While static logos are the foundation of your brand on business cards and storefronts, movement can help your brand come alive online. Elevate your digital presence – from your website header to your social feeds – with motion that grabs attention and makes your brand impossible to ignore.
Animation injects a layer of professional polish and personality into your business, all while keeping your core brand identity perfectly intact. By introducing motion, you don’t just stand out in crowded digital feeds – you significantly boost brand recall and memorability. To get you started, this guide outlines the best paths, provides a checklist to ensure your files are animation-ready, and walks you through a streamlined seven-step process to master animation in After Effects
- Animation builds brand recognition because, in digital feeds, moving logos capture attention faster than static images.
- Preparation is key – separate your logo into layers (icon, text, tagline) before you start animating.
- Different situations need different formats like MP4 for social media and video and GIF for email signatures.
- You don’t need complex effects, a simple fade or slide often looks the most professional.
Why animate your logo
Animated logos help small businesses stand out and create polished brand moments across digital channels. You’ll start noticing animated logos everywhere once you look – they pop up in Reels, on websites and even in email signatures.
Animation turns a static image into a dynamic introduction. It doesn’t just look cool, it serves a specific business purpose.
- It creates a memorable brand moment: People are wired to notice movement. A logo that assembles itself or glides into view holds attention longer than one that just sits there.
- It adds personality: You can show that your brand is playful, serious or tech-forward by how your logo moves.
- It elevates your professionalism: Animated intros for YouTube videos, reels and website headers signal that you pay attention to the details.
- It creates consistency: An animated logo serves as a visual signature that ties all your digital channels together.
For more inspiration on how movement can define a brand, check out our article on animated logo ideas.
Source: Animate logo design by Maryia Dziadziulia via 99designs by Vista
3 ways to make an animated logo
If you’re wondering how to animate a logo, there is no single right way to do it. The best method depends on your time and budget.
Option 1: Online tools and AI (fastest and for beginners)
Online tools are for you if you need an animation right now. They allow you to create simple, effective animations in minutes, keeping you focused on running your business
With AI logo generators and online animation tools, you generally work with pre-made templates. You upload your file, pick a motion style and export – it’s quick and affordable. This works best for social media posts, quick video intros for early-stage brands or exploring animation styles.
Master the fundamentals of branding by exploring AI logo design, starting with a static version is the great way to build a solid foundation before you dive into animation.
When picking an animation template, think about your brand style. If you are a yoga studio, look for slow, smooth fades. If you are a tech startup, look for quick, sharp movements.
Option 2: Hire a designer or animator
For business owners who care about custom polish and have a budget to invest, you can hire a designer or animator. If you want a specific, unique movement that perfectly matches your brand story, hiring a pro is the way to go.
Tips for hiring:
- Review portfolios: Look for movement styles that resonate with your brand.
- Discuss deliverables: Make sure to establish the final video files for delivery. For example, if you’re commissioning a simple reveal animation, ask for MP4 and GIF versions so you can use it across social and email.
- Confirm timelines: Establish a clear deadline before the project begins.
How much can an animated logo cost? Costs depend on the level of detail and complexity. A simple 2D animation (like a fade or slide) typically ranges from $50 to $300 USD. If you need complex character animation or 3D effects, prices can jump to $300 or even more than $1,000 USD.
You can often find talent through freelance marketplaces, like 99designs by Vista.
Source: Animated logo design by Maryia Dziadziulia via 99designs by Vista
Option 3: Do it yourself with After Effects
Choose this route if you want to master every detail of your logo’s movement, from specific timing to custom export formats. After Effects is the go-to choice for anyone willing to learn the essentials of a powerful industry tool. While it is a professional-grade program, anyone can produce effective, polished work by starting with a well-organized logo file and following a steady learning pace
How to animate a logo in After Effects in 8 steps
Let’s build a simple animation where your logo reveals itself and settles into place.
Step 1: Prep your logo for animation
A well-prepped logo file is the foundation of smooth animation. If your files aren’t organized, you will hit a wall as soon as you open the animation software.
Logo prep checklist:
- Background: A transparent background (PNG or SVG). You do not want a white box around your logo.
- Layers: Each element should be a separate layer – your icon, your company name and your tagline.
- Format: SVG or AI (Adobe Illustrator) files are best because they stay sharp at any size.
- Color mode: Set your file to RGB, which is the standard for digital screens.
- Clean shapes: Simplify tiny details. Very thin lines or distress marks often don’t read well when moving.
- Backup version: Always keep a safe copy of your original, unchanged logo file.
Learn how to make a logo transparent to avoid a white box around your animated logo.
Step 2: Set up your project
Open After Effects and create a “New Composition.” You need to decide on the size based on where you plan to use the logo.
