This article is about the graphic mark or emblem. For other uses, see Logo (disambiguation).
Three logos: LibreOffice, IBM by Paul Rand and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.
Early trademark of the Chiswick Press
A logo (abbreviation of logotype,[1] from Greek: λόγος logos "word" and τύπος typos "imprint") is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. There are purely graphic emblems, symbols, icons and logos, which are composed of the name of the organization (a logotype or wordmark).
In the days of hot metal typesetting, a logotype was one word cast as a single piece of type, e.g. "The" in ATF Garamond (as opposed to a ligature, which is two or more letters joined, but not forming a word).[2] By extension, the term was also used for a uniquely set and arranged typeface or colophon. At the level of mass communication and in common usage, a company's logo is today often synonymous with its trademark or brand.