How to Change the Logo on Your WordPress Website

A logo is an essential part of a website. It’s hard to imagine a site that doesn’t have a logo. In this post, we’ll speak about why logos are important and how to change a logo in WordPress.

Why Is a Website Logo Important?

A logo is a part of the brand identity. Think about any sphere, whether online shopping, sports, food and restaurants, delivery, or any other. We are sure you will be able to associate leading companies with their logos. A powerful logo communicates the company’s message. 

An eye-catching logo not only draws people’s attention when they are browsing a website but also helps users remember your brand. Thus, when your customers see the logo again and recognize it, your brand’s loyalty increases. While users are browsing your website, the logo tells them that they are in the right place.

Ways of Adding a Logo to a WordPress Theme

Adding a logo to a WordPress theme greatly depends on your theme and template. The Appearance menu on the WordPress dashboard, responsible for customizing the website’s look, will vary depending on the activated theme. Before changing the logo, you might want to consider using a tool like Wepik for HD background remover to ensure your logo looks clean and professional.

Here, we’ll look at how to change the logo using the default WordPress theme and a non-standard theme.

Adding a Logo to WordPress Default Theme: Twenty Twenty-Two

WordPress comes with a default theme – the one you’ll see once you’ve finished installing WordPress. Currently, the default theme for WordPress is Twenty Twenty-Two released in February 2022. To customize the logo, you’ll need to edit the website’s header, as the logo is placed there. Thus, we’ll show how to add a logo in the WordPress header.

1. Make sure you have the default (Twenty Twenty-Two) theme installed and activated.

First, we recommend checking that your current theme is Twenty Twenty-Two. To do this, choose Themes in the Appearance menu on your dashboard. The current theme you are using comes first, and you’ll see a notice about the theme being activated.

2. Open WordPress Editor.

Next, open the WordPress Editor that will help you customize your website. You’ll see the Editor in the same Appearance menu, after themes.

3. Choose the Header block.

The Editor lets you adjust various blocks. As the logo is a part of the header, you need to choose and customize this block. When you click on the header (which contains the logo and the navigation bar), the menu for editing the header will appear. So, you can make sure you are changing the correct block.

4. Click on the current logo.

Next, click on the website’s current logo to edit it. In this case, the logo is a ‘Travel’ image. Then, choose ‘Replace’ in the options that appear.

5. Select the logo file.

After clicking ‘Replace’, you’ll see the menu where you have to choose the file location. 

If you have already uploaded your logo to the Media Library, select ‘Open Media Library’. When it opens, pick the necessary image and press ‘Select’.

We will add a white logo with a transparent background to the black header of the standard WordPress theme (so, the chances are you can’t see it very well in the screenshot above).

If your logo is still on your local computer, use the ‘Upload’ option and choose the image on your device.

Then, you can preview the logo you have added.

If you are satisfied with the result, press ‘Save’ to apply the changes.

You will see a notification informing you about the changes made to the logo. If ready, proceed to ‘Save’.

That is it. Now, you can check your new logo on the website.

Adding a Logo to Non-Standard WordPress Themes

If you are using a non-standard theme, the logo customization process will differ. We’ll show the process using the OceanWP theme.

1. Check the current theme

Similar to the stages described above, we recommend checking what theme you are using. Navigate to the Appearance and choose Themes on the dashboard. Then, you’ll see your active theme (in our case – OceanWP).

2. Find the ‘Customize’ option.

To edit your current theme, you may choose ‘Customize’ in the Appearance menu on your dashboard. In the screenshot below, you see what the Appearance menu looks like for our current theme.

Other themes may have a different look.

You can also press ‘Customize’ on the active theme from the Themes submenu in Appearance.

3. Customize the logo.

You can click on the current logo and edit it with the Live Preview (it will take you to logo customization options).

You’ll get to the Header customization, see the current logo and the ‘Change logo’ button.

After clicking this button, you can either choose an image from the Media Library or upload it. Depending on the theme you are using, you can see the preferred image dimensions. As you can see, the OceanWP recommends a logo of 164 x 45 pixels.

If your new logo is in the Media Library, find, pick it, and press ‘Select’.

If the logo needs cropping, your WordPress theme lets you do this without leaving the customization menu.

After that, you’ll come back to header customizing and see the new logo.

If you don’t want to (or can’t use) the Live Preview, it’s possible to find logo editing in the menu on the left. First, you have to choose ‘Header’.

Then, select ‘Logo’ in the list of header customization options.

You will see the same possibilities as when you use the Live Preview. When you are ready, remember to click ‘Publish’.

Adjusting the Logo by Adding Custom HTML/CSS Snippets

When you add a logo without cropping, it can be too big for the header (like in the picture below). 

In some themes, you can adjust the logo’s height and width on the customization dashboard. Simply drag the control button to set the necessary parameters.

If you don’t see this option, you can try modifying the logo by adding custom CSS styles. Find the Custom CSS/JS option on the customization dashboard (it can also be named ‘Additional CSS’).

Then, you should add the code that regulates the logo’s height:

img.custom-logo {
	max-height: 100px !important;
}

If necessary, you can choose another height value instead of 100px. In the preview, you’ll see the result, and if you are satisfied with it, press ‘Publish’.

WordPress Website Logo: Common Sizes

The right logo image size depends on many factors. Firstly, you should consider the size of the header, which differs from theme to theme. Secondly, the image should be big enough to show your logo clearly. Additionally, dimensions can vary for horizontal and vertical logos.

Usually, a logo of 250px (width) x 100px (height) looks good on websites. Other common logo sizes are the following for horizontal layout:

• 250 px x 150 px
• 250 px x 45 px
• 250 px x 55 px
• 350 px x 75 px
• 400 px x 100 px

For vertical (square) layout you can try 160 px x 160 px.

Tips on Choosing a Great Logo

Let’s discuss several aspects that will help you choose your perfect logo.

Memorability

An outstanding logo should be memorable and reflect the brand identity. The main task of the logo is to remind customers about the company that stands behind it.

Clearness and Consistency

The logo should speak for your brand and follow the general style (such as color scheme and typography). Consistency in choosing brand symbols makes your website harmonious.

Uniqueness

There are millions of companies globally, so choosing a unique logo can be challenging. Yet, you should do your best to create a logo that clearly represents your brand. A unique logo means that you care about your brand’s identity. You can draw inspiration from many sources, take advantage of logo-making tools, experiment with colors, shapes, and fonts, or hire a specialist.

Simplicity

While communicating your message via a logo, remember to keep it simple. Inserting too many things in one logo can make it cluttered.

If you don’t have a logo yet, there are logo maker tools available online that can help you design one.

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