Opera Logo

Opera Logo PNG

At the company, the Opera logo contains the same iconic symbol featured on the program’s icon of the same name: the red letter “O.” It has a three-dimensional design, which the developers have achieved with the help of color transitions. The “O” stands for Opera.

Meaning and History

The name Opera in Italian means “work,” and this includes both the process of labor and its result. This is very symbolic, given how much effort the web browser creators put into developing their promising project. But branding was a separate work. The designers have identified the center of the identity – the letter “O.” They made it red for two reasons. First, the bright color immediately attracts attention. Secondly, the inscription on the first Opera logo was also red, and this is a kind of tribute to traditions.

What is Opera?

Opera is a Norwegian company that used to be called Opera Software. It produces software, including its famous web browser for computers and mobile devices. It owns several branches in ten countries of the world.

1994 – 1999

The browser, which has been developing since 1994, had a lot of text in the logo. The most important and noticeable was the red word “Opera.” It was done in a typeface stylized as handwritten. At the bottom was the second part of the name – “software.” Designers designed it with lowercase bold italics. On the right was the promotional phrase “THE BROWSER THAT WAS MADE FOR YOU!” black color. Capital letters were used there, with the first “T” enlarged. The motto was underlined by a long horizontal stripe, the same dark blue as the word “software.” The background for all the inscriptions was a rectangle with drawings on a computer theme.

1999 – 2001

In 1999, designers created a logo for Opera with a large red “O.” It was outlined with thin outlines and cast a gray shadow back, making the image look three-dimensional. The company name was written at the bottom and split into two lines centered. The first word consisted of bright red capital letters whose font was stylized as Greek. And for the second, an individual set of gray lowercase glyphs was used.

2001 – 2010

After the redesign, the “O” had no outlines, but a gray shadow remained. The inscription has been moved to the right and enlarged for better readability. At the same time, the font was slightly modified, which was especially evident in the word “software,” in which the letters “f” and “t” were connected by a common horizontal stripe.

2010 – 2015

In 2010, the “O” lost its shadow, but a gradient created the volume: the letter was darkened at the bottom. The designers enlarged the company name and updated the typeface with a more standard bold sans serif for both words. The case and location of the inscription remained unchanged. But the colors have changed: the red has become more saturated, and the gray has acquired a lighter shade.

2015 – today

In September 2015, Opera Software rebranded and became simply Opera. At the same time, its logo also changed: the second half disappeared from the inscription, and the “O” took on the form of a three-dimensional ring. Designers have achieved volume with the help of a smooth gradient and a sharp delineation of shades, combining them in one letter. As for the word on the right is composed of thin black sans-serif glyphs and has nothing to do with past design options.

According to the designers of the Opera logo, “O” is not just a letter. This is the gateway to the Internet, where users can expect fun communication, useful information, and the opportunity to learn and have fun. The three-dimensional “O” serves as a portal to an interesting new world.

Font and Colors

Since 2015, the Opera logo has been written in a thin geometric sans-serif typeface. With their thickness and round shape, the letters resemble the corresponding characters from SoftMaker’s Montreal Serial Light, BluHead Studio’s Churchward Legible Light, and other similar typefaces. The monotonous black color of the wordmark blends in well with the red gradient used for the 3D “O” emblem.

Opera color codes