Kodak Logo

Kodak Logo PNG

The Kodak logo is full of associations with cameras, lenses, shooting, and film. Amazing compactness and a wide range of thoughtful details in a small emblem area echo the company’s full coverage of the chosen field of work.

Meaning and History

The word “Kodak,” which formed the modern logo based, was registered as a trademark in 1888. It does not mean anything: it is a random set of symbols. Eastman wanted the brand name to begin and end with “K” and found the perfect sounding letter combination. Since the early 1900s, the emblem’s inscription was played up in different ways, but the general style did not change.

What is Kodak?

Kodak is an American manufacturer of cameras, camcorders, photographic materials, film, scanners, printers, and related technologies. The company was founded in 1892, but the name “Kodak” was registered in 1888 and was initially used only for the brand of film cameras. The word is a random combination of letters invented by George Eastman and his mother, Maria. In the 21st century, the company faced difficulties due to the rise of digital photography.

1889 – 1907

The legendary company made its debut with an informational and advertising logo that contained brief information about it. This technique was quite suitable for an undisclosed and little-known brand, so Kodak went exactly this way. He collected in a single space all the important data about himself.

In the center, on a vertical rectangle in black, it says “THE EASTMAN DRY PLATE AND FILM CO” in white letters. On the left side is the phrase “BRANCH OFFICE 155 OXFORD ST. LONDON “. The city and state of ROCHESTER N.Y. are marked on the right. In addition to the text, the emblem contains design elements: decorative leaves, dividing stripes, strokes, and a frame in the form of a floral ornament.

1907 – 1935

The designer of the first Kodak logo was George Eastman himself, and the author of the idea was his mother, who suggested using a set of anagrams. Based on this concept, the owner of the company focused on “E,” “K,” and “C.” The letters are inside a white circle with a black outline.

1935 – 1960

In 1935, two new emblems appeared at once. The first is the red word “Kodak” with large square serifs. The second is the same inscription, but in the center of a light orange rectangle with a black border. It was the debut of the corporate palette, which took root in subsequent logos.

1960 – 1971

In the 1960s, the focus has moved to the corner curl triangle. The geometric shape imitates a folded sheet of photographic paper. The abbreviated brand name is located at the bottom right.

1971 – 1987

The artist-designer, C. Peter Oestrich, got rid of the triangle and put the yellow “Kodak” lettering inside the square. He also added another interesting element – a stylized “K” shaped graphic sign. The composition in the background resembles a camera shutter.

1984 – 2006

The 1984 emblem is “Kodak” on a white background. The word is depicted in simple sans serif typeface.

1987 – 2006

Three years after the redesign, the company returned the iconic 1971 logo. Only the style of the lettering has changed: now the letters have no serifs.

2006 – today

The yellow square disappeared again. The font with the rounded “d” and “a” gives the name an unusual look. This version of the logo was designed by the British marketing agency Ogilvy & Mather. The renewal of the graphic sign is associated with increasing market competition and pressure from digital camera manufacturers. Kodak thus tried to save the situation to attract attention to itself.

2016 – today

In 2012, the company went bankrupt, but a year later, it returned to operation. After that, it was decided to rebrand. The result was a redesign of the classic 1971 logo. New York-based studio Work-Order retained the original proportions. All she did was write the word “Kodak” in all caps. The symbols are located vertically along the right side of the square. As conceived by the designers, they should resemble the holes along the edges of perforated photographic film.

Font and Colors

The modern logo demonstrates that the history of its development is striving for perfection. Therefore, developers often resorted to the combination method: they took parts from the same years and combined them with new ones. This creative pursuit was a simple visual sign, the foundation of which was laid in 1971. It was its shape that the designers used for the current version, adding the name in a modernized form. The word “Kodak” is not positioned horizontally as it used to be, but vertically with a large letter break. The wide frame, sharp pointer, and figured “butterfly wings” element remain the same.

Allen Hori of Identity Design developed the typeface currently featured in the logo. He took the previous version of the name and modernized it: he made the letters thinner and more graceful, added lightness to them, cut off the protruding parts at the “d” and “a” below. Kodak’s signature palette is stable, with warm shades of reds and yellows since 1935.

Kodak color codes