Fredrick Joseph Logan

Logan's Law was devised by Fredrick Joseph Logan, a graphic artist working for the Chicago Daily Herald in the late 1880s.

Fed up of clients insisting on their company logo being the largest element on the printed page, Fredrick Logan insisted that nothing should be more prominent than The Newspaper's header. He devised a simple formula that set a logo a maximum width in proportion the page on which it was displayed. The editor and owner of the The Daily Herald, Hosea C. Paddock, a former teacher, was so impressed with Logan's Law, that it was included in the submission process for all advertising.

Logan's Law was soon adopted across other American newspapers and by the early 1900s was common practice. The law is still used in modern graphic design, but is usually referred to as the safe area or maximum stand-out size.

Logan's Law

"A breadth of any trade mark or company shield should not be more than a one fifth dimension of the holding plate or designated area. Also, no type or other decoration may encroach into one third of the height of the trade mark or company shield area."