths in GIMP. Its a great FREE program after you learn more about it.

Here it is with a white border around the indian and another with some noise added. I like that look as others have been doing on here.

[justafan]

Looks like we got ourselves another logo guy. Very nice!

[cephasjames]

Good job, DC! I use GIMP a ton. How did you get the text on there like that?

[DCHepler25]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Good job, DC! I use GIMP a ton. How did you get the text on there like that?

It took me some time!

First I created a path with the path tool. You need to keep the arc a little more toward the top of the circle than the middle.

Next I pick the font and type what I want. Now click the "Text to Path" button. GIMP will make a new path with the text you typed. This is where you have lots of trial and error. I just kept undoing and adjusting the path until I got the text where I wanted it. You also may need to add spaces to the text to get it centered on the arc.

Okay, after you get the text the way you want it, click "selection to path" to select your new curved text and fill it in with whatever color you want. Unselect and achor to the layer and you are done.

I hope that makes sense!

[Simmo13]

DC, I've just started to try and use GIMP to make some logos. Could you manage a few hints on creating the circular template. Many thanks.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by DCHepler25

It took me some time!

First I created a path with the path tool. You need to keep the arc a little more toward the top of the circle than the middle.

Next I pick the font and type what I want. Now click the "Text to Path" button. GIMP will make a new path with the text you typed. This is where you have lots of trial and error. I just kept undoing and adjusting the path until I got the text where I wanted it. You also may need to add spaces to the text to get it centered on the arc.

Okay, after you get the text the way you want it, click "selection to path" to select your new curved text and fill it in with whatever color you want. Unselect and achor to the layer and you are done.

I hope that makes sense!

Thanks. I'll give this a try.

[DCHepler25]

Originally Posted by Simmo13

DC, I've just started to try and use GIMP to make some logos. Could you manage a few hints on creating the circular template. Many thanks.

I start with a new 150x150 file each time just because its easier to pick colors this way. I use the paintbrush tool with the "Circle 19" brush. For the outside circle (ring) I set the slider on the brush to 7.50, center the brush at 75, 75 and click 3 times to get a crisper edge to the circle.

Next set the slider to 7.25, change the color, re-center at 75, 75 and triple-click again.

If you want two outer rings then set the slider to 6.95 for the text ring. I use various settings between 4.25 and 4.75 for the center circle depending on how large I want the text. Also, for a ring around the center circle give yourself another 0.25 from the previous range.

This seems to work for me. I also found that 85x85 seems to be a good size for any center graphic.

Feel free to play around with these settings and let me know how they work for you. Also, I think these settings will work for any new square file, like 250x250 or so on. I believe the slider works on a scale, but I haven't tried it yet.

Good Luck!

[English_Ray]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Good job, DC! I use GIMP a ton. How did you get the text on there like that?

Originally Posted by DCHepler25

It took me some time!

First I created a path with the path tool. You need to keep the arc a little more toward the top of the circle than the middle.

Next I pick the font and type what I want. Now click the "Text to Path" button. GIMP will make a new path with the text you typed. This is where you have lots of trial and error. I just kept undoing and adjusting the path until I got the text where I wanted it. You also may need to add spaces to the text to get it centered on the arc.

Okay, after you get the text the way you want it, click "selection to path" to select your new curved text and fill it in with whatever color you want. Unselect and achor to the layer and you are done.

I hope that makes sense!

If you have the latest version of the GIMP (2.4?) then on the toolbox menu, one of the dropdowns has the option 'circle text' or 'logo text' or something like that, I can't remember the exact name of the top of my head. Using that, you can set the start angle, arc length and radius etc, to get it set up how you want it. Hmm, thats a terrible explanation.

Here's an example instead, done entirely with the GIMP:

Ok, so take Anchorage, for that you choose what font and size you want, set the start angle, which is about -75degrees, set the arc length, which is about +150degrees, and then change the radius until the text is spread out the right amount. For the Alaskans text it is the opposite, so the start angle is about -110degrees and the fill angle is about -100degrees. If that sounds complicated, then I promise its not, its just my explanation. I find it much easier than fiddling about with text paths - and the text will always be perfectly circular and centred, its just a question of getting the circle the right size.

[English_Ray]

Originally Posted by DCHepler25

I start with a new 150x150 file each time just because its easier to pick colors this way. I use the paintbrush tool with the "Circle 19" brush. For the outside circle (ring) I set the slider on the brush to 7.50, center the brush at 75, 75 and click 3 times to get a crisper edge to the circle.

Next set the slider to 7.25, change the color, re-center at 75, 75 and triple-click again.

If you want two outer rings then set the slider to 6.95 for the text ring. I use various settings between 4.25 and 4.75 for the center circle depending on how large I want the text. Also, for a ring around the center circle give yourself another 0.25 from the previous range.

This seems to work for me. I also found that 85x85 seems to be a good size for any center graphic.

Feel free to play around with these settings and let me know how they work for you. Also, I think these settings will work for any new square file, like 250x250 or so on. I believe the slider works on a scale, but I haven't tried it yet.

Good Luck!

I've found the best way to get a really sharp edge to the rings is to create different layers using the circle select tool and new, blank documents for each ring. So for example the outside ring would be a circle cut from a 150x150 blank doc, the next would be a circle cut from a 146x146 doc and so on. Then you just paste them as new layers, one on top of another and everything is centred and set to go!

Then you can save it as a .psd file to use as a template, and just change the colours of each layer for each new logo.

[Simmo13]

Ray and DC, I've managed to make the circular template (many thanks DC) and have found the Text Circle tool (thanks Ray) and created the text arc but here I'm stuck. If I try to copy/paste the text onto the circle it doesn't fit in the outer ring but somewhere across the centre of where the logo would eventually go. Any thoughts?

[English_Ray]

Originally Posted by Simmo13

Ray and DC, I've managed to make the circular template (many thanks DC) and have found the Text Circle tool (thanks Ray) and created the text arc but here I'm stuck. If I try to copy/paste the text onto the circle it doesn't fit in the outer ring but somewhere across the centre of where the logo would eventually go. Any thoughts?

I'm not quite sure what you mean, and so this may sound stupidly obvious, but would resizing the text work? Generally I make the text slightly too big, and then shrink it to fit.

If thats not what you mean, could you maybe post a screenshot to show me?

[Simmo13]

Not sure how to post a screenshot! What I mean is how do you get the text arc layer onto the circle so that the text is in the outer ring (eg Anchorage in the dark blue band). Is it trial and error. apologies for being such a luddite

[English_Ray]

Yeah, its very much trial and error. What I will do is to make the text arc so that it looks right, without worrying about what size it is in relation to the logo as a whole. Then when you paste it in, it is a question of moving and resizing it until you get it where you want it. Remember when resizing to select the option that locks the proportions, so that height and width are changed by the same amount.

Once you have got it right, you can remember the various sizes, angles, etc and then just re-use them. Which makes it all much quicker!

I hope that helps, but if not then let me know and I'll do a quick demo for you when I get home, and post some screenshots.

[Simmo13]

Have managed to get a circle with some text and an image in approximately the right places!! It looks a bit barmy but if you can tell me how to post a screenshot I'd be glad of some feedback. Many thanks DC and Ray for your help because I'm amazed that I've got this far!!

[English_Ray]

If you've saved your logo, you can just attach the file to your post, using the paperclip button.