- 1080 x 1080 pixels is great for Instagram and social feeds.
- 1920 x 1080 pixels is the standard for YouTube and video intros.
Set the duration to something short, around five seconds. Logo animations rarely need to be longer than that. Five seconds is roughly the length of a quick Reel intro, long enough to feel intentional, short enough that no one clicks away.
Step 3: Import your layered logo
Go to File > Import > File. Select your prepped logo file. When the import window pops up, look for the ‘Import As’ dropdown menu and select Composition – Retain Layer Sizes. This ensures all your separate layers (icon, text, tagline) stay separate. If you import it as ‘Footage,’ it will flatten everything, and you will have to go back to the prep stage.
Step 4: Organize layers and pick your animation idea
Double-click the new composition that appeared in your project panel. You will see your logo layers stacked up. Rename them if they have generic names like “Layer 1” so you know exactly what is what.
Choose one simple “reveal” concept. Do not try to do everything at once. Good options for beginners include:
- Fade in: The opacity goes from 0% to 100%.
- Scale up: The object grows from invisible to full size.
- Slide in: The object moves from off-screen into its final spot.
Start with a simple move that matches your brand. A construction company might “build” the logo layer by layer. A consulting firm might simply fade in for a calm, trustworthy feel.
Step 5: Animate with keyframes
Keyframes are just markers that tell the computer, “at this time, the logo should look like this.”
To create a slide-in effect:
- Select your logo icon layer.
- Move your timeline indicator (the blue line) to the 1-second mark.
- Press ‘P’ on your keyboard to open Position properties. Click the stopwatch icon next to Position. This sets your “landing” keyframe.
- Move your timeline indicator back to 0 seconds.
- Change the position numbers to move the logo off-screen or slightly down.
Now, when you press play, After Effects automatically fills in the movement between those two points. Work backwards like this (end state first, then start state) to ensure your logo always lands perfectly in the center.
Source: Les Ami Cafe & Bistro logo by Maryia Dziadziulia via 99designs by Vista.
Step 6: Add a little style with shape layers
To make it look more custom, you can add simple shape accents.
- Use the Shape Tool to draw a small circle or line.
- Animate the ‘Trim Paths’ property to make a line draw itself around your text.
- Or, animate a small circle bursting out from behind the icon to give it some energy. Keep it minimal. These shapes should highlight your logo, not distract from it.
Step 7: Smooth the timing
Right now, your animation might look a little robotic. That is because digital objects usually move at a constant speed, while real objects speed up and slow down.
To fix this:
- Highlight all your keyframes.
- Right-click on one of them.
- Go to Keyframe Assistant > Easy Ease (or just press F9).
This softens the movement, making it feel natural and professional. Aim for a total animation length of two to five seconds.
Source: Logo design by Maryia Dziadziulia via 99designs by Vista
Step 8: Export in the right format for the right purpose
Once you are happy with the movement, you need to get the video out of After Effects. Go to File > Export > Add to Render Queue.
To ensure your animation looks sharp and performs well, you need to match your file type to the platform. Since different sites have different technical constraints, you’ll want to export a few specific versions rather than relying on a single file for everything.
Here are some suggestions of file types for different uses:
- For video intros and Reels: Export as an .MP4 (H.264). This format handles vibrant colors and sound best. Best for YouTube and Instagram.
- For email signatures: Export as a .GIF. It needs to be lightweight (ideally under 1MB) so it doesn’t slow down your emails. It will loop forever and has no sound.
- For website headers and loaders: Use .Lottie (JSON) or .SVG. These are code-based animations that load instantly and stay sharp on any screen size.
- For social posts: Use .MP4 for high quality or .GIF for quick, looping content.
- For digital presentations: .MP4 or .GIF both work well here.
Final tips to make your animation feel professional
You have the technical steps down, but a few creative principles will help you polish the final result.
- Stay on brand with color. Ensure the colors in your animation match your brand guidelines exactly.
- Avoid too many effects. A bounce, a fade, a slide and a color change all at once is too much. Pick one or two distinct movements.
- Test at small sizes. Resize your video player to the size of a mobile screen. Can you still read the text? If not, simplify the movement. Most people will see your logo for the first time on their phone, so make sure it holds up at thumb-scroll scale.
- Save your project. Always save the After Effects file so you can come back and make tweaks later without starting over.
Ready to dive into logo design?
Think of animation as a bonus for your brand – a way to add personality to the visuals you already have. The goal of branding is to create a seamless, memorable experience for your customers across every platform. Animation helps you do exactly that by bringing your core identity to life.
Every motion graphic, from a simple fade to a complex 3D reveal, begins with a clean static image. By starting with a polished, professional logo, you ensure that your brand looks sharp both in print and in motion.
