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As some of the long-time members and visitors may recall, the Makers Local 256 logo and designs have evolved quite a bit over the years. From elaborate scroll-work, to pointilistic gradients, to hairline negative-space tools, our logo has been there to show the world who we are, what we make, and why we’re here.
Each iteration served as chance to make the logo cleaner, easier to see, and easier to fabricate. Even our current logo has room to grow so that we can make better vinyl stickers, smaller icons, more visible social media graphics, and so much more.
So today, I’m happy to bring you the next evolution of our logo.
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This new logo has been rebuilt from scratch to capture the essence of what it means to be a Maker. Special attention was paid to the radial symmetry provided by our iconic gear shape, and most of the design is carved out of concentric circles.
I wanted to make sure that the new design was as “Make-able” as possible, so I took care to create something that was a single contiguous piece. When cutting it on the vinyl cutter, there are only two easy islands to weed out, and our machine should be able to cut stickers as small as 1″x1″.
I’ve modified the banner image we’ve used in our social media to use the new logo:

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You’ll notice a few fun goodies in here. First, I’ve standardized on two “official” ML256 typefaces: “Monteserrat” and “Quicksand”. Both of these typefaces are free and open source under the SIL Open Font License (OFL). I wanted to ensure that anyone has access to these typefaces without having to fork over loads of cash for something from one of the large foundries.
Second, I wanted to capture another Maker staple: color. Whether it’s RGB LEDs, neon acrylic lasercuttings, vibrant cosplay outfits, or powder-coated tools, Makers are drawn to usage of many wonderful colors in their creations. I’ve picked our official colors from the Google Material Design palette, further reiterating our use of materials and tools to create new projects.
The design works well in the official colors (inverted or not), as well as black and white:

Above are a view variations of the logo that can be used in different situations. The wide logo with the full text works well in banners and as a header or footer of a page. the shorthand name designs can be used where space is tight or shaped more squarely. ​

​Thanks for reading through this monster of a wall of text and images and I really hope that you enjoy the results of what I’ve worked on these past few months. I love Makers Local 256, and I am always excited to see what tomorrow will bring.
Cheers, and keep on Making!
Tyler Crumpton

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Upcoming Events

BrewNewable Fest – 9/16 @ 7 pm-10pm

This celebration of solar and sustainable energy features electric cars, live demonstrations of geothermal and solar energy, and solar wearables from ML256! Tickets will be available for entry to win solar updates for your home! Check out the event page for more information.

Monthly Meeting – 10/19 @ 7:30pm

Next month’s meeting will be on October 19 at 7:30pm. Typical runtime is around 30 minutes. Hope to see you there!

Retro Gaming and Computing Night – 10/21 @ 4pm

It’s time again! RGCN is coming on October 21! All game systems born prior to 2000 are welcome to set up, or just stop by and play. Tournament announcements, this year’s t-shirt, and more super cool announcements will be coming, so keep an eye on your email and the ML256 Facebook page!

Display Table At GigaParts

Tyler Crumpton has been building display tables for a showcase at GigaParts in North Huntsville. This display will feature a handful of projects from ML256 members, including Tyler, as well as information about the shop. Stop by and check it out!

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Upcoming Events

Bikes and Brews: August 10, 7 pm

Come by the shop to learn some basic bicycle maintenance! This free event will get you set up for Saturday’s Bikes and Brews ride.

Monthly Member Meeting: August 17, 7:30 pm

This month’s member meeting will occur at 7:30pm sharp! The meetings are a great way to keep up with shop business, discuss upcoming events, and have your voice heard. Typical run time is 30-45min.

Melt Day 3: August 19, 11 am

Come and melt aluminium and pour it into shapes! We’ll have foam for carving and greensand for casting, so you just need an idea for something to carve. Theres plenty of cans to melt down, so don’t let that stop you. Also if you can’t make it in the morning (Hamfest shout out) we’ll be going into the evening too.

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This month’s featured maker is Tim Heath (crashcart)! Tim has been with us since almost the beginning, way back in 2008! Tim is super into RCGN, and most anything to do with vintage electronics. He is often found in the fab lab soldering, or tinkering with old computers in the workshop. Click through to read more about Tim!

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