How to make a logo in Photoshop: 6-step tutorial (with expert tips)

1. Choose the right Adobe Plan

While you don’t need a premium subscription to start designing a logo, having Photoshop available, especially with the flexibility of cloud-based tools, will streamline your workflow.

Here’s a snapshot of Adobe’s current pricing:

Plan	Price (USD)	Includes
Photography Plan	$19.99/mo (annual commitment)	Photoshop + Lightroom, 20 GB cloud storage
Single App (Photoshop)	$22.99/mo (annual commitment, desktop + mobile)	Photoshop on desktop, iPad, and iPhone
Creative Cloud Pro (formerly All Apps)	$54.99/mo (annual commitment) or $69.99/mo (standard pricing)	20+ apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), 100 GB storage, generative AI credits
Back-to-School Deal	$42/mo for first year (40% off)	Full Creative Cloud Pro suite at a limited-time discount

Which should you pick?

• Photography Plan ($19.99/mo) – Best value if you only need Photoshop and Lightroom.
• Single App Plan ($22.99/mo) – Ideal if you want only Photoshop with broader device support.
• Creative Cloud Pro ($54.99/mo or discounted) – Great for designers who want access to Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and more, all in one bundle.

2. Explore available tools

This Photoshop tutorial section will guide you through the essentials – like the menu bar, options bar, dashboard, and edit windows – so you can keep things simple.

On the left side of your Photoshop workspace, you’ll find a full set of editing tools, grouped by function.

• View tools – Zoom and hand tools
• Select tools – Move tool, direct selection tool, shape select, lasso select, etc.
• Enhance tools – Eyedropper, smart brush, clone stamp, blur, smudge, sharpen, etc.
• Draw tools – Brush, pencil, pen, eraser, gradients, shape tools, type tool, text box, etc.
• Modify tools – Crop, perspective, straighten, content-aware, align tools, etc.
• Color selection – Primary and secondary color options

Most graphic software uses a similar layout, so once you’re familiar with Photoshop’s system, you’ll feel at home. For Photoshop logo design, the key ones to practice are the move tool, pen tool, shape tool, and text tool – these will form the core of any logo idea.

3. Start by creating a Canvas

Open Photoshop and go to the top menu. Select File > New to create a new Photoshop document. Give your project a title and choose Custom Document from the drop-down menu to set your own dimensions.

For this tutorial, we’ll use the default 500 x 500 pixels, but you can increase the canvas size if you need more room for your logo. Click OK, and a white box will appear as your canvas. You can adjust the canvas size later if you want more space.

Prepare your workspace:

In the main menu bar, select Window > Workspace and choose Essentials or Reset Essentials to return to the default setup.

Go to View > Show and enable Grid and Smart Guides.

Then open View > Snap to and select Grid. You’ll now see a square grid over your canvas, which helps keep your shapes measured and aligned.

Create a new layer:

Keep the original background layer intact, so you have a clean white backdrop for your design.

In the Layers panel, click the Create a new layer button (the page icon with a folded corner). Select the new layer by clicking on its name.

Double-click the layer’s name if you want to rename it.

To make a transparent logo, delete the background layer when you’re done and export the file without a background. The empty space will remain transparent. You can also use the Magic Wand tool to remove solid backgrounds quickly and keep your logo clean.

To make the layer more solid, adjust the opacity slider in the Layers panel to increase or decrease the transparency.

4. Draw a shape

To start shaping your design, select the pen tool (fountain pen icon) from the toolbar. At the top of the Essentials Workspace, you’ll see several modifier settings.

• Fill – Change the inside color of the shape or remove it completely
• Stroke – Adjust the outline color, thickness, or style (solid, dotted, spaced, etc.)

Draw with the pen tool:

• Click the canvas to create a point, then click again to connect it with a line.
• Click and drag to create curved or angled lines. Use the grid as a guide for clean proportions.
• To refine, hover over a point and wait for the plus (+) or minus (–) icon to add or remove anchor points.

Draw with the shape tool:

• Click and hold the Rectangle tool button to choose from rectangles, rounded rectangles, ellipses, polygons, lines, or custom shapes.
• Open the shape library in the top dashboard under Custom Shape to explore hundreds of ready-made options.

Move and transform your shape:

Use the move tool to drag your shape around the canvas. By default, it snaps to the grid, but you can disable snapping from the main menu bar if you want more freedom.

To resize, go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T (Windows) or Command+T (Mac).

• Hold the Shift key while dragging a corner to scale evenly.
• Hold Alt while dragging to stretch dimensions independently.

To rotate, hover just outside the shape’s outline and drag.

