Pixar, the renowned American computer animation film studio based in California, is best known for its iconic mascot, Luxo Jr., which plays a central role in its logo.

The logo’s evolution over the years reflects Pixar's journey from its early days as a subsidiary of Lucasfilm to its emergence as a leader in animation. The first Pixar logo, used from 1979 to 1986, was designed for Graphics Group, the company’s precursor. The logo featured a horizontally oriented oval in red and black, with a white “C” in the center connecting the two parts of the oval. Above the emblem was the wordmark in tricolor: “The” in white, “Graphics” in red, and “Group” in black, while a delicate slogan, “The Art of Visual Communication,” appeared below.

When Pixar was acquired by Steve Jobs in 1986 and renamed, the logo was completely redesigned. The new emblem, which remained in use until 1994, was a stylized representation of the Apple BSD computer. This logo consisted of a gray square with white and black edges and a circular dent in the middle. The wordmark was placed underneath in an elegant serif font, Trajan Pro Bold, with the letters separated by small black dots.

In 1994, Pixar unveiled its most iconic logo, designed by John Lasseter and created by Pete Docter. This new logo was composed of a simple, bold wordmark in Charlemagne Bold, a stylish serif font. A key feature of the logo is the distinctive bar of the “X,” which has its bottom right end pointed, and the tail of the “R.” This version of the logo debuted alongside Toy Story, marking Pixar's major leap into the world of feature-length animation, and it has been in use ever since.

The 1995 production emblem, introduced with Toy Story, replaced the “I” in the wordmark with Luxo Jr., the jumping lamp that became the studio’s mascot. This adaptation of the logo, designed by Pete Docter, added a playful and recognizable element to the brand.

Some variations of the logo have been created for special occasions, such as the 20th and 25th anniversary versions and a 3D version used for specific marketing purposes.

The Pixar logo is based on the Charlemagne Std-Bold typeface, created by Carol Twombly and published by Adobe. The font, with its unique arched base serifs, was inspired by the highly refined versal capitals of 10th-century England.

The primary colors of the Pixar logo are light blue for the background, black for the lettering, and grey for Luxo Jr., the lamp that continues to serve as a symbol of the studio’s creativity and innovation in animation.