Correos Logo

Correos Logo PNG

The Correos logo demonstrates a deep connection to the historical roots of Spanish mail. That’s why it’s included in the list of national treasures. Its simple design is a balanced combination of straight and curved lines, forming a recognizable symbol.

Meaning and History

The Spanish postal service has its origins in the distant past. It was established in the early 18th century as a private courier service owned by the Italian count family Tasso. These representatives of Italian aristocracy took it upon themselves to initiate the creation of mail in Europe – and they did so in Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and other countries.

Correos messengers distributed royal decrees and other correspondence throughout the country. They arrived in towns and villages, summoned the population to the central square with a horn, read the decree, and handed out letters if three witnesses confirmed the person’s identity.

The organization of such a service was so successful that on July 8, 1716, King Felipe V issued a decree and nationalized courier delivery. The founders were compensated and also granted high titles.

From 1756, the state postal service only employed specially trained postmen, who, under royal protection, delivered shipments throughout the country to neighboring France and Andorra.

In 1760, Spain saw its first mailboxes, from 1850 – postage stamps with an image of Queen Isabella and the words Correos (mail) and Franco (paid).

From the end of the 19th century, the post was allowed to provide banking services. Now, the state mail has over 12,000 branches, employs 55,000 people, and the number of annual shipments is almost 6 billion.

The Correos logo plays a significant historical role for Spaniards and has artistic value, as it was created over 300 years ago.

What is Correos?

Correos is the trade name for Sociedad Estatal de Correos y Telégrafos. This Spanish company is involved in transporting goods, delivering parcels, and writing correspondence. It is considered one of the oldest postal services, existing for over 300 years. Over time, it has expanded its network to 10,000 branches.

1909 – 1976

Initially, the family crest of its founders, the aristocratic Tasso family, and universally accepted postal symbols of the time – a horn and a cross – were depicted on the uniforms and carriages of the courier service. The color scheme was blue, yellow, and white. When the enterprise became state-owned, the emblem was removed and replaced by the royal crown, the yellow color was replaced by gold, and white by royal red. Thus, the Correos coat of arms, in addition to the dark blue color of European postal services, acquired the colors of the Spanish flag.

1977 – 1989

The previous emblem lasted until 1977, when the management decided to refine it and make it more modern. The image of the horn and crown was stylized, and a thick stripe base was made beneath them, adding the English word Post. And below – the name of the postal service Corrеos with special writing of the letter “e” as “ë.”

A unique font based on Monotype was developed specifically for this. It was named Postman – in honor of all the postmen in the world. The color scheme remained unchanged – blue, yellow, and red.

1990 – 1999

In the early 90s of the last century, the logo changed somewhat – the inscription at the bottom increased to the words Correos y Telégrafos (Mail and Telegraph). The royal red color, which signified that Spain was a republic, although the king was still in power, was removed from the logo. It was replaced by dark gray, almost black (it was called gray at the presentation), and the logo now looked like this: on a dark rectangle – a yellow circle, and inside the postal emblem and at the bottom, the inscription Correos y Telégrafos.

2000 – 2010

Another change to the logo: the words “and Telegraphs” were removed, and the black background was replaced with dark blue.

2011 – 2019

Along with this variant, only the round yellow part with the emblem itself, without the inscription, has been used in recent years. In 2010, a pan-European study was conducted, and experts concluded that the smaller and more minimalist the logo, the better for the environment – less ink and chemicals. As part of this eco-branding, Correos significantly lightened its emblem: removed the dark blue background, made the yellow uncolored saturated, simplified the image of the crown and adjacent elements to the crown and cross above it, and reduced its base to dots.

But the logo remained recognizable, and the Spaniards were very proud of it. The Correos logo is a thread that connects people worldwide, as well as the past and present. It is called the national heritage of the country and its people.

2019 – today

In this version of the Correos logo, the dots near the base of the crown were removed. All other elements remained in place.

Font and Colors

The modern Correos logo embodies the historical values of the postal service. It consists of two elements: a crown with a cross and a swirling horn, which have become the main identifiers of the brand. The crown is not just a symbol of royal authority. It’s also a sign that the company once belonged to the titled count family. The horn is an ancient musical instrument used by postmen to gather people in the main square.

Inscriptions appeared on the logo from 1909 to 1976, 1990 to 1999, and 2000 to 2010. Initially, it was the phrase “CORREOS Caja Postal de Ahorros” without serifs. In the 1990s, the words “Correos y Telégrafos” appeared, highlighted in italics. In the early 2000s, the word “CORREOS” was written in stylized italics with the letter “CO” connected and a rounded “E.”

The palette has also changed several times. The emblem managed to be in black, red, gray, and purple colors until it acquired its current shade of blue. But only the outlines are colored in it – the larger part of the image is white.

Correos color codes

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