--- title: "Hindi and Devanagari logo design: a guide · Ingenious Hub" description: "How to plan a logo or signboard in Hindi or Devanagari: script, pairing with English, spacing, size on a board, and the mistakes that make good names look…" canonical: https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/devanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide updated: 2026-11-05 publisher: Ingenious Hub (https://www.ingenioushub.com) --- Design # Hindi and Devanagari logo design: a guide Plan the Hindi version when you plan the logo, not afterwards. Choose a typeface made for Devanagari, match its weight to the English, keep the headline line in view, and test it at signboard size. By [Daitiva Sharma](https://www.ingenioushub.com/studio) 5 Nov 20263 min readReads at about Class 6 or below **In this article3 min read** 1. Start with how the script works 2. Choose a typeface made for the script 3. Pairing Hindi with English 4. Check the spelling and the sense 5. Test at the size it will be seen 6. Mistakes that make a good name look cheap Many businesses in Rajasthan and across the Hindi belt need their name in Devanagari as well as in English: on the board, the shop front, packaging, a pamphlet and a post. The common mistake is to design the English logo first and then paste a Hindi version beside it, in whichever font was nearest. The two then look like they come from different shops. ## Start with how the script works Devanagari hangs its letters from a horizontal line, called the shirorekha. Letters join into words along that line, and marks above and below it, such as the vowel signs, need room. That has three effects on a logo. A line of Devanagari needs more height than the same size of Latin type. Tight line spacing makes the marks collide. And a heavy weight can fill the small gaps inside letters, so fine marks disappear at small sizes. ## Choose a typeface made for the script - Pick a family that was drawn for Devanagari and has several weights, and not a Latin font with Hindi letters added by a different hand. - Check the licence before you fall for a font. A font that is free to view is not always free to use on a board, a product or a logo. Ask for the licence in writing. - Test the real words, not sample text. Conjunct letters, where two or more consonants join, are where weak fonts break. - Type the full name and the tagline and look at each joined letter at a large size and at a small one. ## Pairing Hindi with English Matching the two scripts | Question | What to check | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | | Weight | Do both look equally strong? | A thin Hindi line beside a bold English one looks like an afterthought. | | Size | Do the x-height and the line height feel balanced? | Devanagari at the same point size often looks smaller than Latin, so it may need a small increase. | | Order | Which language reads first? | Decide by your customers. Do not leave it to chance. | | Alignment | Do the lines share a baseline or a top line? | A shared line makes a lockup feel planned. | | Colour | Is it the same in both? | Two colours for two languages reads as two brands. | A [lockup](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/lockup) is the fixed arrangement of the mark and the name. Make one for each language pair, with the spacing written down, and keep them in your [logo suite](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/logo-suite). Then a printer or a painter can reproduce both without guessing. [Logo suite](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/logo-suite): A logo suite is the set of logo versions a brand needs for different uses: a primary version, a stacked or horizontal alternative, a small icon or mark, and one-colour and reversed versions. ## Check the spelling and the sense Spelling in Hindi is less forgiving on a board than in a message. A missing vowel sign or a wrong conjunct is read by every passer-by. Have a fluent reader check the text, and have a second person check it again after the artwork is made, because a layout step can change a letter. If the Hindi name is a transliteration of an English one, agree on one spelling and use it everywhere. ## Test at the size it will be seen A logo that looks fine on a screen may fail on a board seen from the road. Print it at the actual size, put it on a wall and walk back. Our [signboard letter height tool](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/signboard-letter-height) shows how big the letters should be for the distance people will read it from, and our notes on [signboard design in Jaipur](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/jaipur-signboard-design-notes) cover materials and lighting. ## Mistakes that make a good name look cheap - Stretching a font sideways to fit a space. It breaks the shapes of the letters. - Outlines and heavy shadows on Devanagari, which fill the gaps in the letters. - Mixing three fonts in one name. - Using a decorative font for a long line. Keep decoration for a single word, and set the rest in a plain face. - Leaving the Hindi to the sign painter and the English to a designer, so the two never meet. If the two scripts are part of your identity, write the rules in your [brand guidelines](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/brand-guidelines): which fonts, which sizes, which pairs. That is what keeps the signboard, the packaging and the website looking like the same business. If you want a studio to design both together, see our [branding work](https://www.ingenioushub.com/services/branding). [Brand guidelines](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/brand-guidelines): Brand guidelines are a written set of rules for using a brand's identity: logo versions, colours, typography, imagery, layout and tone of voice. About the author [Daitiva Sharma](https://www.ingenioushub.com/studio) is the founder of Ingenious Hub, a brand and design studio in Jaipur. A designer, brand strategist and photographer, he has worked in design since 2007, leading design teams before founding the studio. