The Myth of Cheap Logos – Why Canva Isn’t Cutting It
We meet a lot of business owners who come to us after they already purchased a premade logo. Whether they went DIY with a logo template off of Canva, Creative Market, or Etsy or went with a fast, cheap option off of 99designs or Fiverr, they all say the same thing: It’s not working for them.
It's tempting to grab a logo that claims it’s “FREE” or “just $5,” but we often hear it ends up costing our clients much more. They are left with stacks of business cards or even products with a lackluster logo and don’t feel confident in how their business is showing up. By trying to move fast in the short term, they ended up stalling their progress in the long term. Worst of all, this bad branding look can have an incalculable impact on lost sales.
Now, with sunk costs and time in a premade logo they need to go back to the (literal) drawing board for their brand.
So, what should you do for your company logo? Get a premade logo, a DIY template based logo, or a custom brand?
If you’ve ever wondered about these common branding questions, this article is for you!
Why not use a free logo maker?
Should you get a cheap logo?
Is a logo template a good idea?
What are the must-haves for a good logo?
In what situations does a premade logo or a logo based on a template work?
What about logos on 99designs, Fiverr, Etsy, Creative Market, and Canva?
In this article, we’ll talk about the 7 reasons you shouldn’t buy a premade logo or DIY your logo and the 7 must-haves of a good, custom logo. We’ll talk about the exceptions to these rules for when a premade logo or logo template works. Finally, we’ll cover common FAQs and issues with the most popular premade logo options and websites.
7 Reasons why you shouldn’t buy a premade logo or DIY your logo
+ 7 logo must-haves!
1. Unusable on some applications
You might not be able to use a premade or DIY logo in all contexts, from small to large, digital to print. You need your logo to be versatile! Your logo needs to be able to be used on anything and everything for years to come. A premade or DIY logo based on a template (or even something you come up with on your own without much technical experience) can have limitations that make your applications of the branding, well limited!
Legibility issues
Clients with premade or DIY logos have come to us with loopy, cursive script fonts in their logos. They've gotten feedback that it’s hard to read and the business name may be misunderstood and harder to remember because of this. You might love the look of lettering, but not have the technical insight to see the implications of using that font.
Scalability and printing problems
You might fall in love with a charming design, only to realize later once you’re using it that it just won’t work when scaled down on small applications, like on a business card or when you try to put it on swag for an event. Business owners can run into issues with premade and DIY logos that have multiple colors, watercolor elements, or illustrations that just don't translate to a lot of 1-color, white only, or special effects printing techniques like emboss, foil, or letterpress. These types of designs are called raster, meaning the design or drawing is made up of tiny pixels. (You’re probably familiar with this file type because it’s the format of the photos you take on your phone or the screenshots you save on your computer.)
Not only does a pixel-based image not translate well to some printing applications, but you can't endlessly scale up a raster-based logo. So, if you ever supersize your logo on a billboard or order signage with your logo, it's going to be difficult. Many other logo applications require a vector-based logo file as well, such as embroidery and vinyl printing for hats, pullovers, and sweatshirts.
Limited configurations
Most premade logos and DIY logos we see come with just one or two logo configurations. Typically, you’re stuck with something that might fit a square aspect ratio, but you won’t be able to get logo configurations that fit short and wide spaces, options that incorporate your tagline, or configurations that fit narrow and tall spaces. You may find later that when you want to use your logo on letterhead, on an ad, or apparel, it doesn’t fit well and has to be shown very small to fit the space.
A custom logo created by an expert can make sure you get a logo you can use! Make sure you’ve got all three of these items for a usable logo in your branding.
Logo must-haves to be usable:
Legibile
Scalable and vector
Multiple configurations
While being able to use your logo is essential, there’s so much more to consider with premade and DIY vs custom logos.
2. Generic and easy to copy
A logo made by a free logo maker or based on a logo template looks similar to a lot of other companies.
Industry confusion
Even businesses outside your industry can use the same or similar premade or DIY logos.
Take for example this trending logo template on Creative Market. When we go to Google and do a reverse image search for visually similar images, we can see just how many businesses all blend in:
Let’s say you’re a boutique hotel. But, A hair salon is already using this logo kit. People who have seen the business in the other industry are going to associate this look with that service, not with your product or offer. It can create confusion around what it is your business does.
Competitor copycats
Competitors can even buy the same logo as you. This becomes a major issue that can cause your would-be customers to associate your business with an actual competitor when they are unrelated.
Keep in mind, anyone can buy the premade logo template and you aren’t buying exclusive rights to that design. Your competitors can just as easily, cheaply, and quickly add it to their cart as you!
