Logo Creator is a piece of software that has already saved me many times the $29.99 I paid for it--and that's after only two days of use.

I am describing a program that allows people to create custom logos for websites, letterhead, t-shirts, etc., without requiring a lot of specialized graphic knowledge. You can create a logo in between minutes and hours, depending on how much time you spend playing with different designs in search of the right one.

This is not the product I'd use if I were creating a logo, make that “corporate identity package,” for a Fortune 500 company. I'd hire that out to someone with way more talent than I possess. But for a project inside such a company or a smaller business, Logo Creator fills a definite need. It's available in both PC and Mac versions. There are also a number of packages that include different logo templates and fonts.

I spent the weekend--when I should have been testing WordPerfect Office 12--instead creating a new logo for my consulting company, which you will find proudly displayed at the top left-hand corner of my homepage. The logo isn't perfect, but I think it's quite nice. And because I have the tool right here I will be able to make small modifications as I see the need.

Creating the logo took me about three hours, mostly spent playing with various concepts since actually learning the program is a snap. This simplicity means there are some features I'd like to see that the program lacks, like grids and rulers so I can center the various logo elements properly, but this is a minor annoyance compared to what the program allows me to do. (I ended up using a small ruler--a 6-inch metal one--against the LCD panel to center logo elements).

Logo Creator is, essentially, a collection of templates, fonts, shapes and other elements used to create logos. The program includes a simple editor for placing the elements, changing fonts and colors, embossing, transparency, adding shadows, changing orientation, and so forth. You can start with one of the templates, as I did, or with a blank screen.

The first time I used to program I was a little underwhelmed because I focused on the templates themselves rather than on how the templates could be a starting point for a very different-looking finished product. Also, the templates tend to all look a certain “way“ that may not be appropriate for all circumstances. Not to worry, once you start to see logos and templates as mere collections of elements you can mix and match until you get what you want.

My DCC logo doesn't look like any of the templates, while the one I am playing with for my newsletter is pretty close to one of the samples. When I am done I will create a logo gallery for you to see. I can do that because the program makes it easy to export logos in a variety of formats. It's also easy to import graphics and photos for use as logo elements.

Over the weekend I produced three fairly decent-looking logos--stuff that might have cost a thousand dollars or more if I'd hired a graphic artist to do it. Are the logo perfects? Perhaps not, but I did create something useful that I'd have had a hard time doing any other way.

This may be the best $40 I've ever spent on software. Certainly I got a whole lot for my money.