How to Change Colors on a Logo: Fast & Easy (2023)

Learn how to change colors on a logo quickly and easily with this Shutterstock Create tutorial. Elevate your brand’s visual identity today!

Many business owners struggle with how to change colors on a logo. Not everyone has the time, money, or skills to learn Photoshop. Hiring a professional to make these changes may be out of the question too. Honestly, logo design updates shouldn’t be this hard!

That’s why I’ve put together this tutorial on the fastest and easiest ways for non-designers to change the colors on their logos. By using Shutterstock Create, a user-friendly design tool enhanced by AI, anyone can make quick edits to their logo in no time—and for free!

Read on to get step-by-step instructions and screenshots to guide you on this process. Whether you’re a small business owner, or you just don’t want to pay for expensive design programs (understandable), this tutorial will give you the confidence to change your logo and enhance your brand’s visual identity.

Why Change Logo Colors?

Why would anyone want to change the colors on their logo in the first place? Don’t you want to keep your logo consistent with your brand kit?

Absolutely.

However, there are some circumstances when it’s beneficial to change the colors on your logo. This can be done during the holidays or if your business ever goes through a brand refresh. After all, you always want to keep your brand’s visual identity up-to-date and relevant.

Holidays & Events

Holidays and events provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to refresh their brand’s visual identity. Changing the colors on a logo to match the colors associated with a particular event allows businesses to capture attention in a timely manner.

For example, a restaurant may change the colors on its logo to red and green during the Christmas season to create a festive atmosphere. They may incorporate rainbow colors that evoke the LGBTQ+ flag during Pride Month. Both of these examples reflect larger things happening in the world, and your updated logo shows that you’re relevant, on-theme, and ready to take part in it all.

Brand Refresh

Another time when changing the colors on a logo is appropriate is for a brand refresh. Changing the colors on a logo can be a subtle but effective way to update a brand’s image and keep it current. For example, a fashion brand shifting towards a more sustainable approach may change its logo colors to reflect a more earthy and organic vibe.

Businesses should periodically evaluate their visual identity and consider changing their logo colors as needed. By doing so, they can stay relevant, competitive, and visually engaging.

How to Change Colors on a Logo: Fast & Easy

Here’s the quickest, easiest way to change colors on your logo for free:

1. Go to Shutterstock Create
2. Create a logo . . . or import yours
3. Select elements
4. Open the color window
5. Select your colors
6. Share and download

Step 1: Go to Shutterstock Create

Head over to Shutterstock Create. Make a free account and start designing instantly.

Step 2: Create a Logo . . . or Import Yours

Shutterstock Create has plenty of popular templates that do most of the complex design work for you. Since we’re changing colors on a logo, select the “Logo” template. (Alternatively, you can upload your own logo by navigating to the “Uploads” button on the left, then importing your logo from your computer. We’ll give more details on how to do that later.) Here though, we’ll show how to create your own logo.

On the left, you can either select one of the logo templates or create your own logo using the tools such as Text, Shapes, and Graphics.

Here’s a really simple logo I created using some shapes and text. It literally took me a few seconds! For this tutorial’s sake, let’s say I want to give this more of a “Christmas vibe.”

If you’re not interested in applying Christmas colors to your logo, find a color palette that you like:

• 101 Color Combinations to Inspire Your Next Design
• Best Popular Retro 70s Color Palettes

Step 3: Select Elements

Start by selecting the parts of the logo you want to change the color of.

Let’s change the color of this leaf to red. Hover and click on the element. Clicking will select this element, which is indicated by the blue outline.

Step 4: Open the Color Window

On the top left of the canvas, you’ll see “Change color.” Click here to open the Color window.

Step 5: Select the Logo Color

In the Color window, you’ve got a couple of options. You can change the color to solid by adding your canvas color or selecting one of the presets.

You can also switch to the Gradient tab and apply a gradient, rather than a solid color. For the sake of this tutorial, I will apply some new solid canvas to my logo.

With the “Solid” tab selected, click the “+” icon under “Canvas Colors.”

Create your own custom color by inserting a color code. You can also click and drag the color field to your desired color. Feel free to adjust the hue or apply a tint or shade.

There you go! We successfully changed the leaf from yellow to red. I went ahead and made the green a bit darker as well.

Another perk of Shutterstock Create is that it automatically saves your work. You never have to worry about it crashing and losing files. You can also create copies of the same logo and change the colors whenever you want!

Step 6: Share & Download

Now that you’ve finished changing the colors on your logo, you can either share it directly on social media or download it as a JPG or PNG.

If you want a transparent background, download your logo as a PNG file. Just make sure the canvas color is transparent.

Bonus Tutorial: How to Change Colors on an Existing JPG or PNG Logo

Let’s say you already have a PNG logo that you’d like to tweak the colors on. That can be done using Shutterstock Create as well!

Step 1. Start with a Blank Canvas

After you’ve made your account on Shutterstock Create, select “Custom Size.” Select “Create design.”

Step 2: Upload Your PNG Logo

On the left, select “Uploads.” Source your PNG logo and upload it.

Step 3: Edit the Colors

Once uploaded, select “Edit Image” on the top left. This window allows you to edit your logo however you’d like. Here, you can adjust the color or apply the Color Changer effect.

By selecting the “Colors” adjustment, change the temperature, tint, saturation, vibrance, and more. By experimenting with some of the toggles in Color Adjustments, I quickly and easily changed all the colors of the whole logo from red and green . . . to pink and blue.

Add Some Life to Your Logo!

Making changes to a logo can seem intimidating for non-designers. But with the right tools and guidance, anyone can update their brand’s visual identity in a fast and easy way.

By following the step-by-step instructions in this tutorial and using Shutterstock Create, you can change the colors on your logo and create a more eye-catching and relevant brand image.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different color combinations and effects to find the one that best suits your personality and values. With a little creativity and the right resources, you can elevate your brand’s visual identity and make it stand out from the crowd.

So go ahead and give it a try! You might just be surprised at how easy it is.

Discover even more tips and insights on building your brand:

License this cover image via F8 studio and AnQa.