Invest in a logo that stands out. A custom logo that’s intentionally crafted for your business with insight into the visual nuances of your industry and your competitors will set you apart. Make sure you have these must-haves for a logo that stands out.
Logo must-haves to stand out:
Industry appropriate
Unique from and not available to competitors
3. Can’t be trademarked
Not unique to you
You can’t trademark a logo based on a template or a premade logo. If other people can buy the same logo as you, there’s simply no way to trademark that design and lay claim to ownership and exclusive rights.
Even if you’re DIYing the logo, be careful. If you’re using an existing design, whether purchased or as inspiration, you can be in dangerous legal waters.
Canva clearly states on their legal page that the only logo design you have the rights to own created in their platform uses “basic lines and shapes.”
“[You] can’t use stock content (e.g. photos and graphics) as we only give you a non-exclusive license to this. Other Canva users are free to use the same content which means that using stock content for your logos isn’t suitable for use in a trademark. Elements in a logo need to be exclusive to you.”
— Canva
The same principles apply to premade or template logos bought on Etsy, Creative Market, 99designs, and Fiverr.
You don’t own exclusive rights
Without a trademark or proof that you had a custom logo created that’s unique to you, you won’t have legal recourse to tell someone they legally can’t use that same logo that your business is using. You can’t well send someone a cease and desist letter over a logo that has just as much of a right to buy as you.
Ensure you have a logo that can be trademarked. A custom logo that’s made specifically for your business, with exclusive rights to use the end product as part of your contract with your designer is so important.
Logo must-haves to be trademarked:
Unique design
Exclusive rights
4. Not memorable or distinctive
Generic
Premade logo templates are created for the maximum number of sales. The goal of a digital product is to sell as many as possible for it to be profitable for the seller. The problem is this means the design needs to be generic and work for as many businesses as possible.
This is a top seller, look at how many people bought the same logo!
Looking generic and like your business could be anyone or anything is exactly what you don't want for your business logo!
Not specific to your business
A premade logo template won’t incorporate elements unique to you that help make it memorable.
You want this to “pop,” right? We love to bring unique elements into our clients’ logos that help make their business names easier to remember and visually explain their ethos in some way to people.
Here’s an example of how intentional a custom logo can be for your business.
We crafted a logo for Roberts CPA that’s simple and powerful, but filled with symbolism! The reverse arrow symbolizes allowing small businesses to get back to doing what they love by clearing up the numbers, and the broken square is for going against the norm by breaking old school accounting models.
Prioritize a logo that is memorable and distinctive. A professional branding team and logo designer can identify what will make you stand out visually the best.
Logo must-haves to be memorable & distinctive:
Made for you
Specific to your business
5. You’re too close and can’t be objective
As a business owner, you think about your business all the time. You have your hands in product and service development, and naturally, you're thinking like a founder and not a consumer.
There's a big difference between the two.
Your branding should not primarily be created for you — the business owner. Your branding should be created primarily for the person buying and experiencing what your business sells.
Trying to select a premade logo or to DIY your logo from a template when you are so close to the business will leave you with blind spots. It’s likely your selection will boil down to personal preference, and this is dangerous because your ideal client isn’t the same as you. Without an outside perspective, you can miss a chance to connect to your consumer in a more meaningful way. It’s hard not to narrow in on one idea or fixate on a certain way you think the brand needs to look because you are too close to it.
A great designer and an outside expert can translate your business model and the goals you have developed into custom visuals for you. Gain perspective and allow someone else to make a custom recommendation for your logo.
Logo must-haves to be objective:
Designed for the consumer, not the business owner
Outside designer to translate your business model into custom visuals
6. No strategy or meaning
Jumping straight to picking a premade logo might seem efficient, but it’s not necessarily effective. If you go with a premade logo, you’re most likely skipping brand strategy and picking based on aesthetics. You’re prioritizing the end product over the process that helps you arrive at the right place.
Your brand is so much more than just a logo. It’s not just about establishing your business and checking a task off your list to “get a logo.” Your goal should be first and foremost to build a brand.
Your brand is how your business effectively targets customers and communicates with them.
Get clear on:
Mission statement
Ideal client avatar
Your unique value proposition
Your brand experience
In our custom branding process, we start with clarifying your brand before we ever design it.
Logo must-haves to be strategic:
Do brand strategy first
Opt for a custom logo created from that strategy
7. Not timeless and has to be redone
Trendy and requires frequent changing
Premade logos and DIY logos rely heavily on trends. You’ll likely have to change it soon. Trends aren’t necessarily bad or even entirely unavoidable, but premade logos tend to rely on them as the main selling feature because digital product sellers want to appeal to what’s “hot” or being searched for. Your logo can quickly look so “2020” and make your business look behind the times when the trend is the primary concept of the design. You will likely find yourself needing to redo everything sooner with a premade logo than if you opted for a more strategic, balanced, and custom approach.
