How to choose the best logo size
IONOS editorial team8 mins
The best logo size will depend on the digital platform in question or where the logo is being printed. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about logo dimensions, logo resolution and standard logo sizes.
Why is logo size important?
Your logo makes a statement about your brand and your corporate identity. While the oldest modern logo – that of Coca Cola – mainly appeared on bottles and billboards, today’s logos need to be suitable for a variety of media and image sizes. That includes your own website and social media as well as print formats such as business cards, posters and flyers.
Are you creating a logo and wondering what makes for a good logo? It’s not just about design and colour. A good logo also needs to be designed so that it can take different dimensions and positions. That way it will be easily recognisable wherever it appears.
Want to create your own professional logo in a size of your choice in just a few steps? Use IONOS’s free Logo Maker.
What are the basics of logo sizing?
To get the best logo size for your purposes, you’ll need to take the following parameters into consideration:
- Dimensions: For digital media, your logo’s dimensions will be in pixels. For print media, logo dimensions are given in millimetres or inches.
- Resolution: Your logo’s resolution or image quality is indicated in ppi (pixels per inch). If a file is going to print, it should have a resolution of 300 ppi. You should also think about what dimensions the logo is being printed in.
- File size: The dimensions and resolution of your logo will determine how big the file that contains it is. The bigger and higher-resolution the image is, the bigger the file. The compression properties of the logo’s file format will also play a role in the file size. For digital media, try to choose an image format that uses as little memory as possible.
Read our article to find out how to compress images using free tools.
Put into practice, you should think about the following when choosing your logo’s size:
- Uniform, cross-platform dimensions: Whether your logo is horizontal, vertical or square, its orientation and dimensions should remain consistent and harmonious. This will help your logo be recognisable.
- Correct file types: Your logo will need to be saved in a different file format depending on whether it will be used digitally or in print. SVG, PDF, PNG and JPG are all good choices for digital media, and EPS, PDF and JPG all work for print.
- Flexible zooming in and out: If you want to be able to change the scale of a logo or reformat it without losing out on quality, you’ll want to opt for a vector file type like SVG, PDF or EPS. Whether the file gets enlarged as a poster or made smaller on a business card, vector files ensure the resolution stays the same.
- Less is more: A logo should focus on the essentials rather than being cluttered with details. That way you can ensure that it looks good in any size and can adapt to its surroundings.
- Better too big than too small: Choose an appropriate resolution for your logo from the start. Logos that are too small are difficult to make larger without sacrificing on quality and sharpness.
What are the best logo sizes for websites?
Your logo should always appear on your company or brand’s website. It welcomes visitors and fosters brand recognition. It will usually appear at the top of the navigation menu and as a favicon in the browser tab. As always, consistent corporate design with a harmonious color palette and balanced composition is essential. The logo should fit in with the rest of the site and be easy to recognise and read in any size.
The actual size will depend on where and how you integrate the logo on your site. Here are some standard logo sizes in pixels based on intended use:
| Layout | Size |
|---|---|
| Vertical orientation (Desktop) | 160 x 160 pixels |
| Horizontal orientation (Mobile) | 250 x 250 pixels 350 x 75 pixels 400 x 100 pixels |
| Full Banner | 468 x 60 pixels |
If you create a style guide for your website, include some rules for the use of your logo.
Logo sizes for favicons
If you want to use your logo to add a favicon to your site, consider the following logo dimensions:
| Use | Size |
|---|---|
| Browser (small) | 16 x 16 pixels |
| Browser (big) | 32 x 32 pixels |
| 48 x 48 pixels |
If your logo is horizontally or vertically oriented, you’ll need to pay extra attention to the square dimensions for favicons.
Favicons make your website more recognisable. Use IONOS’s Favicon Generator to create your favicon for free.
Logo sizes for apps
Apps use smaller dimensions than desktop displays. Here are some standard logo sizes in pixels in the context of app design:
| Operating System | Size |
|---|---|
| Android | 192 x 192 pixels |
| Windows | 62 x 62 pixels |
| iPad | 152 x 152 pixels |
| iPhone 6S or higher | 180 x 180 pixels 120 x 120 pixels (Spotlight search) 87 x 87 pixels (Settings) |
Note here as well that all dimensions are square.