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daitiva) Disagree, or want to argue the point? hello@ingenioushub.com Share this note - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fdevanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide) - [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fdevanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide&text=Hindi%20and%20Devanagari%20logo%20design%3A%20a%20guide) - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=Hindi%20and%20Devanagari%20logo%20design%3A%20a%20guide%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fdevanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide) - 3 min read Share this note - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fdevanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide) - [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fdevanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide&text=Hindi%20and%20Devanagari%20logo%20design%3A%20a%20guide) - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=Hindi%20and%20Devanagari%20logo%20design%3A%20a%20guide%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fdevanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide) - ## Tools and terms for this note Try it yourself, free - [Signboard letter heightHow tall the letters on a sign should be for the distance people read it from.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/signboard-letter-height) - [Brand health checkNine questions, about two minutes, and the three fixes worth making first.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/brand-health-check) - [Logo in contextSee your logo on a signboard, a carry bag and a chat avatar. It stays in your browser.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/logo-in-context) Words used in this note - [LockupBrand and identity](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/lockup) - [Logo suiteBrand and identity](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/logo-suite) - [Brand guidelinesBrand and identity](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/brand-guidelines) [The full glossary](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary) ## Keep reading More on [Branding](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/topic/branding) - [How to prepare artwork for printingDesign · 3 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/how-to-prepare-artwork-for-print-in-india) - [How to get more Google reviews in IndiaMarketing · 4 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/get-more-google-reviews-for-a-small-business-in-india) - [Business card design: size, content, finishDesign · 3 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/business-card-design-guide-india) - [How to brief a pitch deck designerDesign · 3 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/how-to-brief-a-pitch-deck-designer) - [WordPress, Wix, Shopify or custom: how to choose a website platformDesign · 3 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/wordpress-wix-shopify-or-custom-website) - [Logo files every business should ownDesign · 4 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/logo-files-every-business-should-own) [All notes](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes) The argument, applied ## Volimy: A debossed mark for a category-creator. A custom wordmark and a signage program, with a packaging system for a launch SKU. [Read the case study](https://www.ingenioushub.com/work/volimy) [All work](https://www.ingenioushub.com/work) [ *(image: Volimy: A debossed mark for a category-creator.)* ](https://www.ingenioushub.com/work/volimy) ## Where this thinking goes to work - [Branding & IdentityBrands people remember.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/services/branding) - [Creative & ContentA steady rhythm of content.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/services/creative) ## More on this topic. Something we haven’t covered? [Ask us](https://www.ingenioushub.com/contact?from=notes-devanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide). **Should my logo be in Hindi, English or both?** Choose by who reads it. If your customers read Hindi first, lead with Devanagari. If you serve mixed customers, plan both together as one lockup. Decide before the design starts. **Can I use any Hindi font I like?** Not always. Check the licence for commercial use on signage, products and logos before you decide. A font that is free to download may not be free to use for your business. **Why does Hindi text look smaller than English at the same size?** The two scripts use space differently, and Devanagari carries marks above and below its line. It often needs a slightly larger size and more line height to look balanced beside Latin. **How do I get the spelling right on the board?** Ask a fluent reader to check the text, and check again after the artwork is finished. Agree on one spelling for any transliterated name and use it everywhere. **Do I need to redo my logo to add Hindi?** Not always. Often a Hindi lockup can be built next to the existing mark. If the current logo has no room or the style clashes, a small redraw may be needed. ## Want this applied to your brand? [Start a project](https://www.ingenioushub.com/contact?service=branding&from=notes-devanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide) [See what Branding & Identity starts at](https://www.ingenioushub.com/pricing#price-branding) [Free brand audit](https://www.ingenioushub.com/brand-audit) Based in Rajasthan? [Branding Agency in Jaipur](https://www.ingenioushub.com/branding-agency-jaipur) Source: https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/devanagari-and-hindi-logo-design-guide