Make a logo yourself with free tools: steps, limits, rights and files

You can make a logo yourself with free software such as Inkscape, Affinity or Figma: sketch on paper first, build the mark as a vector file, test it at tiny sizes and in one color, then export a complete set of files. Using a ready-made template or stock icon as the logo itself is forbidden in a trademark by some platforms' terms and can block a registration later.

This guide is for small business owners, online shops and early-stage projects that want to make a logo themselves before paying anyone. It focuses on the actual work: the free tools that are usable, the honest limits of doing it yourself, the copyright and trademark basics, and the files you need to keep. Logo types and design principles in depth are a separate subject; this page is about getting it built.

Who should make their own logo, and when to stop

A DIY logo suits the stage where a business is still testing the market, the budget is tight and nobody is sure the brand name will last. Think of an online shop that has just opened its page, a hobby that has started to earn money, or a project that needs a face before launch. At this stage a simple, readable logo used consistently everywhere is worth more than an elaborate one that arrives late.

These are the signals that it is time to stop doing it yourself and get help:

• You are about to order packaging, shop signage or merchandise in volume, where changing the logo later means paying twice.
• You want to register a trademark and are not certain every element in the logo is yours.
• The brand has to work across several languages, product lines or branches, so a single logo file is not enough and you need rules for how it is used.
• You have tried several rounds and none of the versions is something your team or customers remember.

If none of these apply, doing it yourself is a reasonable choice, and the work you produce, such as sketches, a color set and test files, becomes a useful brief if you hire someone later.

Four things to prepare before you open any software

Preparing these four things takes little time.

1. The name that goes in the logo, and its final spelling

Decide whether the logo will carry a Thai name, an English name or both, and which spelling is official. Names of different lengths produce very different shapes. A short name of three to five letters works well as a pure wordmark, while a long name usually needs a symbol or monogram for small spaces. If the name itself is still uncertain, settle that first, because changing the name after the logo is finished means starting over.

2. A list of the places the logo will really appear

Write down where the logo will be used in the first six months: the profile picture on your page and on your LINE Official Account, which are often cropped to a circle, the website icon in the browser tab, box stickers, product labels, the shop sign, receipts and the watermark on product photos. This list tells you the logo has to survive both very small and very large spaces, and that you need a version that fits inside a square or a circle.

3. The production method you will use most

If the logo will be printed in one color on paper bags, screen-printed on shirts or embossed, gradients and shadows disappear completely. If it will mostly live on screens, it has to read on both light and dark backgrounds. Ask the print shop you plan to use what file it needs now.

4. Thai text in the logo

Thai script has upper vowels, lower vowels and tone marks, so a line of Thai is taller overall than a line of Latin letters. If you pair a Thai name with an English one, allow more vertical space than you expect, and choose a font whose Thai and Latin characters were designed together, not an English font where the system silently substitutes a different Thai font, because the stroke weights of the two languages will not match.

Free logo software and websites that actually work

There are many free tools, but for logo work the most important question is whether the tool can produce vector artwork. A vector file scales without limit and without breaking up, and print shops and sign makers need it. Pixel images such as PNG or JPG are fine on screens but blur when enlarged. The free-plan details below were checked on each vendor's own website on 19 October 2026. Vendors change their plans, so open each pricing page again before you start.

Inkscape

Inkscape's about page describes it as a free and open source vector graphics editor for GNU/Linux, Windows and macOS. It uses SVG as its main file format and can import and export several formats, including SVG, AI, EPS, PDF, PS and PNG. For logo work, the advantages are that it costs nothing, needs no account and saves source files in an open standard that other programs can open.

Affinity

Affinity's website states that the software is free for individuals, with downloads for Mac and Windows, while an iPad version is still being built. It combines vector design, photo editing and page layout in one app and uses the .af file as its source format. The site also says the built-in AI tools unlock with a Canva premium plan, which you do not need for making a logo. It suits people who want professional-grade tools on their own computer and are ready to spend time learning them.

Figma (Starter plan)

Figma's pricing page lists a free Starter plan with unlimited drafts plus UI kits and templates. Figma works mainly in the browser, so it is easy to send a link to someone to view or comment. Its Pen tool and shape combining can build a vector logo, and it exports SVG, PDF and PNG. It suits people who want a partner or a small team to review options together.

Canva (free plan) and the clause you must read

Canva's pricing page shows a Free plan at 0 baht per month. It is easy to use and has a huge library of ready-made elements. Before using it for a logo, though, read Canva's Content License Agreement. In its prohibited-uses section it says you may not use any Canva Content, free or Pro, as part of a trade mark, design mark, trade name, business name or service mark, with fonts excluded. Content here includes photos, icons, illustrations and templates.

In practice, if you pick a logo template and only change the shop name, or drop a library icon next to your name, the result should not be used as a commercial logo. The safer approach is to use Canva for rough drafts, color trials or mockups of how your own logo will look on posts and signs, while the mark itself is drawn by you from basic shapes.