Logo sizes for email signatures
If you are creating an email signature, you should include your logo in it. It’s important that you choose a small size, because the larger the size , the longer it will take to load. Here are some standard logo sizes for email signatures:
| Use | Size |
|---|---|
| Images and banners | 300 to max. 500 pixels x 70 to max. 190 pixels |
You can find more tips on how to optimise your email signature in our article on the topic.
What are the best logo sizes for social media?
When it comes to your own website you can decide how big your logo will appear. But on social media, there are predetermined rules about that. How good your logo looks on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn will depend on the preset image sizes for different areas of the sites. Logo dimensions vary by platform. We’ve assembled some of the most important logo sizes in pixels for social media.
Logo sizes on Facebook
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture on business page | 180 x 180 pixels |
| Cover photo (with logo) | 820 x 310 or 312 pixels |
| Photos shared on timeline (with logo) | 1200 x 628 or 630 pixels |
| Links | 1200 x 628 pixels |
Best file type: PNG
Profile photos on Facebook are shown on desktop in 170 x 170 pixels and on a smartphone in 128 x 128 pixels. Keep that in mind when choosing your logo resolution. You’ll find more information on Facebook image sizes in our digital guide.
Logo sizes on Instagram
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture on business page | 110 x 110 pixels |
| Thumbnail | 161 x 161 pixels |
| Horizontal photo | 1080 x 566 pixels |
| Square photo | 1080 x 1080 pixels |
| Vertical image | 1080 x 1350 pixels |
Best file type: JPEG
Instagram profile photos appear as circles. You might need to adjust the image file with your logo to ensure that it is fully visible. In addition, Instagram converts all photos you upload into JPEGs to save space. So, to avoid a downgrade in image quality, you should plan to save your Instagram photos in high resolution. Learn more about Instagram image sizes and video formats in our digital guide.
Logo sizes on LinkedIn
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture for business/career page | 400 x 400 pixels |
| Cover photo | 1128 x 191 pixels |
| Background image (with logo) | 1584 x 396 pixels |
| Main image (with logo) | 1128 x 376 pixels |
Best file types: JPEG, PNG, GIF
Logo sizes on Twitter
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture | 400 x 400 pixels |
| Cover photo | 1500 x 500 pixels |
| Shared photos | Min. 440 x 220 pixels max. 1024 x 512 pixels |
Logo sizes on YouTube
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture | 800 x 800 pixels |
| Thumbnail | 1280 x 720 pixels |
| Background/cover | 2560 x 1440 pixels |
Logo sizes on TikTok
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture | Min. 20 x 20 pixels |
Best file types: JPG or PNG
Logo sizes on Pinterest
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture | 165 x 165 pixels |
| Board | 222 x 150 pixels |
Best file type: JPG or PNG
Logo sizes on Google business profiles
| Type | Size |
|---|---|
| Profile picture | 720 x 720 pixels (Resolution min. 250 x 250 pixels) |
Best file type: JPG or PNG
If you want to place ads on any of the above platforms, there might be other requirements for formatting.
What are the best logo sizes for print?
You can print your logo on all kinds of objects and surfaces for increased exposure — t-shirts, coffee mugs, bags and business cards are just a few options.
Your logo’s dimensions will depend on whether and how your logo will interact with other elements. A resolution around 300 ppi is recommended, though that will depend on the dimensions of the image as a whole. Here are some examples to give you an idea of the relevant dimensions:
| Object | Size |
|---|---|
| Business cards | 85 x 55 mm (Total size, standard) |
| Mugs (324ml) | 180 x 80 mm |
| Hats | 7.5 to 9 cm wide |
| T-Shirts | max. 30 x 35 oder 35 x 38 cm (print area) 10 x 5 oder 11 x 14 cm (breast pocket) |
| Letterhead | 180 x 80 mm (A4) |
| Envelope | 110 x 220 mm (Standard commercial) |
| Tote bags | 35 x 40 cm |
Your logo should also appear on flyers, brochures and billboards. The best logo size for these formats will depend on the layout as a whole and on the print substrate size. Ask your printer for advice on dimensions and resolutions.
Get inspiration for your logo colour from our article on the topic!
Summary
The bigger the selection of digital platforms and print media gets, the more important an adaptable logo size is! That’s especially true when it comes to multichannel marketing and omnichannel marketing. If you already have these varying requirements in mind when designing your logo, you’ll ensure that it always looks its best, no matter where it appears.