Press Enter to confirm changes. If you’re not satisfied, use Edit > Undo or press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac).

Organize your Layers panel:

Each new shape appears on its own layer. You can move them independently by selecting the right layer.

To combine shapes:

• Merge layers – Select multiple layers with Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Mac), right-click, and choose Merge Layers/Shapes.
  
• Group layers – Select multiple layers, right-click, and choose Group from Layers. This keeps them in a folder so you can move them together or adjust them individually.

Ensure key elements remain clearly visible so they don’t get obscured by other parts of the design.

Use the align tools to line up shapes perfectly, and check how your design looks across other layers to stay organized.

Duplicate objects for intricate designs:

To make a copy of a layer, right-click and select Duplicate Layer or press Ctrl+J (Windows) or Command+J (Mac).

Rename the duplicate for clarity, then move or combine it to expand your logo design.

5. Change color or select a gradient

Add a solid color:

Select your shape layer, then choose either the pen tool or shape tool (whichever you used to create it).

In the Fill or Stroke bar, click the color square to open the color options. You’ll see:

• No color
• Solid color
• Gradient
• Pattern
• Custom color picker

Pick a solid color from the recently used swatches or open the color picker in the top-right corner. Use the slider on the right to adjust brightness and contrast.

If you’re designing a brand palette, use hex codes to keep your colors consistent. Copy and paste your brand’s hex code into the color picker to quickly select the exact shade you need.

Add a gradient for blending effects:

Repeat the steps above, but this time choose Gradient as your color mode. This applies a smooth color transition to your shape.

You can then adjust:

• Blending options
• Opacity
• Color slider
• Dimensions
• Rotation
• Scale

Double-click the arrows at the bottom of the gradient slider to open the color picker and select specific colors. Add more stops by clicking anywhere under the slider.

Drag the arrows at the top of the slider to refine the transition until you’re happy with the result. Adjust opacity, rotation, and scale to fine-tune the look of your logo design.

6. Add text

Your logo should work as a recognizable mark for your brand, whether it appears on products, websites, or marketing materials. Adding text is the final step that ties your design together.

• Select the Type tool in the toolbar (or press T on your keyboard).
• Click and drag on the canvas to create a text box, then type in your business name, initials, or slogan.
• Use the options at the top of the workspace to adjust:
  
  • Font style and weight (regular, bold, italic)
  • Font size
  • Text color
  • Other text style features

To confirm changes, click the checkmark icon in the workspace. You can then move the text box to your preferred position and resize it just like any other shape.Here is where typography can shine. Experiment with fonts until you find one that reflects your brand’s style, and pair it with your shapes and colors to achieve a balanced, professional look.

When you’re done, save your work in PSD for future edits, and export a PNG or JPEG format depending on where the logo will be used. 

Choose shapes wisely 

Shapes influence how people see your brand. Circles often signal unity and community, triangles convey action and power, while squares suggest professionalism and stability. 

Even simple lines matter. Vertical ones convey strength, while horizontal ones evoke a sense of calm and balance.

Keep it simple but relevant

A logo should be instantly recognizable. If you can sketch it in under ten seconds, it’s probably simple enough. Every curve and corner should have a purpose. A common mistake is adding too much detail, which makes the design harder to remember.

Find inspiration without copying

Look at competitors, but aim to stand out. Sometimes that means choosing a color palette or logo style that breaks away from industry norms. Where others are busy, go minimalist. If everyone uses red, try a different hue to catch attention.

You can also explore Photoshop’s built-in templates for layout ideas, then customize them to fit your brand.

Think about size and scalability

Your logo needs to look sharp on a business card, a hoodie, or a billboard. Because Photoshop is raster-based, scaling too far can cause pixelation. To avoid this, consider vectorizing your design in Illustrator once your Photoshop file is complete.

1. Sign up for free

Create your free Printify account in minutes. No upfront costs, no subscription fees. 

2. Upload your logo

Go to the Printify Product Creator and upload your logo file. You can place your design on hundreds of products, from t-shirts and hoodies to mugs, tote bags, stickers, and more.

3. Customize and preview

Adjust placement, resize without compromising quality, and see how your logo appears on different backgrounds. Use our free tools to create mockups that you can instantly add to your store.

4. Connect your store

Printify integrates with all the major digital platforms, including Shopify, Etsy, Squarespace, and more. Just connect your shop, publish your products, and you’re ready to start selling.

5. We print, pack, and ship

Every order is automatically sent to our network of Print Providers. They’ll handle the printing and delivery straight to your customers – you don’t need to worry about inventory or logistics.