Font Conversion for Logo Designers

Typography is the foundation of logo design. Whether creating a wordmark for a Fortune 500 company or a lettermark for a startup, the fonts you choose—and how you handle them technically—determine the logo's scalability, consistency, and longevity. In 2026, understanding font formats and conversion workflows is essential for delivering professional brand assets that work across every medium.

Logo designers face unique challenges with typography. Unlike designing a website or document, logos must remain visually identical regardless of who opens the file, what software they use, or whether they have the original fonts installed. This guide covers the font conversion strategies and workflows that professional logo designers rely on to deliver bulletproof brand assets.

Font Formats in Logo Design Workflows

Different stages of the logo design process call for different font approaches. Understanding when to use live text versus outlined paths, and which font formats suit each scenario, streamlines your workflow and prevents delivery issues.

OTF vs TTF for Logo Projects

OpenType (OTF) fonts offer advanced typographic features valuable during the design phase. Stylistic alternates let you explore different character versions—perhaps testing a single-story 'a' versus a double-story 'a' in a wordmark. Ligatures can create unique letter combinations, and small caps provide additional styling options.

TrueType (TTF) fonts offer broader compatibility across design software and operating systems. If you collaborate with clients or other designers who may have older software, TTF ensures consistent rendering. Use our OTF to TTF converter when preparing font files for brand guidelines that will be used by diverse teams.

For the OTF vs TTF comparison, both formats produce identical results once converted to outlines. The format matters primarily during the editable design phase, not in final logo deliverables.

Variable Fonts in Brand Identity

Variable fonts have transformed brand identity work in 2026. A single variable font file contains multiple weights, widths, and potentially custom axes—all in one file. For brand systems requiring multiple weights (light, regular, bold), variable fonts simplify font management while offering infinite fine-tuning of weight values.

When incorporating variable fonts into brand guidelines, document the specific axis values used in the logo. For example, "Primary wordmark uses Weight: 650, Width: 95" ensures anyone recreating the logo achieves identical results. Our font tools can help analyze variable font axes and capabilities.

Converting Fonts to Outlines

Converting text to outlines (also called "converting to paths" or "creating outlines") transforms font characters into vector shapes. This is the standard approach for final logo deliverables, ensuring the logo appears identically regardless of font installation.

When to Convert to Outlines

Convert text to outlines when:

• Delivering final logo files: EPS, PDF, AI, and SVG files for client use should have outlined text
• Sending to printers: Print vendors may not have your fonts installed
• Creating merchandise: Embroidery, signage, and promotional item vendors need outlined artwork
• Preparing favicon or icon files: Font dependencies cause issues in icon generation
• Modifying letterforms: Customizing glyphs requires converting to editable paths first

In Adobe Illustrator: Select text → Type → Create Outlines (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + O).
In Figma: Select text → Right-click → Outline Stroke, or Flatten.
In Affinity Designer: Select text → Layer → Convert to Curves.

When NOT to Convert to Outlines

Keep text as live (editable) type when:

• Working source files: Master .AI or .FIG files should retain editability
• Brand guidelines documents: Specifications may need text updates
• Template files: Marketing teams need to edit placeholder text
• Web assets: HTML/CSS implementations use actual fonts, not outlines

Always maintain both versions: an editable source file with live text and a finalized version with outlined text. Name files clearly (e.g., "Logo_Master_Editable.ai" and "Logo_Final_Outlined.ai") to prevent accidentally overwriting the editable version.

Outline Quality Considerations

When converting to outlines, be aware that different font formats produce varying path structures. OTF fonts with CFF outlines use cubic bezier curves, while TTF fonts use quadratic curves. In most cases, this difference is imperceptible, but for logos that will be significantly modified after outlining, starting with OTF may provide smoother curves for further editing.

After converting to outlines, always inspect the paths at high zoom. Poorly designed fonts may have unnecessary anchor points or awkward curves that become apparent when the text is no longer live. Clean up paths if needed for the cleanest possible logo geometry.

Typography for Wordmarks and Lettermarks

Wordmarks (the brand name as a logo) and lettermarks (initials or monograms) rely entirely on typography for their visual impact. The font selection and any customizations define the brand's personality and recognition.

Selecting Fonts for Brand Logos

When selecting fonts for logos, consider longevity over trendiness. A logo should remain relevant for years, if not decades. Classic typeface styles—geometric sans-serifs, humanist sans-serifs, transitional serifs—tend to age better than heavily stylized display fonts.

Before finalizing a font, use our Font Analyzer to examine the typeface's characteristics. Check that it includes all characters needed for the brand name, including any accented characters for international versions. Verify the font includes proper kerning pairs for the specific letter combinations in the wordmark.

Custom Typography Modifications

Many iconic logos feature modified typography—letterforms adjusted to create a unique brand identifier. Before customizing any font, verify your license permits modifications. Many commercial font licenses explicitly prohibit or require separate licensing for modified characters used in logos.

