Horizontal Logo Dimensions: Proportions, Not a Fixed Size
There is no single standard size for a horizontal logo. Learn how vector artwork defines proportions, how to size a wide lockup, and when to switch to a compact symbol.
Contents
There is no universal set of dimensions for a horizontal logo. A horizontal logo, also called a wide or landscape lockup, places the symbol beside the wordmark rather than above it. Its size is set by the proportions of that specific artwork and by the space it has to fill. For a vector logo, the useful measurement is the ratio of width to height. A fixed pixel count matters only when you export a raster copy for a particular placement.
The direct answer
A horizontal logo's dimensions are its aspect ratio, and that ratio comes from the design. A short brand name beside a symbol produces a moderately wide shape. A long name produces a much wider one. The correct approach is to keep that ratio exactly when you scale the logo. Never stretch the artwork to fill a predetermined box, and set width and height for each use from the space available.
No specific measurements, ratios or platform specifications were available for this article, so it gives no numeric sizes. Websites, social platforms, app stores and print vendors publish their own placement requirements and revise them over time. Check the current specification for each destination directly.
Why vector artwork has no fixed size
Vector artwork is built from mathematically defined paths, so it can be scaled up or down without losing sharpness. In a vector file, dimensions describe a coordinate space and a proportion rather than a fixed resolution. In an SVG, for example, the viewBox attribute defines the coordinate system and therefore the artwork's intrinsic aspect ratio. The width and height actually rendered are decided where the file is placed.
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 WIDTH HEIGHT">
<!-- logo paths -->
</svg>Raster images behave differently. PNG and JPG files are fixed grids of pixels, so enlarging them past their native size causes blurring. A vector-format file can also contain an embedded raster image, or it may be only a raster preview saved under a vector extension. In either case, that content does not scale cleanly. A file's name or extension alone does not prove that it contains editable vector paths. Open it in a vector editor and inspect the paths to confirm.
What determines a horizontal logo's usable size
- Aspect ratio: fixed by the artwork itself. Lock the proportions when you resize.
- Artboard bounds: the artboard or viewBox should fit closely around the artwork. Uneven empty margins make the logo look misaligned and harder to place consistently.
- Clear space: brand guidelines usually define a protected margin around the logo. That margin is often expressed relative to an element of the logo, such as the height of a letter or of the symbol, so it scales with the artwork.
- Minimum size: the smallest size at which the wordmark stays legible and the symbol keeps its detail. It is normally set in the brand's own guidelines and depends on the typeface and the complexity of the design.
- Placement constraints: the height or width allowed by a website header, document template, signage panel or platform slot.
Because a horizontal lockup is wide, its height shrinks quickly when it has to fit a limited width. A narrow mobile header or a small square avatar slot can push the wordmark below a readable size even while the overall logo technically fits.
When to switch to a compact or symbol variant
Responsive logo systems handle this problem by providing more than one lockup. Use the horizontal version where there is generous width, such as desktop headers, letterheads and wide banners. When the space becomes narrow or square, or the horizontal version would fall below its minimum size, switch to a stacked lockup or to the symbol on its own. Typical cases are favicons, app icons, social profile images and small mobile headers.
Each variant should be its own properly proportioned artwork with its own artboard and clear space. Cropping or squeezing the horizontal file does not produce a usable variant. If a brand supplies only a horizontal logo, the lack of a compact variant is a gap to resolve with the brand owner or designer, not something to improvise.
Preparing horizontal logo files for delivery
- Supply the master artwork as true vector paths, with text converted to outlines or the font licensing addressed.
- Trim the artboard to the artwork, or to the artwork plus its defined clear space, and apply the same approach to every variant.
- Provide raster exports, such as PNG, at the sizes each known placement needs, generated from the vector master rather than upscaled from a small image.
- Include the horizontal, stacked and symbol-only versions where they exist, with clear file names that state which lockup each file contains.
- Document the minimum size and clear-space rule so other people can apply them consistently.
A note on resizing someone else's logo
Being able to download a logo does not grant permission to alter it. Changing its proportions, cropping it into a new variant or redrawing it modifies the artwork, and a logo's design, fonts and trademark may each carry separate restrictions. When working with another organization's logo, follow its published brand guidelines, or get approval before creating a different size or lockup.