Tiny Text in Logos: Why Taglines Nobody Reads Hurt Brands
Tiny logo text turns to blur on phones, so learn the 12 point minimum and tagline fixes that keep type sharp.
Why tiny text fails everywhere
Text under 12 points dissolves at mobile sizes because a 120 pixel logo renders letters only 6 pixels tall on many screens. Business cards, favicons and embroidery below 3 inches wide turn thin taglines into unreadable gray lines fast.
Roughly 57 percent of web traffic is mobile, so most customers first meet your logo on a 6 inch display. Make the logo online with a separate horizontal lockup and keep the icon fully legible without any words at 32 pixels.
Tagline rules that keep type sharp
Keep the main wordmark at 16 points or larger and push slogans to a secondary lockup used only above 4 inches wide. Use bold sans serifs with open spacing, since light scripts lose 40 percent legibility below 14 points in print tests.
Test every logo at 3 brutal sizes: 16 pixel favicon, 150 pixel social avatar and 2 inch print on cheap paper. If the tagline blurs in any test, delete it from the icon and place it beneath the layout instead.
- Keep wordmark above 16 points
- Taglines only above 4 inches
- Use bold simple sans serifs
- Test 16px, 150px and print
- Separate icon from slogan