College Logos versus College Seals – A How-to Guide on Designing Both

A college logo is a symbol or emblem that represents the institution in an official capacity, such as on letterhead, publications, or athletic uniforms. The logo is often accompanied by a seal that certifies the authenticity of documents./p>

With the rise in the number of educational institutes, college logos and seals have become a necessity. They are used to represent the institution in a way that is visually appealing and easy to recognize.

Let us explore the differences between college logos and seals.

School Logos

1. A College Logo is Promotional But College Seal Is Official

A seal can be used for formal purposes such as on diplomas or transcripts, whereas logos are usually used for promotional purposes. College logos are often seen on merchandise, websites, and social media pages. The logo is also used to represent the school at athletic events. A college seal is an official logo that represents the institution formally. It is often seen on diplomas, letterhead, stationery, and other formal documents.

2. A College Logo is for Recognition But College Seal Is for Documentation

Colleges have to have a logo in order to be recognized by the public, but they also have seals that are used on official documents, such as college degrees. A college logo is an important part of the marketing and branding efforts of any institution. A seal on the other hand provides authentication by confirming that something – be it an object, document, product, or service – belongs to the institution.

3. A College Logo is Abstract But College Seal Is Imagery-Based

Logos for colleges are usually conceptual or rather symbolic that visualize the ideals or values of a college. On the other hand, college seals made for colleges contain elements that make an entire image with graphics like books, mountains, birds, flames, and trees. College seals mostly have a coat of arms as their design.

4. A College Logo is Simple But College Seal Is Elaborate

If you observe college logos and seals, you will see that a college logo design is often simple and modern in appearance but a college seal design is elaborate. With college logos, minimalism helps because it is easily recognizable and memorable but seals can be extravagant and detailed because they’re to stamp official documents, not necessarily to be remembered.

5. A College Logo Is More Popular Than A Logo

Logos for colleges are more popular because they’re used for branding and marketing on printed and online material, but college seals are seen only by a few people since they’re usually used for official items, such as certificates. However, the idea of college seals dates further back than logos that is a fairly new addition to college identity.

6. A College Logo Can Be Any Shape But Seals Can’t Be

The shape of a college logo is not as strict as that of a seal. So a college logo can follow trends and adapt to the changing design tastes in how it should look overall, but college seals are usually circular in shape, or they can be shaped like a shield. The shape of a seal is the same for every institution.

7. A Logo Identifies College But Seals Authenticate

A seal is a coat of arms or other emblem used to authenticate documents like transcripts, diplomas, and degrees. A logo is a graphic design that identifies the source of this organization or product, and it acts as a visual representation of the college’s identity to convey its personality and tone.

8. A College Logo Can Change But Seals Remain The Same

College logos can change in design more often but seals remain the same for a long time unless there is something majorly wrong with them. Thus, college logos are a more contemporary way for colleges to brand themselves, while seals have been around for centuries and represent more traditional values.

9. Anyone Can Design College Logos But Not College Seals

College logos are often designed by in-house design teams or outsourced to professional design agencies. College seals are usually designed by universities’ in-house designers and then approved by the governing body of the university before they can be used for official purposes.

10. A College Logo Is A Mark But Seals Can Be Signets

Colleges can use their logo as a mark that represents their existence on all platforms they want to be on, but college seals act as signatures. Seals can be used as signets to close official envelopes. Logos cannot be used for the same purpose.

Below are some examples of college logos and seals to get inspiration from.


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