Local bar and grill logo

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

This is my first effort on a logo for a local tavern that has been in business for many years but is now under new ownership. It's a nice clean establishment with great food, drinks, outdoor beer garden, and other attractions such as gambling, billiards, and darts. It's located in a small town of 2500 people in the downtown business district. Am I heading in the right direction? Any ideas that might make it better? Thanks for looking.

 

[SameDay Signs]

I personally like the one on the right but I dislike the fill inside the word Topsy's. Just my opinion but I do like the overall layout

 

[John Butto]

I like them, the colored one is very nice.

 

[Sign Up Graphics]

Sign Up Graphics

Nice logo!!!

 

[Dan Antonelli]

Looks great. You might want to have the T and the S be the same height so its balanced, and make the space in the panel uniform. Right now to the right and left of your letters has too much space. Maybe a wider face is needed. And for the secondary copy, maybe something with even strokes as opposed to thick/thin as the current typography is not the best viewing from a distance.

Just minor stuff, really great start.

 

[Jillbeans]

It's OK but it is kind of ho-hum.
The fonts and the flourish belong to an earlier time period.
While the flourish is OK I would consider more contemporary retro fonts like those by Alf Becker.
I don't think the central panel needs that many outlines and would have more punch without them.
Would love to see richer warmer tones.
It's a good start.
Love....Jill

 

[rjssigns]

Nice layout with a retro look.


One question though, where are Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter?

 

[visual800]

If this is your first layout i like it. Simple and clean and goes with theme of bar

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

I would put an outline or a couple of outlines with dark/light colors around the main wording so it pops out.

 

[bob]

Looks great. You might want to have the T and the S be the same height so its balanced, and make the space in the panel uniform. Right now to the right and left of your letters has too much space. Maybe a wider face is needed. And for the secondary copy, maybe something with even strokes as opposed to thick/thin as the current typography is not the best viewing from a distance...

What he said. Use an upper case 'S' to match the 'T', leave the apostrophe, if you absolutely have to include it, right where it is.

Since the 'Topsy's' type face is thick and thin you can get away with stretching it a bit, That's a bit, don't go crazy.

The fill in 'Topsy's' is annoying. It's too high, try only going halfway up with it. Moreover the the gradient of the bar sizes is not sufficiently distinct. It should proceed to nothing, not end in a good sized bar. If this were to be printed and not done with cut vinyl, I'd add a gradient transparency to the top of the fill pattern.

The secondary copy is weak. The flourish, which is way too bold, and the outlines overpower it. It should be the second boldest element, either in size or color or whatever.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Here is a new version. I took it a little over the top on details, but for a sign I think this would work great and add some dimension to the previous flatter version I had posted. Adjusting the width of the main typeface wasn't really ideal since I had rendered it from scratch and was pretty happy with the outcome. Instead I sized down the rectangle around it to fill it out more and get the same effect without having to modify the letter forms. I may try the larger letter s on the end of 'Topsy's'. I haven't decided yet, but if I do I would likely move the apostrophe higher and move the s in closer to the y for balance.

I am going to toy with some new color combinations now, at Jill's request. I'm anxious to see what different color combinations can do for this layout. I may try some other typefaces for the secondary lettering. I now realize I'm way out of the time period but I just like the classic look of this. Because the business was established in 1934 do you think it's important to make a connection with that? I'm not a big fan of 1930's style.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

I would put an outline or a couple of outlines with dark/light colors around the main wording so it pops out.

Exactly.

 

[fozzie]

I like it but the flourish looks like some kind of "creature" staring at you

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

The fill in 'Topsy's' is annoying. It's too high, try only going halfway up with it. Moreover the the gradient of the bar sizes is not sufficiently distinct. It should proceed to nothing, not end in a good sized bar. If this were to be printed and not done with cut vinyl, I'd add a gradient transparency to the top of the fill pattern.

The secondary copy is weak. The flourish, which is way too bold, and the outlines overpower it. It should be the second boldest element, either in size or color or whatever.

I will try all of these suggestions as I completely agree. This is the first time I've tried a gradient of this type and I wasn't completely happy with it, but hadn't taken the time to pinpoint exactly why it wasn't working. I figured the subtle color alone would make for a nice fade, but it can definitely use work.

 

[Gino]

You could also mono-tone them as you go up, until they disappear.

I also think you need a focal color in there somewhere..... or at least an accent.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

And some more...

 

[Jillbeans]

I like the first attempt at a warmer tone.
Here is how I'd do it (font is a Becker from 1950)
I don't like both panels being brown, and I still don't like that black outline inside the Topsy panel.
I think all you need to do is make the S bigger and to do as bob suggests with the gradient.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Darn it. Why am I just not feeling the Becker font? I keep thinking if I change that I will have to change the main typeface as well...and probably remove the flourish in exchange for something more simple...

...alright let me get back to you on this. I'm gonna go play with it some more. At least I can give the client plenty of options at some point. Mostly this is a good learning experience for me and my car's getting fixed today so I have nothing better to do on my day off.

 

[Jillbeans]

Ok so you don't like Becker. Try Arthur Vanson's LHF American Sans, or any thicker sans serif font.
I was always taught not to use two decorative fonts in the same layout.
I think everything else works.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Ok so you don't like Becker. Try Arthur Vanson's LHF American Sans, or any thicker sans serif font.
I was always taught not to use two decorative fonts in the same layout.
I think everything else works.

I agree, but I don't look at the secondary font as being all that decorative. At the same time I can kind of see what direction you're going with what you posted. I believe the font you used is called Big Blunt. So for the headline font I'm seeing some big bouncy Ballpark/Motherlode style script and I think that can work well, but I don't know if it was the look I was going for. However, it might be the look the customer is going for so we'll see. Thank you for all the advice.