Sam’s Logo Redesign: Compare the New and Previous Designs

What you are looking at

The question is a version check: Sam’s current logo versus the previous identity. The assets under discussion are the logomark (the symbol) and the wordmark (the lettered name), usually issued together as a lockup—the fixed arrangement of symbol and type. The job is to confirm which generation you have and how the two generations behave as graphics.

Treat this as an identity-system comparison. Vector artwork stores the mark as paths and anchors that scale cleanly. Permission to apply the brand follows from brand guidelines and a license. A downloadable copy and a thumbnail view are separate from both of those facts. An .svg or .ai filename records an intended format; clean geometry is confirmed only by inspecting paths and anchors.

Differences that change the decision

Compare both versions on geometry, typography, spacing, color, scalability and asset editability. Official, size-matched specimens of Sam’s new and previous lockups were not included in the source material for this guide, so the notes below are inspection methods and typical tradeoffs to apply to the artwork in front of you. View both marks at equal height, in the same color mode, on white and on a dark field. Claims about print durability, on-screen sharpness or production cost are untested here.

Criterion	Shared test	What a change implies
Geometry	Overlay both symbols at equal height; note contour, corners, curves and interior cuts.	Fewer, larger shapes keep a readable silhouette when the mark shrinks; extra detail needs more size.
Typography	Match x-height; compare case, weight, width, tracking and stroke terminals.	More open counters and even spacing usually survive reduction; hairlines and tight tracking need a larger minimum size.
Spacing	Measure the gap between symbol and word, alignment, and the empty margin around the lockup.	A tighter unit occupies less of a header; a more open unit collides later with nearby type and UI.
Color	View full color, one solid color, white on dark, and grayscale.	Contrast and a short color list reproduce more reliably than gradients and fine holds.
Scalability	Place both files at favicon, app-icon, card and facade sizes.	The version whose outline still reads at the smallest required size is the safer master for that job.
Editability	Open layers, anchors, compound paths and color swatches in a vector editor.	Outlined lockups travel well to production; layered working files with named swatches are easier to recrop.

Geometry

Start with silhouette: overall proportion, corner treatment, curve tension, and whether the symbol is a single filled mass, a stroke drawing or a badge with an inner frame. Count the distinct parts. A mark with fewer, larger shapes usually keeps a recognizable outline when it shrinks. A mark with more interior cuts, thin joins or decorative texture usually needs more size. Overlay the two symbols and note what moved—the outer contour, the interior counters, the relationship between symbol and letters. Optical weight, the sense of how heavy the mark feels, can shift even when measured stroke thickness stays similar, especially if counters close up.

Typography

Read the name as drawn letters. Check case, weight, width, the rhythm of thick and thin strokes, and tracking (overall letterspacing). Terminals—the ends of letter strokes—and the apertures in letters such as S, a and e are where a redesign often shows. Larger counters and more even spacing typically remain readable at small sizes. Hairline strokes, extreme condensation and very tight tracking typically demand a larger minimum size. Custom-drawn letters are part of the logo artwork. Live, editable type makes a lockup easier to recrop, and it also depends on the original font travelling with the file. Setting the same letters in a substitute font produces a different mark.

Spacing and lockup

Measure the gap between symbol and word, the alignment (left, centered, stacked or horizontal) and the clear space—the empty margin that should stay free of other graphics. A tighter new lockup occupies less of a header or label; it also meets nearby type and interface chrome sooner. A more open previous lockup needs more real estate and can feel calmer at large scale. Confirm that both a stacked arrangement and a horizontal arrangement exist for the generation you need, and use the orientation the layout calls for. Optical alignment—letters on a shared baseline, the symbol sharing that optical centre—matters more than equal numeric margins.

Color

Compare hue, value (how light or dark the color reads) and how many colors the master uses. A short palette—one solid brand color, plus a one-color version and a reversed white version—reproduces more reliably across print, embroidery and screens. Gradients, shadows and fine color holds can look rich in a digital mockup and break up in one-color print or at small size. Contrast, rather than hue alone, decides whether the mark still reads. Color formulas in a brand guide are documented claims. A color sampled from a photograph of signage is an approximation.

Scalability

Run the same files at the sizes you actually need: a 16-pixel favicon, a small app or social icon, a business card, a vehicle side and a storefront. The version whose silhouette, counters and word remain distinct at your smallest size is the safer master for that job. Thin joins that close up, letters that melt together, and frames that become a muddy ring are failures of scale. Large-scale use can support more detail. Make these checks on the real artwork.

Vector assets and editability

For production, prefer a true vector master: outlined paths, a defined artboard, named color swatches and, where useful, separate layers for symbol, wordmark and clear space. Open the file and inspect anchors and compound paths. A raster image nested inside a vector wrapper will still pixelate when enlarged. Fully outlined files travel well to printers and manufacturers. Files that keep live type and unexpanded strokes are easier to adapt, provided the font and stroke settings travel with the file. Choose outlined masters for lockups you will send unchanged, and layered working files for lockups you must recrop. Reuse rights are a separate decision from how editable the paths are.

Which version to specify

Specify the version that fits the use. The new lockup is the default for current public identity. The previous lockup is the default when new work must match an already issued piece. Where the wordmark collapses at the required size, use the symbol-only variant of the same generation.

• Current website, new packaging and new signage: the new lockup, in the orientation the layout requires, with its documented clear space and color set.
• Reprints, archives and legally dated materials that already use the older identity: the previous lockup, so the set stays consistent.
• Very small digital icons: the generation whose silhouette still reads at that size; if the name fails, the symbol-only file of that generation.
• One-color print, embroidery or engraving: the generation with fewer parts, sturdier joins and a single solid fill.
• Large environmental graphics: either generation, provided contrast is high; extra detail only pays off at short viewing distance.

Obtain official masters of both generations, place them on one board at equal height, and run the size and color tests above. Archive the chosen file with a version label, orientation and colorway so later production uses the same master.

sams-logo-new-horizontal-fullcolor
sams-logo-new-horizontal-onecolor
sams-logo-new-stacked-reverse
sams-logo-new-symbol-only
sams-logo-previous-horizontal-fullcolor
sams-logo-previous-stacked-onecolor