Creating my own Substack Logo

When you create a Substack newsletter, you get to create a logo for yourself. It must be at least 256 x 256 pixels, with a transparent background. I chose to keep mine at this minimum size to make sure I didn’t over complicate the image.

Part of my newsletter will eventually be about drawing so I didn’t want to experiment too much with graphic design programs. I wanted something handmade, so I used Procreate on the iPad to simply draw the logo. Here was my first try. I settled on the WM of my initials as my foundation, and I wanted to capture the idea that I’m trying to grow.

I liked it fine, but when I saw it small, it just sort of lost something, and it didn’t really say anything about who I am as an artist.

I tried some more Sumi Ink style lettering, but that wasn’t really me either. I experimented with different brushes, finally landing on a design I actually liked. It’s darker and grimmer but more who I am as an artist. As much as I would like to grow in the coming years, I still want to embrace the horror elements that I love.

And it looks good when it’s small.

I then emailed the image to myself and uploaded it to Substack in the settings page. I hope this helps if you are considering making a Substack newsletter. A logo can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be a complex process. Also, when starting out, remember that you can always change it later.

If you would like to sign up for my newsletter and see my logo in action, you can do that HERE.