Automatic logo makers and AI tools

There are many automatic logo websites and AI image tools. If you use one, read that provider's terms on ownership of output and commercial use first, and treat what it gives you as a concept sketch that you then redraw as a vector yourself.

How to make a logo yourself, step by step

These steps work in any vector program. Menu names follow Inkscape, because it is free on every operating system. In other programs the menu names differ slightly but the method is the same.

1. Sketch 20 options on paper first. Use a single black pen and sketch fast: pure wordmarks, monograms and symbol-plus-name versions. The aim is quantity, not beauty. Drawing by hand keeps you from getting stuck on the templates you have seen on screen.
2. Cut down to 3. Drop any option that needs color or shadow to make sense, any option with details so small they vanish when reduced, and any option that looks like a logo you have seen before.
3. Build it as a vector. Create a new file and assemble the symbol yourself from basic tools such as circles, rectangles and Bezier lines. Use Path, then Union, to merge shapes, or Path, then Difference, to cut one shape out of another, and use Object, then Align and Distribute, to line elements up.
4. Set the name and convert the text to outlines. Type the name in a font whose license you have checked and adjust the spacing between letters by eye, pair by pair. Then duplicate the file, and in the copy you will export, use Path, then Object to Path, to turn the letters into shapes. Other computers without that font will then open the file correctly, and you keep the editable-text version for future changes.
5. Test before you decide. Run the checks in the next section. If an option fails one, go back and fix the shape, not add an effect on top.
6. Get feedback from people who do not know the brand. Show the logo for two or three seconds, then ask what they remember and how they read the name. That answer is more useful than asking whether it looks nice.
7. Export a complete file set. Follow the file list in the section on files to keep, and name the files systematically from the first export.

Testing your DIY logo before real use

Testing stands in for the trained eye of a designer that a DIY project does not have. Run every check on all three shortlisted options, then choose the one that passes the most.

• Shrink it right down. Export PNGs at 16 and 32 pixels and look at them on a real screen. If the symbol turns into a shapeless blob, cut detail or prepare a symbol-only version for small spaces.
• One color. Turn every part solid black on white. If the shape still reads, the logo is not leaning too hard on color.
• Reverse it. Make it white on a dark background, because the logo will certainly end up on photos, video backgrounds and dark shirts.
• Circle crop. Place the logo inside a circle like a profile picture and check whether anything important gets cut. If the logo is a long horizontal lockup, prepare a symbol or monogram version to use instead.
• Print it. Print it on A4 paper, both large and at business-card size. Color on paper often differs from the screen, and thin lines may vanish.
• Search for look-alikes. Use reverse image search in a general search engine to see whether a similar logo exists in your line of business. This guarantees nothing, but it catches obvious similarity before you invest more time.

The limits of a DIY logo to know from the start

Doing it yourself saves money, but it has other costs worth knowing before you begin, so you can decide how far to take it.

• Looking like everyone else. A logo built from stock parts can resemble other shops that used the same parts.
• Elements you do not fully own. Free icons, illustrations and fonts always come with conditions. If you skip reading them, you may find out later that the logo cannot be registered.
• A logo, not a system. A working brand needs a color set, a font for body text, clear space around the logo and placement rules. A DIY project usually ends with one logo file, and then everyone on the team uses it differently.
• Pixel files instead of vectors. Some tools only output PNG or JPG. That works on social media, but sign makers and printers will ask for a scalable file, and you end up redrawing everything.
• Time. Learning a new vector program takes time not spent selling or looking after customers.

Copyright and trademarks: what to check before using the logo

Copyright and trademarks are different things. Copyright is about who owns the artwork. A trademark is about using a mark to distinguish your goods or services from other people's. A DIY logo has to clear both. What follows is general information, not legal advice. If the logo carries significant business value, consult an intellectual property lawyer.

Every borrowed element needs a right to use it

For every piece you did not draw yourself, you should be able to say where it came from and how far you may use it. For fonts, open the license file that ships with the font and check whether commercial use and use in a logo are allowed. Many free fonts use open licenses that permit commercial use, but some are free for personal use only. For icons and illustrations from stock libraries, read that library's terms, as in the Canva case above, where library content may not form part of a trademark. For images from AI tools, read each provider's terms.

Trademarks in Thailand: what the Department of Intellectual Property states

The citizen service guide for trademark registration from the Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Commerce, states that a registrable mark must be distinctive, must not be prohibited by law, and must not be identical or similar to a mark someone else has already registered. That is exactly why template logos are risky: the same template may already be in use by someone else.