Lost brand equity and increased cost over time
Change can be a positive in business but changing your logo frequently or soon after rebranding can create confusion and be costly. Since branding is a foundational investment, it impacts the ROI of other investments for years to come. I.e., the logo you have will be used in many places and on many applications in the years to come. Changing that logo will require changing all those other applications as well. Not to mention the cost of refamiliarizing your community with your new look.
Instead, prioritize longevity in your logo with a blend of timeless design and insightful use of trends. A great custom logo designer's job isn’t to avoid all trends but to know how to leverage them in a way that will work more long-term for your business.
Logo must-haves to be enduring:
Insightful use of trends
Works for the long-term
FAQ on premade logos and DIY logo website options:
Should you get a logo on Canva?
No, unless you create an original wordmark-only logo with simple shapes. If you use a logo template on Canva and or any design with stock graphics, you will not own your logo or have exclusive rights to use it. Canva will own your logo and anyone else who uses those elements will have a similar one to you. Additionally, Canva is limited in its vector ability with logos and you may have lower quality and sub-industry standard logos as a result.
You can, however, certainly leverage Canva to implement your custom branding. Every tool has a time and a place! We love setting our clients up with social media kits, business cards, and proposal templates that can be easily updated with new content.
Should you get a logo on Creative Market?
No, unless you start with an asset like a font and pair it with something to customize it to be exclusive to your brand. If you use a logo template on Creative Market, you will not have exclusive rights to that design and will have the same ownership and inability to trademark your logo you would have on Canva. Additionally, another problem unique to logos on Creative Market is the license typically limits the number of impressions you can use it on. If you end up creating a successful brand and need to apply your logo to 1 million product boxes, you could be in breach of your licensing contract. Not to mention it’s likely many others will be using the same design and cause confusion and legal trouble for your very successful business.
Should you get a logo on Etsy?
No, unless you purchase a custom design listing that is only sold to one customer. A premade logo on Etsy will have the same issues with the inability to trademark it and lack of exclusive rights to the design as Canva, Creative Market, and other retailers.
Should you get a logo on 99designs?
No, because anyone can upload a stolen design and you don’t know where it came from. Aside from potentially costly issues of intellectual property infringement, this website makes you the decision maker, and the logos are not based on a custom design process where your brand strategy is developed and understood first. The logo will be selected based on your personal preference and not what will make your business profitable and purposeful from the perspective of an outside expert.
Should you get a logo on Fiverr?
Not typically, since quality standards tend to be low on one-off, bid-based jobs that don’t incorporate brand strategy or a proven process. Of course, it’s possible to find an excellent professional anywhere, but your chances will be lower in general on websites like this where winning jobs is highly linked to price. For anyone you hire, you should thoroughly vet the professional and do due diligence to ensure the logo meets the 7 logo must-haves we outlined in this article!
Exceptions for when a premade logo or logo template works.
Not every business is prepared to invest time and money into a custom logo and brand. A premade logo template or DIY logo approach can be the right fit for some situations. Here’s a checklist to see if this fits your goals.
Get a premade logo and DIY logo template:
When your venture will exist for less than a year. If you’re creating a short-term product, offer, or even business and you’re not planning for growth, a quick solution with an expiration date might be a fit for you.
When your venture doesn’t need to generate revenue. If you have multiple entities and the one you need a logo for is low on the pecking order, does not need to generate anything, or is a volunteer project, lessening your investment with a premade logo might make sense for you.
When you don’t have passion for your venture. If this is a project that you don’t feel strongly about, you might be better served getting something off the shelf than being frustrated answering a custom designer’s probing questions regarding something you don’t care deeply about.
When you aren’t clear on where your venture is going. If you don’t know what you will be selling or to whom, it’s going to be difficult to have anything custom-created. If you simply have a name without much meaning attached to it, you could temporarily get something premade if that helps to excite your vision development process and feel more official. Invest in a custom logo when you’re ready.
As designers, as much as we love and believe in custom logos, if you resonate with any of the above, you won’t see the ROI this investment should have. A premade logo or DIY logo template might be the perfect fit for you instead!
Set your brand up for success with a custom logo!
What we hear from our clients
In our 10 years as a boutique brand design and website agency, we’ve seen our clients invest in their brands for a variety of reasons. But, they all have one common goal: growing their long-term bottom line.
Get in touch
Are you currently considering a rebrand from a DIY logo? Or maybe you’re just starting out and wondering if a custom design process makes sense for your business. We're here to help and have multiple ways to work with us, from full brand overhauls to VIP Days for quick brand launches. Contact us to set up a free consultation and receive our services guide.