Reuters Logo

Reuters Logo PNG

The simplicity of the Reuters logo does not mean that it’s easy to understand. It’s a business-like and strict sign in which every element is thought out. Although all details are identical, there are many of them, just like the news transmitted by the media agency. In this way, the emblem symbolizes that our world is entirely made up of interesting information.

Meaning and History

Paul Reuter was a pioneer of the telegraph. He used it to broadcast the most topical events with the goal of immediate coverage. This led to the creation of the British news agency that relayed fresh information. Of course, the media service needed a personal logo that would reflect its concept of rapid communication. Hence, in the second half of the 20th century, the legendary emblem composed of numerous small dots appeared. They represent the perforation on the teletype tape, first applied in 1846.

What is Reuters?

Reuters is a British news agency with its headquarters in London, although it belongs to the Canadian company Thomson Corporation. The news service has existed since 1851, opening its own branches worldwide for immediate coverage of topical events. The founder of the media service is the German Paul Julius Reuter, and the owner is the Thomson Corporation from Canada.

1851 – 1858

The Reuters logo appears as a name medallion. It consists of a vertical oval with a double black-and-white frame. Inside is a heraldic shield, diagonally bound with wide ribbons. Another ribbon, but wavy, double, with fancy ends, is located at the bottom. Above the shield is drawn a rider – a knight with a spear on a galloping horse to the left. His outlines are not precise but approximate, yet they still reveal the figure of a person in military gear. Arched inscriptions are located at the top and bottom: “Reuters” and “London. E.C.”.

1858 – 1905

This time, the emblem has turned into an exquisite text, stylized as a manual inscription. It is executed in calligraphic font with a right-hand slope. The word “Limited” is added to “Reuters,” indicating the legal status of the information company. The inscription is cursive, thin, and black.

1905 – 1965

To align the logo with identity standards, the developers changed the refined calligraphic design to a coarse print one. Such a move was provoked by the need to modernize the emblem, which hadn’t changed since the beginning of the century. The letters became large, wide, squashed, and got a block style. But the grace remained: it is clearly manifested in the curved legs and in the smooth lines, which balance the angles. The inscription is reduced to one word, translated into upper case, and supplemented with serifs.

1965 – 1972

The era of the “teletype tape” began, corresponding to the idea of quick news transmission at any distance to acquaint the population of other countries. Therefore, the text turned into a continuous perforation. Alan Fletcher of the Pentagram design studio depicted bold black dots instead of solid lines forming letters. The concept turned out to be successful and remained for a long time. At the same time, it’s a simple and accurate emblem.

1972 – 1995

The principle of teletype operation remained reflected in the new logo. But to increase the readability of the text, the authors slightly spread the glyphs, thereby increasing the inter-character space. In addition, they pulled the letters upwards and reduced the points. This also added clarity to the inscription.

1995 – 2001

The Reuters logo became colorful: the monochrome was replaced by a combination of blue with white and red. Designers from Enterprise IG downsized the inscription to appear proportional in combination with the sign located nearby. The authors drew a circle containing two different semicircles: the right side is blue with white dots, and the left one – is white with red. One of them represents the night, the other – the day. This symbolizes that the agency covers news around the clock.

2001 – 2008

The logo got traditional glyphs – without dots, but with straight lines. The letters came out bold and low-set yet remained readable. The designers kept the blue color because it symbolizes creative uplift, hope, and striving for new horizons. Plus, it’s the color of the sky, from the height of which you can oversee a large amount of territory. This principle is hinted at by the sky palette. The sign on the right is now enlarged and looks more distinct.

2008 – today

Another redesign of visual identity took place in 2008. The Reuters logo ascended a new level of evolution, gaining a modern look that fits into the principle of two-dimensionality. This is needed for the symbol to reflect adequately on displays of any type. Eventually, the idea of combining perforation and traditional font emerged. Letters in uppercase, semi-bold, printed, with semi-rounded ends (the corners are not sharp, but smooth). The era of black color ended: grey appeared instead.

Designers moved the perforated circle to the left and enlarged it. Developers redesigned it, changing the principle of dot arrangement. Now they look like a concentric spiral, in which there are elements of different sizes – large, medium, and small. As a result, another circle – white, neutral, pure – appeared in the negative space in the center.

Font and Colors

The typeface in the Reuters logo depends on the year the sign appeared. Early versions used a custom font created by Alan Fletcher. But these were not textual glyphs but drawn ones. Later, a familiar variant similar to Neo Sans Std Medium appeared – without serifs, with slightly rounded ends. Its author is designer Sebastian Lester.

The corporate palette is sparse: it includes only three colors, among which are blue, white, and pale red. There are also many monochromatic emblems with a predominance of black and white.

Reuters color codes