Tutorial: Create an Animated Logo

3 min read

Transform a static logo into an eye-catching animation.

Time: 10 minutes Difficulty: Intermediate

What You’ll Create

A logo with entrance animation and subtle ongoing movement.

Step 1: Set Up Canvas

  1. Click canvas size dropdown
  2. Select Default (800×600) or your preferred size
  3. Set a background color that contrasts with your logo

Step 2: Add Your Logo Text

For this tutorial, we’ll create a text-based logo.

  1. Press T for Text Tool
  2. Type your brand name (e.g., “ACME”)
  3. Set properties:
    • Font Size: 96
    • Font Color: Your brand color
  4. Center on canvas

Step 3: Add Tagline (Optional)

  1. Press T again
  2. Type your tagline
  3. Position below the main logo
  4. Set smaller font size (24-36)

Step 4: Create Entrance Animation

We’ll use keyframes for a professional entrance.

Main Logo Entrance

  1. Select the main logo text
  2. Open Timeline Panel
  3. At 0 seconds:
    • Set Opacity: 0
    • Set Scale: 0.5
  4. At 0.5 seconds:
    • Set Opacity: 1
    • Set Scale: 1.0
    • Set Easing: Ease Out

Tagline Entrance (Delayed)

  1. Select the tagline
  2. At 0 seconds:
    • Set Opacity: 0
    • Set Position Y: +20px (below final position)
  3. At 0.8 seconds:
    • Set Opacity: 1
    • Set Position Y: final position
    • Set Easing: Ease Out

Step 5: Add Subtle Loop Animation

After the entrance, add a subtle ongoing animation:

  1. Select the main logo
  2. Set Animation: Pulse
  3. Set Speed: 0.5 (very slow)

Step 6: Add Sparkle Effect (Optional)

  1. Select the main logo
  2. Click Add Effect
  3. Select Sparkle
  4. Set Color to match your brand
  5. Set Speed: 0.8

Step 7: Preview and Adjust

  1. Press Space to play
  2. Adjust timing in the Timeline if needed
  3. Ensure the loop point looks smooth

Step 8: Export

For Website

  1. Export as Animated SVG
  2. Embed on your website header

For Social Media

  1. Export as MP4 (5 seconds)
  2. Or GIF for auto-play platforms

Pro Tips

Logo Animation Best Practices:

  • Keep animations subtle — the logo should feel professional
  • Entrance should be quick (0.5-1 second)
  • Loop animations should be barely noticeable
  • Test at small sizes — some effects don’t work well when scaled down

Variations

Minimal Entrance

Just fade in without scaling:

  • 0s: Opacity 0
  • 0.5s: Opacity 1

Bounce Entrance

Playful brands:

  • Use Bounce animation
  • Shorter duration

Typewriter Reveal

Text-based logos:

  • Apply Typewriter animation
  • Export as MP4 (not SVG)

Next Steps