The Department's documents also set out details that matter directly to DIY logo makers:

• A mark can be a photograph, drawing, invented device, emblem, name, word, text, letters, numerals, signature, combination of colors, shape of an object, sound, or several of these combined.
• Applications use form Kor.01 with the mark image attached, and can be filed through the electronic e-Filing system.
• The mark image must be clear and no larger than 5 x 5 centimeters, with an extra fee for anything beyond that, so keep a crisp solid-black version of the logo ready.
• Goods and services are grouped into classes under a Ministry of Commerce notification. Classes and lists of goods or services can be checked on the Department's website, one application can name several classes, and the fee is calculated by the number of listed goods or services in each class.
• The guide gives a total processing time of 16 months, including a 60-day publication period during which others can file an opposition.

That long timeline is the reason to check for similarity and plan the trademark before printing in volume. The Department's own officer manual also includes a step for searching for identical or similar marks before registration. Fees and procedures can change, so confirm with the Department of Intellectual Property website or its 1368 hotline before filing.

The files to keep once the logo is finished

When you make a logo yourself, nobody hands you a complete file package, so you have to organize it from day one. Set up your folder like this:

• Editable source files such as the Inkscape .svg, the Affinity .af or the Figma file link, plus a copy where the text is still live type. Keep the font names and the font license files in the same folder.
• Vector files for print: SVG and PDF with text converted to outlines, for sign makers, screen printers and print shops.
• Transparent-background PNGs in at least two sizes, a large one for presentations and a small one for the web.
• Color versions: full color, solid black, and solid white for dark backgrounds.
• Layout versions: horizontal, vertical or stacked, and symbol or monogram only for profile pictures and the website icon.
• A one-page sheet listing color codes for screen (HEX) and print (CMYK), font names, clear space around the logo and the smallest size at which it still reads.
• Evidence of origin: paper sketches, dated test files and a note of where each element came from. These help if you ever need to show that you created the work.

Give files descriptive names, for example the brand name followed by the layout, the color and the file extension, and back them up in at least two places, such as cloud storage and an external drive.

If you hire a professional: what makes prices differ

Prices for professional logo work vary widely in the market, and there is no single figure that compares fairly across providers. What is worth understanding is the set of factors that move the price, so you can compare quotes properly.

• Research scope. A project that starts with competitor, audience and brand-positioning research takes longer than one that starts drawing from a short brief.
• Number of concepts and revision rounds. How many options are presented in the first round, and how many rounds of changes are included, drive the hours directly.
• Deliverables. Just the logo file, or a full set of versions, brand usage guidelines and applications to real media such as business cards and social profiles.
• Two languages and custom lettering. Designing Thai and English lettering that work as a pair, or customizing letterforms for the brand, takes more skill and time than typing in an off-the-shelf font.
• Transfer of rights. A contract that transfers copyright in the work and all source files to the client is a condition you should see in writing.
• Designer experience and rush timelines. Work that must finish faster than normal, or a team with a deep brand portfolio, costs more.

If you decide to hire, the sketches, placement list and test results from this guide work as a brief straight away. See Relevant Audience's logo design service for details.

Making a logo for a business in Thailand: extra points to plan for

Businesses in Thailand use logos in channels with their own formats, and these are worth testing while you build.

• Round profile pictures. Facebook pages, LINE Official Accounts and marketplace shops show the profile image in a small circle or square. A long horizontal logo becomes too small to read, so you need a symbol version.
• Thai name and English name. If you use both, decide which language leads and set the other clearly smaller so they do not compete.
• Local print and sign shops. Send a PDF or vector file rather than a phone image, so the logo does not have to be redrawn.
• Thai fonts with clear licenses. Free Thai fonts come with varied terms. Some allow commercial use and some do not, so always read the terms before using one in a logo.

FAQ about making your own logo

Can a logo made with free software be registered as a trademark?

Yes, if it is distinctive, not prohibited and not identical or similar to a mark someone else has registered, as the Department of Intellectual Property guide states. The software is not the issue. The issue is that every element in the logo must be your own or clearly licensed for that use. A logo built from a template or library icon whose terms bar use in a trademark should not be filed.

Can I use Canva to make a logo?

Only if you create the symbol and every element yourself, because Canva's Content License Agreement prohibits using its library content, free or Pro, as part of a trade mark or business name, with fonts excluded. The safe route is to use Canva for color trials and mockups and to build the actual logo in a vector program.

Which free logo software is best for beginners?

Figma's Starter plan suits beginners who want to start quickly and get others to review through a link. Inkscape suits people who want free software on their own computer without an account, and Affinity suits Mac or Windows users who want a complete toolset in one app. All of them produce vector artwork, which is the most important capability for a logo.

What files do I need once my logo is finished?

At minimum you need an editable source file, SVG and PDF files with text converted to outlines, transparent-background PNGs, and full-color, black and white versions, plus a symbol-only version for profile pictures and a one-page sheet listing color codes and font names.

What comes after the logo

A logo you make yourself is a good starting point. As the business grows, the logo usually needs to become part of a larger system of colors, fonts and rules for every channel. Read more about building a brand identity, keeping digital branding consistent online, and the graphic design work that carries the logo into real media.