Gap Logo Change: A Before-and-After Redesign Audit

Before you start

A gap change is a spacing change around the logo mark, not a color or typography edit. Check whether you have an editable vector file, usually SVG, or only a flattened PNG. If the logo is a raster file, you can still test a new gap by creating extra transparent space around the image, but you cannot cleanly move internal elements apart without a vector editor or the original working file.

• Identify the gap you mean: internal space between symbol and wordmark, outer clear space, or spacing inside the symbol.
• Open the editable source file if available; otherwise open the highest-resolution PNG in an image editor.
• Note the current background color and whether the logo must also work on dark, light, or photographic backgrounds.
• Keep the original layer or file before making changes so the comparison is reversible.

Step-by-step instructions

Start with the editable file where possible. Select the element that defines the gap, such as the text block next to the symbol, rather than scaling the whole logo, because scaling changes line thickness and overall proportions too.

• Duplicate the original logo layer, group, or component and label it with the new gap value.
• Move only the relevant element to increase or reduce the gap.
• Use the measured gap width as the base unit, for example a gap equal to the cap height of the wordmark.
• Test a narrower gap and a wider gap as separate duplicates instead of repeatedly moving one object.
• Align the moved element to the same baseline or center axis as the original.

Check the output

Compare the changed version with the original at a small size, such as 16 to 24 pixels high, because a gap that looks balanced on a large screen may close up in a browser tab or app icon. Also place both versions on a solid background and on a busy photographic background to check whether the new gap keeps the mark visually separate.

For an outer clear-space change, verify that the logo remains centered in its exported asset. If you add transparent padding, check the final image dimensions and confirm that no unintended background color appears in the exported PNG or WebP file.

Common problems and next steps

A frequent issue is moving the text but not the registered symbol, which makes the lockup feel unbalanced even though the measured gap is correct. Another issue is changing one spacing distance without checking the distance on the opposite side of the symbol.

If the logo is only available as a flat PNG, do not retouch the interior by hand and save over the original. Keep the source file separate, work on a duplicate, and use a transparent padding change rather than claiming an internal vector edit. When the gap change needs to affect a favicon or signed sign format, export the final version from the edited master file so every size uses the same spacing decision.