New Mozilla Logo: A Practical Before-and-After Evaluation
What changed with Mozilla's moz://a wordmark, how it works as vector artwork, and what to check before you use or edit any Mozilla logo file.
Contents
The short answer
When people search for the new Mozilla logo, they usually mean the moz://a wordmark introduced in January 2017. It replaced a conventional lowercase "mozilla" wordmark with a typographic mark that swaps part of the name for the "://" sequence found in web addresses. The mark is set in a slab-serif style tied to Zilla Slab, a typeface Mozilla commissioned and released as an open font. The identity was developed with the agency Johnson Banks through an unusually public design process, and the typeface was made with the foundry Typotheque.
"New" is a moving target. Mozilla has reportedly refreshed its identity again since 2017, with a later update in late 2024. No source material was supplied for that version, so this article does not assess it. Before you rely on any file, confirm which generation of the logo you need and whether it matches Mozilla's current official brand guidance.
Before and after at a glance
| Aspect | Earlier wordmark | moz://a wordmark (2017) |
| Concept | The organisation's name, set as a plain wordmark | The name rewritten with a web-protocol reference, signalling Mozilla's focus on the internet |
| Letterforms | Standard lowercase lettering | Slab-serif lettering linked to the open Zilla Slab typeface |
| Distinctive elements | Few beyond the lettering itself | Colon and double slash replace letters in the middle of the name |
| Design process | Conventional | Developed in public, with candidate routes shared for feedback before one was refined |
| Typeface licensing | Not documented in the supplied brief | Zilla Slab released under an open font license |
The table separates documented facts from interpretation. That the 2017 mark references URL syntax is how Mozilla presented it. Whether that makes it stronger or weaker than the earlier wordmark is a matter of editorial judgment, not a measured result.
How the change plays out in vector artwork
Because moz://a is purely typographic, its vector quality depends on how the letterforms are stored in the file. Working through a downloaded file raises three practical points:
- Live text versus outlines: if the wordmark is stored as editable text, it only renders correctly when the right font is installed. Otherwise the editor substitutes another font and the logo silently changes. Delivery-ready logo files normally store the mark as outlined paths.
- The punctuation is the fragile part: the colon and slashes are thin, narrow shapes. In my editorial view they are the first elements to lose clarity at very small sizes or in low-resolution raster exports. Check them specifically at the sizes you intend to use.
- Typing the name is not a substitute: setting "moz://a" in Zilla Slab yourself may not reproduce the official spacing or any custom adjustments in the logo artwork. Use the supplied master artwork rather than a typed approximation.
Checking that a file is genuinely vector
A file extension alone does not prove a file contains editable paths. An SVG, EPS, PDF or AI file can contain an embedded bitmap, and many download pages show raster preview images rather than the source artwork. Before treating a Mozilla logo file as a usable vector master, open it in a vector editor and check the following:
- Switch to outline or wireframe view: true vector letterforms appear as clean path outlines. An embedded image appears as a single rectangle or vanishes.
- Inspect the layers or object panel for placed or linked images. These indicate raster content inside a vector container.
- Confirm whether the lettering is live type or converted outlines, and note any missing-font warnings.
- Zoom far beyond the intended output size: path edges stay sharp, while pixel-based content breaks down.
- Check that the colour values and the artboard or canvas bounds match the version and clear space described in the official guidelines.
Download, font and trademark permissions are separate
Three different permissions are involved, and having one does not grant the others. The open license on Zilla Slab lets you use and adapt the typeface under that license's terms. It does not license the Mozilla name or wordmark. The moz://a logo is a trademark, and its use is governed by Mozilla's trademark policy and brand guidelines, not by the font license. Likewise, being able to download a logo from a press or brand page does not mean you may recolour it, redraw it, combine it with other marks, or use it in a way that implies endorsement. If your use goes beyond straightforward, unaltered reference to Mozilla, check the current trademark policy or ask Mozilla directly.
Evidence gaps
No logo files, brand guideline documents or technical specifications were supplied for this evaluation. As a result, it makes no claims about colour values, minimum sizes, clear-space rules, or the path structure of any particular download. No testing or measurements were carried out. The description of the earlier wordmark is deliberately general, and the post-2017 identity update is noted but not assessed. Treat Mozilla's own current brand materials as the authority on all of these points.