How to make a monogram logo in Adobe Illustrator

5.5 Minute Read
August 25, 2021

What is a Monogram

Monogram is when you combine and overlap more than 1 letter to create a single form, normally 2-3 letters are used.

Monograms are very minimalist in there style which can be a good or bad thing depending on there business it is being used for.

Monograms can be dated back to as early as 350bc appearing on coins and by crafters to show ownership on their pieces of work.

How to make a monogram logo

Choose your letters you are going to make your monogram with. If this is your first time, choose your initials to start with.

1. Make your letters

There are many ways to create your letters:

Draw with Pen tool

You can draw them with the Pen Tool and create custom letter forms

Make out of shapes

You can create them using and editing shapes by manipulating anchor points

Use a Font

Or you can use a font, most fonts can work as a monogram + there are fonts made exactly to be used to create monograms.

Monogram logo tutorial

2. Get your letters prepared

Once you have decided what letters you are going to be creating you will need to change them into shapes to make them easier to edit and change around.

Select your letters - Object - Expand - Make sure all are ticked - OK

![Illustrator screenshot of expand option](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/610a5c11bd4ad0b1f14ddebd/61148431f7f54d5025ddff62_Vintage 4.jpg)

![Expand illustration screenshot](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/610a5c11bd4ad0b1f14ddebd/611484471abaaf0f7761d0a1_Vintage 5.jpg)

Now your letters have been turned into shapes, select them both - Right click - Ungroup

You need to make sure you can move them around individually

And finally select them both and align them over the top of each other

![DK monogram overlap](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/610a5c11bd4ad0b1f14ddebd/6125a5eb299dc85ab7c257cf_overlaying shapes.png)

3. Edit into a monogram

They will be hard to read currently just ontop of each other, It is a good way to separate each letter onto it's own layer, move the shapes onto their own layer and lock the layer you are not currently using.

To be able to manipulate the letter so they be both read select the 'direct selection tool' or click A on your keyword

Illustrator toolbar

Select the anchor points you want to pull on the D so that it can still be proportional, hold shift to click multiple

Now select the K anchor points you would like to extend with the direct selection tool

D letter

![DK logo](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/610a5c11bd4ad0b1f14ddebd/6125a5ad91bf6c56e0f583da_Screen Shot 2021-08-25 at 11.55.23 am.png)

4. Interwoven

A nice effect on monograms is to give them the effect of being interwoven to each other.

You can accomplish this by removing certain points of the letters

Select both letters - Object - Path - Offset Path - Choose a size you feel is right to take off - OK

Illustrator object menu

I like to base them off by knocking out one horizontal & one vertical off each shape

DK offset path

To delete the unwanted area's select your letters - Pathfinder tool (Shift M on keyword)

![Illustrator window menu](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/610a5c11bd4ad0b1f14ddebd/611484bad07df45f2d83b9f5_patherfinder window how to find.png)

Hold the Option or Alt key to ****make sure you are minus them out if you do not hold option it will combine the letters together

Click the areas you want to minus out

Remove all other unwanted bits, leaving online the inward shape

DK monogram overlapping

5. Combine shape & Clean up

To make it all one shape - Select your letters - properties - pathfinder - unite

To clean up and look at how many 'points' you have on your design on your keyword click - Command Y to view the outline of your shape

DK monogram outline

If there are too many anchor points you can try select your design - Right Click - Simplify - This ****will automatically try to clean up and remove unwanted anchor points (Just need to be careful with certain shapes as it might alter the shape or remove to many anchor points, experiment for what feels right for you

Finish Monogram logo

You should now have a finished Monogram that has a 3D effect looking like it is interwoven with the other letter. Play around with other letters to make your perfect custom Monogram!

DK monogram