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How to make a logo lockup: your logo plus a tagline or product name.

A lockup is your logo fixed together with another element, so the pair is never rearranged.

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A logo lockup is your logo locked together with something else, like a tagline, a product name or a partner logo. The parts have a fixed size, position and space between them, and are saved as one file.

To make one, pick the main logo, set the second element smaller, use one spacing unit from your logo, align the edges, and save it as a vector file. Then write the rule down so nobody redraws it.

By Vedran Obradović · Updated 7 November 2026

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Four kinds of logo lockups.

Pick the kind that matches the job.

Kind 1

Logo + tagline

The tagline sits under or beside the name. For websites, ads and print.

Kind 4

Logo + descriptor

A short line like "for teams" or "Labs". Keep it small.

Not sure you need a tagline? See tagline examples for B2B tech.

How to build a lockup in six steps.

Use your logo's own shapes as the ruler.

Step 1

Pick the main logo

Use the horizontal or stacked version from your set. See logo variations.

Step 2

Set the second element smaller

A tagline is usually much smaller than the logo. If both shout, neither is heard.

Step 3

Choose a spacing unit

Take one part of the logo, like the height of a letter. Use that unit for every gap.

Step 4

Align on one edge

Left edge, centre or baseline. Choose one and use it every time.

Step 5

Use brand fonts and colours

The second element uses a brand font and a colour with strong contrast.

Free tool

Find your spacing unit.

A good lockup uses one unit from your logo for every gap. Add your logo, pick a rule and download a guide. The file stays on your device.

Open the full tool: Logo clear space generator

Write the lockup rule down.

Paste this into your brand rules. Fill in the brackets.

Logo lockup spec
LOCKUP: [Company] + [tagline / product / partner]

Main logo: [horizontal / stacked] - never changed
Second element: [text in font name, size = x% of the logo height]
Unit "x": [e.g. the height of one letter]
Space between logo and second element: [1x]
Alignment: [left edge / centre]
Clear space around the whole lockup: [2x] on all sides
Smallest size: [width in px and mm]
Versions: colour, white, black - SVG, PDF, PNG
Do not: stretch, rotate, change the spacing, recolour, add effects
Used on: [website header, ads, proposals, partner pages]

More rules for logo use in logo usage guidelines.

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Common lockup mistakes.

  • Tagline too big. It fights the logo.
  • Gaps drawn by eye. Each version has a different gap.
  • Tagline in a random font. Use a brand font.
  • No small version. The lockup is unreadable at tab size, so use the icon there.
  • Everyone redraws it. Save it as a file, and lock it in the tool.
Logo Studio inside a Brand OS Portal, showing the logo on different backgrounds and sizes
Logo Studio: the logo set, ready for each background and size.

In a Brand OS Portal, Logo Studio keeps the approved set in one place. You pick the background and the size and get the right file. The lockup design itself is still a designer's job, done once.

Check your lockup.

Tick each line. Your ticks stay on this device.

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Straight answers.

What is a logo lockup?

A logo lockup is a logo fixed together with another element, like a tagline or product name, so the parts keep the same size, position and spacing.

What is the difference between a logo and a lockup?

The logo is one mark. A lockup is that logo combined with something else as a fixed unit.

How big should a tagline be in a lockup?

Much smaller than the logo. Set it as a share of the logo height and write that share in your rules.

Can I make a lockup myself?

For a simple tagline lockup, yes, with the steps above. For a full brand or a sub-brand system, a designer is the right call.

What files should I keep for a lockup?

Vector files (SVG, PDF) and PNG, in colour, white and black.

Read next.

Logo usage guidelines: do's and don'ts, with examples.

Logo file formats: which files you need and when to use each

Co-branding guidelines: how to put two logos together.

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