The smooth and clear sound of the soundtrack is shown in the symbols of the emblem. The THX logo is an ode to harmony, order, and consistency. Shows the outlined framework, the system of rules and requirements developed by the company, which guarantees decent sound quality.
THX: Brand overview
Founded: | May 25, 1983 |
Founder: | George Lucas, Tomlinson Holman |
Headquarters: |
San Rafael, California, U.S. |
Website: | thx.com |
Meaning and History
THX has a long history dating back to 1983. The system was developed by audio engineer Tomlinson M. Holman, who later became an employee of Apple Inc. Initially, film technology belonged to the American company Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC. Then the brand was bought out by Creative Technology Limited, and in 2016 it was taken over by Razer.
The first film with THX was the sixth part of Star Wars. The standard was invented specifically for her so that the soundtracks would sound good when Episode VI was shown in theaters. Over time, it has expanded into hundreds of other multimedia products and techniques related to video or audio playback. This is how the THX logos spread worldwide because they are a clear confirmation of certification.
The brand uses only one visual symbol: a simple two-dimensional “THX” lettering. It was formed from the corresponding letters in words “Tomlinson Holman eXperiment” and is consonant with the title of George Lucas’ debut film – THX 1138. Since the system became quite famous, it never changed its logo.
In the basic version, the letters are lined up in one row and consist of black strokes of the same thickness. Even though they are all capitals, the “T” seems higher. It has been enlarged so that its elongated horizontal line can cover the “H” and “X” at the top. There is also a similar strip at the bottom, but it does not connect with the abbreviation and is drawn along the line, like an underscore.
Due to the monotonous look of the logo, THX Ltd. often experiments with trailers, adding his permanent mascot in the form of a construction robot named Tex. At the same time, designers make the inscription bright, colorful, three-dimensional, accompanying it with the classic sound of Deep Note or modern soundtracks. The first such trailer appeared during the premiere of the sixth episode of Star Wars in 1983. At the same time, the logo debuted in Hollywood and Dallas cinemas.
In the original version, the abbreviation looks as simple as possible. She has not undergone any graphic changes, remaining the official symbol of THX for several decades. The emblem’s design has a touch of kitsch because it does not meet the unspoken rules of modern style. The two-dimensional inscription seems outdated compared to the logos of other companies associated with the multimedia industry.
Font and Colors
An unknown modified grotesque with the same vertical and horizontal strokes thickness was used for the abbreviation. Perhaps the source of inspiration was Eurostyle. Subsequently, based on the wordmark THX, a font of the same name was developed released in 2015. Its creators considered the overline and underscore, adding parallel lines above and below each letter.
Even though the logo is very colorful and voluminous in the trailers, in the official version, it is completely black. The icon contains simple two-dimensional letters with no gradient or other color effects, and the company has not changed it since 1983, adhering to a minimalist design.
THX color codes
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |