HP Logo PNG
Going beyond the known, expanding horizons, and being ahead of its time- all this is the HP logo. The emblem’s shape is visually pleasing. The color scheme symbolizes a business approach and innovation. The sign reflects the desire to create maximum comfort for users in the future.
In 1939, Stanford graduates Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started work in a rented garage at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto with $538. Walt Disney soon bought their first product, the HP Model 200A audio oscillator, for the film Fantasia, marking the company’s first commercial deal. The firm was incorporated in 1947, with Packard as president and Hewlett as vice president. By 1948, revenue had reached $2.2 million, and the company employed 128 people. During the 1950s, Hewlett-Packard expanded internationally, including a 1963 joint venture with Yokogawa in Tokyo.
In 1968, HP introduced the 9100A, later described as an early personal computer. In 1972, the HP-35 became the first handheld scientific calculator, replacing large desktop machines. HP entered the personal computer market in 1980 with the HP-85. In 1984, it launched the LaserJet printer, its most commercially successful product. By 1993, it had sold ten million units. That same year, Packard stepped down as chairman. In 1997, HP joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
In 1999, HP spun off non-core operations into Agilent Technologies. CEO Carly Fiorina led the company through a controversial merger with Compaq, completed in 2002 despite opposition from Walter Hewlett. After Fiorina’s departure in 2005, CEO Mark Hurd increased revenue, surpassing $100 billion in 2007. Acquisitions included Electronic Data Systems, 3Com, Palm, and 3PAR.
By 2011, HP employed 350,000 people globally. A series of acquisitions and management issues strained its finances. In 2015, the company split into HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. HP Inc. continued competing with firms like Dell in PCs and printers. In April 2024, HP became the title sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari, marking a new phase in the brand’s visibility in Formula 1.
Meaning and History
The evolution of the HP logo reflects all its transformations, from the company’s founding in a garage to its division into two parallel structures. HP Inc. was the direct successor to the parent corporation. Its visual identity mark appeared in 1939 and has not changed dramatically. The original version is black-and-white. The logo was colored only in the late 1970s. An innovative version is currently in use.
What is HP?
HP is a company that succeeded Hewlett-Packard. It was founded in 2015, while its predecessor was established in 1939. It is an American corporation that manufactures PCs, scanners, printers, and software, and provides IT services. It is best known for its computers and has competed with market leaders such as Apple, Lenovo, and Dell.
1939 – 1954
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard’s surnames gave Hewlett-Packard its name and the future HP emblem its two letters. A coin toss determined the order, with Hewlett winning. The partnership was established in Palo Alto in 1939, and the HP abbreviation preserved both founders’ initials. The monogram later endured changes in the company’s business, its separation into two companies, and several identity updates.
The early emblem featured slanted lowercase “h” and “p” inside a circle. The elongated stem of the “h” extended above the circle, while the “p” descender projected below it. These extensions gave the monogram elongated proportions. The circle brought the letters together while leaving their ends outside its boundary.
In an extended version, the circle containing hp sat at the center of a rectangular background. HEWLETT and PACKARD appeared on either side in uppercase Peignot Bold. The small word COMPANY sat beneath the circle in Futura. The full name explained the abbreviation, connecting the two letters to the founders’ surnames.
1954 – 1960
Applying the HP emblem to measuring instruments required a simpler design. In 1946, the identity was reduced to slanted “hp” initials inside a circle. This simplified engraving and made small details easier to distinguish when the logo was reproduced at a small size.
The letters and thin circular outline were black on a white background. Early variations included monograms with thin strokes. The stem of the “h” rose above the circle, while the descender of the “p” extended an equal distance below it. Open space inside the circle separated the initials from the border. The emblem retained its original construction.
1960 – 1964
The “hp” monogram later became heavier. The letter strokes were thickened, and their rounded sections were enlarged. The circular outline also became thicker to complement the revised initials.
1964 – 1979
After several acquisitions, HP divisions used different names and emblems. San Francisco agency Walter Landor and Associates was commissioned to unite them under the Hewlett-Packard name. The unified identity program was introduced in November 1964. Don Short and Ron Lampley led the work. From February through May, the team studied the previous emblem, printed materials, and arrangements of company identifiers while developing options for a shared system. The system also needed to accommodate individual division names.
The circle containing the slanted hp initials was incorporated into a parallelogram made up of two narrow sections separated by a white gap. Horizontal stripes filled the upper section, while the lower section was solid. The outer shape matched the monogram’s slant, connecting the new form to the existing initials. Alongside a turquoise version, the company used a variation with a blue striped upper section and a solid black lower section.
The full name appeared on either side of the emblem, with HEWLETT on the left and PACKARD on the right. The black uppercase letters used the Latin typeface, with serifs, thin strokes, and a rightward slant. Coordinated identifiers were developed for the divisions. In some applications, the emblem appeared alone.
