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Negative Shape

By: Jonathan Munk, Thu Dec 8th, 2005 08:16:48 PM

Ever see a logo that doesn't look quite right? The colors and font look good, the icon is just what you were looking for and the shading and overall shape are just perfect, but it still seems like something is out of place? Ever thought the problem might be the negative space around the logo?

Negative space is the space that surrounds a visual object. When you look at a chair, the negative space is the rectangular and triangular shapes between the legs and armrests of the chair. With a logo, the concept is the same. Empty space around the words and icons in a logo can make the image look funny if the spaces are too large or small.

Consider the famous golden arches of McDonald's. Imagine how weird the arches would look if the two bullet shaped spaces under the arches became triangles. Or what if one bullet was larger than the other? Negative shape is an important design element, but you don't have to be a design expert to know how negative shape works.

All you need to know about negative space is that if you're logo is visually appealing, the negative space is probably just fine. However, if a logo's individual elements look right but the whole package doesn't quite fit, perhaps some tweaking of the negative space between letters or shapes will do the trick.

About the author: Jonathan Munk writes articles for major Logo Maker companies such as LogoWorks.com and LogoMaker.com.

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