La Poste Logo PNG
The La Poste logo evokes speed and flight. The image is like an arrow shot at the target. The emblem is filled with positive energy, which helps deliver correspondence to recipients.
La Poste traces its origins to the French royal court. In 1477, Louis XI restored a relay system of postal stations, originally used only for royal correspondence. In 1576, under Henry III, private citizens were officially allowed to use the state post, marking the start of France’s public postal service.
Fixed letter tariffs were introduced in 1627, and the recipient paid them. In 1632, France published its first postal road map, listing 623 postal stations. Under Louis XIV, the postal system became part of the tax-farming structure, turning mail into a source of state revenue. During the French Revolution and Napoleonic period, the post became a state institution. In 1879, mail, telegraph, and telephone services were combined under PTT (Postes, Télégraphes et Téléphones).
A major break came in 1991, when PTT was split into La Poste and France Télécom. La Poste became an independent state operator with its own budget and universal service duties. Before that, PTT had already launched fax services in 1981 and Chronopost express delivery in 1986.
As letter volumes slowed in the 1990s, La Poste diversified into finance and logistics. In 1998, it bought Denkhaus and began building a stake in DPD. In 2000, it created GeoPost to unite its logistics assets and launched laposte.net.
La Poste became DPD’s majority shareholder in 2001. In 2006, its financial arm became La Banque Postale. In 2010, La Poste became a state-owned société anonyme. In 2015, GeoPost grouped DPD, Chronopost, and SEUR under DPDgroup, with branding by Lippincott.
Meaning and History
The current enterprise evolved from the royal court’s postal houses in 1477, which delivered imperial messages. In 1576, they were also allowed to distribute private correspondence. In 1879, the post office was integrated into the general structure, along with the telegraph and telephone. The new service is called PTT.
The key stages in the French postal service’s development are reflected in its identity, which dates back to the first half of the 20th century. The official history of the La Poste logo dates back to 1900. Since then, the service has changed nine personal identification characters.
What is La Poste?
La Poste is a French organization that delivers parcels and written correspondence. It is a state-owned enterprise, part of Groupe La Poste, and has existed since 1991. Its predecessor, the national postal service of France, was established in 1477 by King Louis XI. La Poste has many subsidiaries, including La Banque Postale, which provides banking services.
1900 – 1930
The logo looks like a monogram composed of thin lines and intertwined letters. Among the symbols, an elongated “P” stands out clearly, centered in the emblem. The monogram’s lines are smooth and streamlined, with curves. The exception is the “P” leg, which ends in a sharp spike from the oblique cut. All elements are colored black.
1930 – 1934
In this version, the inscription becomes more distinguishable: not only is the “P ” visible, but two distinct “T ” s are also superimposed on each other. Each letter denotes the type of service provided and the direction of work: mail, telephone, or telegraph. The monogram sits in a white oval with a black frame. The inscription is dark, matching the monochrome emblems of that time. The legs of the printed signs extend downward, forming a branching pattern that symbolizes three parallel services.
1934 – 1953
The abbreviation remains the same, “PTT,” where each symbol indicates the company’s type of activity. But the frame shape and letter style changed dramatically. This time, the developers used an angular and massive font with wide lines. In this version, “P” occupies the entire logo space, emphasizing that mail is basic. At the same time, the two “T”s are smaller and below it. A large square dot follows each letter. The inscription is located in a horizontal oval with cut-off ends.
1953 – 1960
In the mid-20th century, designers proposed a round tag logo to the postal service. Inside the icon are one “P” and two “T.” s. This time, they are the same size, conveying their equivalence.
1960 – 1978
The artist Guy Georget created the new logo. Based on the concept, the icon depicts a bird flying rapidly forward (presumably a swallow). The body is shaped like an arrow, with a forked tail, and the wings are trapezoidal stripes (two on each side). An inscription also indicates that it is the emblem of the postal and telecommunications services. The primary colors are yellow and blue.
1978 – 1984
The developers turned the bird in profile, removed the tail’s second end, and depicted folded, raised wings. This gave the logo a dynamic feel because the wings are elongated, and the body is sharper.
1984 – 2005
The designers added a yellow diagonal rectangle and the inscription “La Poste” to the existing version. The flying bird image became an icon and moved to the end of the inscription.
2005 – 2012
Another redesign brought some minor changes. The logo featured an oval with a forward-facing bird. It sits on a narrow gray ribbon bearing the postal service’s name. On the left side, a reflection is visible, as if from a bright sun.
2012 – 2018
In 2012, the need arose for a new emblem that meets modern technical requirements. Therefore, the management approved an oval yellow sign featuring a bluebird and subtle highlights that give it a three-dimensional look. Below, on a white background, it says “La Poste.”
2018 – today
The current logo is almost identical to the previous version. The differences relate only to the lack of three-dimensionality, gloss, and shadows. Also, there is a distinct gradient from dark yellow to light. The inscription font has also changed.
Font and Colors
If the emblem looked more like a monochrome monogram in the first decades, it is now a full-fledged, distinctive sign with its own authenticity. The main element is a bluebird, located sideways with its wings folded at the top, as if in flight. The body is shaped like a truncated arrow pointing to the right. The second most important detail is the yellow oval. It appeared in 2005.
The earliest were the ornate monograms in the Old English style. A variation of the Harrison Serif Pro Medium Italic typeface was then applied. The inscription was then set in the Niemeyer Medium Italic font. The modern logo uses a version that is most reminiscent of Adrianna Extended Demibold and Days Sans Bold. The signature palette includes warm yellow and navy blue.