In 1999, the next version of the logo became the standard for most uses. The earlier design remained on product labels into the mid-2000s, primarily on monitors and later exclusively on them. It continued in corporate use until November 1, 2010, when it was fully replaced by the circular logo introduced in 2009.
1979 – 2010 (corporate)
Limited space on small instruments called for a compact HP emblem. In 1968, the circular “hp” monogram was enclosed in a rectangular frame with square corners, and the long name was omitted. This additional version was used on small surfaces alongside other company identifiers.
On November 30, 1979, Landor Associates introduced a blue-and-white update. The emblem was widened to align with HP’s product design, and the rectangle’s corners were rounded. A white circle containing blue lowercase hp letters sat on a blue field. The monogram retained its custom letterforms and slant, with the letters extending beyond the circle into the rectangular background.
The full name moved to the right and was split across two lines, with HEWLETT above PACKARD. The bold black sans-serif letters stood upright and featured smooth, continuous contours. The HP Gothic lettering used modified forms of Eurostile Extended. The slant difference distinguished the monogram from the full company name. A version featuring only the monogram inside the rectangle remained available for compact applications, making both arrangements part of the shared identity system.
1979 – 2010 (monogram)
The word “invent” connected HP’s logo update at the turn of the millennium to its history as a company of inventors. The tagline began rolling out in November 1999, four months after Carly Fiorina became CEO. The full Hewlett-Packard name on the right was removed, leaving the short monogram.
The design was based on the Landor Associates emblem introduced on November 30, 1979. Siegel+Gale refined it in 1999. The horizontal blue rectangle with rounded corners retained its white circle and centered blue “hp” letters. The outer field widened to accommodate the letters’ extended strokes. The emblem appeared both alone and with lowercase invent beneath it. Some versions added a shadow for depth.
The HP ProLiant DL380 G7 server was among the last new products to feature this logo. The version remained on ink cartridges, some packaging, used computers, and certain software components. HP retired it from official use on November 1, 2010. A new circular emblem became the primary logo.
2010 – 2012
Removing the outer rectangle returned the HP emblem to a circular shape. This version had already appeared publicly in 2008. The initials became white and the disk blue, reversing the letter and background colors. A black-circle version was also used. The upper stroke of the “h” and the descender of the “p” reached the disk’s edge, creating white openings in its outline. Removing the rectangular background reduced the number of nested shapes.
In 2010, Liquid Agency refined the corporate logo. The monogram was enlarged slightly, and its strokes were made thinner, adjusting the letterforms within the circle. The updated emblem remained the primary version until June 4, 2012.
2012 – 2025
The light blue HP logo retained the circular shape and white monogram. The main change was the background color. Siegel+Gale introduced the update on June 4, 2012, at HP Discover, alongside the tagline “Make it matter.” The new identity also appeared in materials released before the event. The transition took time. The earlier dark version continued to appear in DreamWorks Animation films and on new products through 2014. The “hp” letters remained a custom-drawn monogram.
After Hewlett-Packard split in November 2015, HP Inc. retained the circular emblem. The company continued producing personal computers and printing products, keeping the HP name and logo. A separate wordmark with a green rectangular outline was created for Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
Moving Brands developed another identity, which it presented in 2011. Creative director Mat Heinl led the team. The designers reduced the monogram to four slanted strokes of different lengths. Their arrangement suggested the shapes of “h” and “p,” replacing the circle and the letters’ enclosed curves. Drawing on the slant of the early logo, the team built the system around a 13-degree angle. The slash used in programming provided another connection to technology.
Moving Brands proposed “Human Progress” as an additional meaning for the HP initials. It complemented the name’s historical origin in Hewlett and Packard’s surnames. Internal changes at the company delayed the design’s introduction. In 2016, the four strokes appeared on selected premium devices, including the Spectre 13. The circular logo remained in the corporate identity, while the new monogram was used for specific product lines.
2025 – today
On March 4, 2025, HP introduced an updated identity. The logo’s circle became a vibrant shade called HP Electric Blue, with Pantone 2132 specified for print. White became the primary background. For use on dark surfaces, a thin white border was added around the blue circle to separate the emblem from its surroundings. The “hp” monogram retained its custom letterforms.
Font and Colors
The logo consists of four lines at a 13-degree angle. Each line has a different length and represents a specific part of the corporation name. The emblem is sleek, elegant, innovative, but hard to read. As a result, consumers may not understand its meaning at first.
The abbreviated company name is lowercase and part of the brand’s graphic identity. It was always in uppercase and set in thin characters, with a slight slope depending on the version. The typeface is simple, sans serif.
The logo’s color appeared in 1974. The designers chose blue to embody reliability and professionalism. It also symbolizes protection and the latest technology, which the corporation sought to emphasize. The emblem is black and white.