As a graphic designer, one of the hardest things to do is show your work off to the best to potential customers and clients. Being able to mockup your design and show how it will work in the real world is very useful. Clients and customers will also appreciate it, as all they need to know about the design is laid right in front of them. In this tutorial I will go through a number of different ways to design a logo mockup to make them look more professional.
This was a logo I made a long time ago for a retro ice cream shop. This mockup is the the most basic it can be. The logo is in black and the background white, pretty easy stuff. This sort of minimalism can work, but we want to make the logo pop from the page and grab the viewers attention.
Shadows
Adding a simple drop shadow to the logo can really bring out the design and lift it off the simple white background.
Gradients
A subtle gradient behind a flat logo design will bring the design forward. Try to use a gradient that compliments the design, as a clashing gradients looks horrible!
Colour Options
Your customers would like to see different colour combinations of the logo. A client may initially dislike the logo purely for the colour, so a selection from a complementary palette can show your design off better.
Photography
Another great way to show off a simple logo is through the use of large high quality photos. Try and find an image that works well with the theme of the brand and logo, and place the logo within that image. A great place for good quality free stock images is Pixabay.
Real World Mockups
Finally, the best way to really show off a logo is to mock it up on a real world object. Its good to show the client the exact applications of the design. Whether the logo will appear on business cards, flyers, or t-shirts, demonstrate exactly how it will work on that product. I found these and many more free to use Photoshop mockups over at Mockup World.
Of course tastes differ, but if any of these different style of logo mockup appeal to you try using them next time you propose a design. They might even get you the gig!