Sherwin Williams Logo

Sherwin Williams Logo PNG

The scope and scale are visible in the emblem of the manufacturer. “The company’s paints can be bought anywhere in the world,” the Sherwin-Williams logo says. “The amount of production is sufficient to color the Earth.” Symbols speak of the stability and durability of the composition.

Meaning and History

The outstanding company began as a small business opened in 1870 by two associates: Edward Williams and Henry Sherwin. They had a third business partner, but he sold his share of the assets, which allowed them to change the brand name to Sherwin-Williams. The renaming was carried out in 1884. By the way, the official foundation date of the company is considered to be 1866, when Sherwin began to invest in Truman Dunham & Co.

All of these events took place during the home decor revolution. People began to ditch wallpaper in favor of other finishes. So the demand for paints was quite high, although they contained dangerous lead, which slowed down the mental development of children. The Sherwin-Williams Company was one of the first to abandon the harmful composition. What’s more, there are virtually no VOCs in its modern products.

Remaining a leader in its field, the manufacturer uses the “Cover the Earth” slogan and the corresponding logo. It is known worldwide as one of the most “environmentally unfriendly” graphic symbols because the bucket of red paint that pours over the Earth from space looks like a threat to the planet. But the company itself strictly adheres to environmental standards, for which it was awarded the Green Chemistry award. She has no plans to change the provocative emblem because it is a valuable historical legacy. The first version of the drawing appeared in 1893, and two years later, it was accepted as a trademark of Sherwin-Williams.

1885 – 1905

Henry Sherwin himself designed the chameleon logo. He placed a green lizard on an oval-shaped wooden plank with a black metal frame. The curly finger cutout indicated the artist’s palette. The chameleon image symbolized the fluidity of color, and the paint mixing board represented creative design.

1893 – 1905

In 1893, George W. Ford created the Sherwin-Williams emblem, which over time has become an iconic graphic sign. The first version was in black and white. The artist depicted a globe with a degree grid, a large jar tilted downward at an angle of about 45 degrees, and a stream of white paint flowing down the planet. Drops and splashes have been detailed.

1905 – 1910

In 1905, the design was simplified. The artists changed the look of the paint to show its viscosity and added a shadow on the right side. In addition, they made the Earth lighter and filled it with a coloring matter of almost half. The can was shrunk, and the label was now labeled with the abbreviation “SW” for the name Sherwin-Williams.

1910 – 1919

In 1910, the phrase “COVER THE EARTH” appeared globally, which became the company’s motto for the next hundred years. A hand-drawn sans-serif font was used for it. The letters, like the paint, were white – only black outlines separated them.

1919 – 1926

Following another redesign, the “SW” symbols on the can be replaced with the “SWP” abbreviation to reflect the name of Sherwin-Williams Paints. At the same time, the creators of the logo signed the continents: the word “AFRICA” appeared on the left, and “EUROPA” on the right. It also turned out that the body of water represented the Atlantic Ocean. The globe had to be lightened a little to make the additional inscriptions better visible.

1926 – 1974

In the mid-1920s, the emblem has lost detailed detail. For the first time, artists made the paint bright red, so many have compared it to blood. The abbreviation on the can was painted the same color. All contours and continents on the globe have turned blue. At the same time, the bank itself, the ocean, and the slogan “COVER THE EARTH” were white. The signatures on the map have disappeared.

1974 – 1999

After a flurry of criticism, the company was forced to completely change the logo, abandoning the “ominous” image of the planet drowning in paint. To adapt to environmentally conscious consumers, Sherwin-Williams approved the trademark in the form of harmless lettering.

The first word of the company name was blue and was at the top. As for the second part, it was white and took place under the bottom. It was formed by the negative space inside the blue rectangle. At the same time, lowercase and uppercase letters were mixed. From the two “l” s in “Williams,” wavy lines stretched downward, similar to brush strokes.

1982 – 1999

The company’s customers have longed for the conceptual logo depicting a paint-drenched planet. So in 1982, it was decided to combine it with the word mark created in 1974. The blue and white inscription was at the bottom. And the Earth, covered with paint, and the giant “space” bank were at the top. The designers made them brighter than usual, outlined them in white, and placed them inside a large blue rectangle.

1999 – today

On the eve of the new millennium, the paints and painting tools manufacturer has once again redesigned its iconic logo. As a result, the symbol returned, which appeared in 1926. The text below has been simplified. The blue word “SHERWIN WILLIAMS” is split into two lines. The same italic font is used for both parts of the title. Although all letters are in uppercase, the first “S” and “W” in words are enlarged.

Font and Colors

Many consider the company’s emblem to be very ominous, a harbinger of an impending environmental catastrophe and the death of all life on Earth. Coating the planet with a sticky liquid reminds them of the oil being poured from ships into the world’s oceans. According to critics, this is not the best way for a paints and varnishes manufacturer to stand out from the competition. In addition, red is associated with blood, which also does not inspire confidence.

The continents are shifted as if they are trying to escape from the pouring stream. But upon closer examination, it is noticeable that the globe is slightly shifted: the paint flows not to the Arctic but North America. Bloggers also note a large number of splashes that fly in all directions. They believe that this speaks of negligence, lack of attention, and care on the part of the one who pours a sticky liquid on the drowning Earth. By the way, initially, George W. Ford put a different meaning into the emblem. The author wanted the paint to symbolize the Sherwin-Williams company, which is gradually taking over the planet and selling its products around the world.

There are three text elements in the logo with different sans serif fonts. The brand name is written in a typeface very similar to Open Sans Bold Italic. The letters are colored blue. The same goes for the main contours and the globe. The paint and abbreviation on the can is blood red. The slogan and the inner parts of the picture are white.

Sherwin Williams color codes