logo design history

Xerox Corporation can trace its history back to 1906 when the Haloid Company was founded to manufacture and sell photographic paper and equipment. The company decided to change its name to “Haloid Xerox” and then simply “Xerox” in 1961. In 1938, Chester Carlson developed a photocopying technique called electrophotography (xerography). The company began to come into prominence by 1959 with the foundation of the first paper photocopier using the technique invented by Chester Carlson. Development of digital photocopiers and a revamp of the entire product range in the 1990s, gave Xerox a technical lead over its competitors. In 1961 Lippincott designed the original Xerox logo after the company had dropped the Haloid from its name. Chermayeff & Geismar updated the block-capital-letter XEROX wordmark seven years later. The logo changed to red in 1994 and Landor introduced a corporate signature along with the digital X to symbolize the transition of documents between digital worlds and the paper. The logo emphasized the wordmark “Document Company” since that was the original focus of the company, which manufactured and sold multifunction systems, color and black-and-white printers, digital production printing presses, photo copiers and related services. “The Document Company” signature disappeared in 2004. Four years later in 2008, Xerox tried to get away from the “the copier company” image and redesigned the Xerox corporate logo. The new identity, designed by Interbrand was created to represent the connection to partners, customers, industry and innovation. Some early reviewers feel that this logo is not a notable improvement and that it looks like a Beach Ball or peppermint candy. Come to think of it, it does take your mind off of “the copier company”. But not with good thoughts.