From iPad to Illustrator: My Simple Workflow for Designing Logos Fast

If you’ve ever tried to create a logo that feels hand-drawn and organic but also needs to be perfectly scalable, you know the struggle.

Pure vector work in Illustrator can feel stiff. Sketching on paper is great for ideas, but then you’re stuck trying to recreate it digitally. And hand-drawn logos are beautiful until a client asks for it in 47 different sizes and formats.

There’s a better way.

A workflow for creative logo design in Illustrator that starts on an iPad and ends with a clean, scalable vector file. It gives you the organic feel of sketching with the precision you need for professional work.

And honestly? It’s become my favorite way to design logos when I want something that feels authentic without sacrificing flexibility.

Here’s how it works.

The Problem With Designing Logos Purely in Illustrator

Designing logos in Illustrator can feel a bit stiff. You’re clicking anchor points, adjusting handles, zooming in 400%. It’s precise, but it’s not always intuitive.

Sometimes the most organic designs start with a sketch, not a bezier curve.

That’s why this iPad-to-Illustrator workflow works so well. It lets you sketch freely with an Apple Pencil, then convert that sketch into a clean vector file that’s completely editable and scalable.

You get the fluidity of drawing with the precision of vector design.

What You’ll Need

• iPad with Apple Pencil
• Procreate (one-time purchase, around $13)
• Adobe Illustrator on your computer
• A reference image (in my example, I’m using a client photo of gelato)

Step 1: Set Up Your Procreate File

Open Procreate on your iPad and create a new file.

Tap the plus sign and set your canvas to 3000 x 3000 pixels. Set your DPI to 300—this gives you print-quality resolution.

Why 3000 x 3000? It’s big enough to give you plenty of detail to work with when you vectorize, but not so massive that your iPad struggles.

Create two layers:

• Layer 1: Your reference photo
• Layer 2: Your sketch layer

Import your reference image into Layer 1 and resize it so you can see it clearly. This is what you’ll trace over.

Step 2: Choose Your Brush and Get Sketching

Here’s where creative logo design in Illustrator actually starts—with the right brush in Procreate.

Switch to Layer 2 (your sketch layer) and set your brush color to black. Black sketches vectorize cleaner in Illustrator than other colors.

For brushes, experiment with:

• Studio Pen
• Technical Pen
• Gel Pen
• Syrup (if you want a slightly more organic line)

The Studio Pen tends to work best for logo work. Start with your brush size around 4-10% and adjust based on how thick you want your lines.

The key is to sketch slowly and intentionally. You’re not trying to be perfect—you’re capturing the shapes and essence of your design.

Step 3: Trace Your Reference Image

Zoom in as close as you can on your reference image and start outlining the main shapes.

For something like a gelato logo, that means:

• The outline of the ice cream scoops
• The cup or cone shape
• Any drips or texture details
• Elements like spoons, cookies, toppings

Important: Don’t get too detailed. Really intricate designs look busy when you shrink them down to small sizes. Focus on the main shapes and a few key details that give character without overwhelming the design.

If you mess up a line, you can either erase it or use the two-finger tap to undo and try again.

You can also add elements that aren’t in the original photo if they improve the balance or composition. You’re designing, not just tracing.

Step 4: Export as a Transparent PNG

Once you’re happy with your sketch, turn off the background layer and your reference photo layer. You should only see your black sketch on a transparent background.

Tap the wrench icon, go to Share, and export as a PNG. Make sure “Transparent Background” is turned on.

AirDrop it to your computer, or save it to your Files app and transfer it however you normally move files between devices.

Step 5: Bring It Into Illustrator

Open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document at 300 DPI.

Place your PNG sketch onto the canvas (File > Place, or just drag and drop).

Now comes the magic part: creative logo design in Illustrator really happens when you convert your sketch into vectors.

Select your sketch and go to Object > Image Trace > Make.

Illustrator will convert your hand-drawn sketch into vector paths. You can play with the Image Trace settings if the default doesn’t look quite right, but most of the time the default works well for black-and-white sketches.

Step 6: Expand and Clean Up Your Design

With your traced image still selected, go to Object > Expand. This converts the trace into editable vector paths.

Next, ungroup everything (Object > Ungroup or Shift + Command + G).

You’ll notice Illustrator created some white fills along with your black lines. To quickly delete all the white:

1. Go to Select > Same > Fill Color (make sure you have a white element selected first)
2. This selects all white shapes in your design
3. Hit Delete

Now you have a clean, all-black vector design that you can recolor however you want.

Step 7: Refine Your Vector Design

This is where creative logo design in Illustrator gets fun. You can now:

Change colors: Select your design and pick any color. Red gelato? Purple? A full color palette? All possible now.

Adjust individual anchor points: If some edges came through too sharp or rough, you can smooth them out by adjusting the vector paths manually.

Add a stroke: Select your design, go to your Stroke panel, and add a thin stroke. This can help smooth out edges and give a more refined look.

Simplify paths: If your design feels too busy or has too many points, you can simplify paths to clean it up (Object > Path > Simplify).

The beauty of this workflow is that you started with the organic feel of sketching, but now you have all the control and precision of vector editing.

Why This Workflow Works

Now your logo is fully scalable. You can shrink it to a tiny favicon size or blow it up big enough for a billboard, and it loses no quality.

That’s the power of combining Procreate and Illustrator.

Procreate gives you freedom and fluidity. You can sketch naturally without fighting with anchor points.

Illustrator gives you precision and scalability. You can refine, adjust, and prepare your design for any use case.

Together, they make creative logo design in Illustrator feel less technical and more, well, creative.

When to Use This Workflow

This iPad-to-Illustrator process works especially well for:

• Hand-drawn or illustrated logo styles
• Organic, authentic brand identities
• Badges, crests, or detailed marks
• Food and beverage logos (like our gelato example)
• Logos that need to feel warm and approachable, not corporate

It’s less ideal for:

• Super minimal, geometric logos (those are easier to build directly in Illustrator)
• Logos with precise symmetry requirements
• Designs that need to be mathematically perfect

Beyond the Tool: Designing Logos Strategically

Here’s the thing: this workflow teaches you how to trace and vectorize. But tracing is just a tool.

Designing logos that actually work for a business? That’s strategy.

Knowing how to think through concepts, build strategic mood boards, create complete logo systems, refine typography, present to clients, and package professional deliverables—that’s the craft.

If you’re ready to move from “I can sketch and trace” to “I can confidently design strategic brands for businesses,” that’s what we teach in Design Strategy School.

We walk through the full creative logo design process—not just the tools, but how to design with intention and strategy.

Your Turn

Do you sketch your logos first, or do you go straight into Illustrator?

Try this workflow on your next logo project. Start with a quick sketch in Procreate, bring it into Illustrator, and see how much faster and more organic your design process feels.

The best logos aren’t always the most technically perfect ones. Sometimes they’re the ones that feel real, hand-crafted, and intentional.

And this workflow helps you create exactly that.

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Ready to design logos that actually convert clients? Browse our Showit website templates to see how strategic design shows up across entire brand systems—not just logos, but complete visual identities.

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