How to Cite a Logo
The world is an increasingly filled with visual media, and writers may be called upon to cite images as well as textual sources. However, writers are often confused about how to cite a logo.
Modern Language Association Citation
MLA Citation for logos uses the following format. For parenthetical citation, use the name of the designer -- if it is known -- or the owner of the logo. Example:
...the familiar white lettering on a red background (Coca-Cola).
For your Works Cited page, give the following info: Artist/owner name, title of image in italics -- give it a descriptive title if no title exists -- original publication year, webpage that it is from, Web, date you accessed it.
Example:
Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Logo. 1941. World of Logos. Web. 01 July 2013.
American Psychological Association
APA citation for logos uses the following format. For parenthetical citation, use the name of the designer -- if it is known -- or the owner of the logo, followed by the date it was created.
Example:
...the familiar white lettering on a red background (Coca-Cola, 1941).
For your References page, give the following info: Artist/owner name, publication year in parentheses, title of image in italics -- give it a descriptive title in brackets if no title exists -- and URL.
Example:
Coca-Cola (1941). [Coca-Cola Logo]. Retrieved from http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring08/Cantwell/20thcent/20-40.html
Note: if no date is available, use the abbreviation n.d.
Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator.
References
Writer Bio
Dr. Chris Snellgrove is a writing specialist, and a veteran of everything from a book-length dissertation to a newspaper editor's desk. He has produced work for academic, business, creative, and non-profit endeavors.