Common typographic modifications for logos include:

• Kerning adjustments: Fine-tuning letter spacing for optical balance
• Terminal modifications: Adjusting stroke endings for visual consistency
• Ligature creation: Connecting letters for unique combinations
• Weight adjustments: Thickening or thinning strokes for better balance
• Counter modifications: Adjusting interior spaces of letters

Document all modifications in the brand guidelines. Future designers need to understand what changes were made and why, especially if the logo needs to be recreated or adapted.

Monogram and Lettermark Considerations

Lettermarks present unique challenges because they combine few characters into a unified symbol. The letterforms must work together visually, often requiring more significant customization than wordmarks. Consider how letters interact—do they overlap, interlock, or stand separately?

When designing monograms, explore OpenType stylistic alternates to find character variations that combine better. OTF fonts often include multiple versions of letters specifically designed for logo-style applications. Use our TTF to OTF converter if your preferred font's advanced features are only available in OTF format.

Delivering Brand Typography Assets

A comprehensive logo delivery includes more than just the logo files. Brand typography assets ensure anyone working with the brand can maintain typographic consistency across all applications.

Logo File Formats

Standard logo deliverables should include:

• AI (Adobe Illustrator): Editable source with live text AND outlined version
• EPS: Universal vector format with outlined text for print vendors
• SVG: Web-optimized vector with outlined text for digital use
• PDF: Print-ready with outlined text and preserved vectors
• PNG: Raster versions at multiple sizes with transparency

For web implementation guidance, refer to our web designers guide on optimizing brand fonts for websites.

Brand Font Packages

Include properly licensed font files in brand deliverables. Convert fonts to consistent formats—typically both OTF (for design applications) and TTF (for maximum compatibility). For web use, also provide WOFF2 versions using our TTF to WOFF2 converter.

Document which font files correspond to which brand applications:

• Logo font: [filename].otf / .ttf
• Headline font: [filename].otf / .ttf
• Body font: [filename].otf / .ttf
• Web fonts: [filename].woff2

Typography Specifications

Brand guidelines should specify typography usage with precision:

• Exact font name and weight (e.g., "Inter Semi Bold 600")
• Letter spacing values (tracking) in specific units
• Line height ratios for multi-line applications
• Case specifications (uppercase, title case, sentence case)
• Permitted modifications (if any)

Ensuring Logo Scalability

Logos must work at every size—from a 16×16 pixel favicon to a building-sized sign. Typography choices directly impact scalability, and font conversion plays a role in maintaining quality across scales.

Small Size Legibility

At small sizes, fine typographic details disappear. Thin strokes may vanish entirely, counters (interior spaces) may fill in, and subtle features become unrecognizable. When selecting logo fonts, consider:

• Stroke contrast: Low contrast fonts scale down better than high contrast
• X-height: Larger x-heights improve small size legibility
• Counter sizes: Open counters remain readable at small sizes
• Detail level: Simpler letterforms scale more reliably

Test your logo at favicon size (16×16 pixels) early in the design process. If typography becomes illegible, consider creating a simplified version for small applications or selecting a more robust typeface.

Large Scale Reproduction

At large scales, font quality becomes critical. Poorly constructed fonts may reveal awkward curves, inconsistent stroke weights, or spacing issues invisible at normal sizes. When converting fonts to outlines for large-scale applications (signage, vehicle wraps, building graphics), inspect paths carefully for any imperfections.

Vector formats (EPS, AI, SVG, PDF) scale infinitely without quality loss. Never use raster formats for large-scale print applications—always provide outlined vector files.

Font Licensing for Logo Design

Font licensing is a critical but often overlooked aspect of logo design. Different license types grant different rights, and using fonts outside their license terms can create legal liability for both designers and clients.

License Types Relevant to Logos

Desktop licenses typically cover designing documents and graphics, including logos. However, some licenses restrict logo use or require additional licensing.

Logo licenses specifically permit using a font in a registered trademark or logo. Some foundries offer these separately.

Modification rights vary significantly. Some licenses permit any modification, others prohibit it entirely, and some allow modification only for personal use.

Before delivering a logo using any commercial font, verify the license permits logo use and any modifications you've made. Include licensing documentation in brand guideline deliverables.

Open Source Fonts for Logos

Open source fonts licensed under the SIL Open Font License (OFL) permit logo use and modifications without additional licensing concerns. Many high-quality typefaces are available under OFL, including Google Fonts' entire library.

When using open source fonts, convert them to appropriate formats using our tools. The TTF to OTF converter can help standardize formats across a brand's font family.

Related Converters & Tools

Explore Other Use Cases

External Resources

• Google Fonts Knowledge - Typography fundamentals and best practices
• Smashing Magazine Typography - Expert typography articles and tutorials
• A List Apart: On Web Typography - Deep dive into typography principles
• MDN Web Fonts Guide - Technical implementation documentation
• SIL Open Font License - Open source font licensing information