What Is the HP Logo?
The HP logo is the lower-case letters hp, set in italics inside a circle, a mark Hewlett-Packard introduced in 1941 and trademarked in 1942. It belongs to HP Inc., the computer and printer maker based in Palo Alto, California, which is the name Hewlett-Packard took on 1 November 2015 when its enterprise business was split off as Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
HP's premium laptops carry a second mark: four slanted lines that form the letters h and p. The circle mark is available as the HP logo SVG.
HP Logo Facts
| Introduced | 1941; trademarked 1942 |
| Symbol | The italic letters hp in a circle |
| Logo type | Lettermark |
| Owner | HP Inc. |
What the HP Logo Means
The two letters are the founders' initials: Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. When they made their partnership official on 1 January 1939, they settled the company's name with a coin toss, and Hewlett-Packard was the result.
The italic slant matters as much as the letters. The 1941 drawing leans forward, and when the agency Moving Brands drew HP's premium mark decades later, it took the angle of that lean, 13 degrees, as the basis for its four lines. Moving Brands describes the slant as a sign of forward momentum and notes that it also recalls the slash character used in programming.
HP Logo History
HP started in a garage at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, where Hewlett and Packard began part-time work in 1938 with $538 in working capital. They formalised the partnership the following January.
The lower-case italic hp in a circle was introduced in 1941 and trademarked in 1942. HP's own archive notes that the mark was modified many times in the years that followed, but the italic letters in a circle stayed at the centre of the brand.
In August 2008 HP removed the rectangle that had held the circle, leaving the round mark to stand on its own, with the circle masking the ends of the italic letters. That same year HP asked Moving Brands for ideas on fonts, graphics and logos. The agency proposed the four-line mark, but in December 2011 HP said it had no plans to adopt it.
The proposal came back after the 2015 split. On 5 April 2016 HP launched the Spectre 13 laptop carrying the four 13-degree lines, and reserved the new mark for its premium products. The circle remained HP's main logo.
HP and Epson
The two printer makers built their logos from very different starting points. HP's mark is a pair of founders' initials, drawn in a circle since 1941. Epson's is a word coined in 1975 from the name of its first printer, the EP-101 (compare the Epson logo).
For more brands like HP, browse our tech logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the letters in the HP logo stand for?
They stand for Hewlett-Packard, after founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. The two settled the company's name with a coin toss in 1939.
What is the HP logo with four lines?
It is a premium mark designed by Moving Brands, made of four lines slanted at 13 degrees. It first appeared on the HP Spectre 13 laptop in April 2016.
Is HP Inc. the same company as Hewlett-Packard?
Yes. Hewlett-Packard was renamed HP Inc. on 1 November 2015, after its enterprise business was split off as Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
When was the HP circle logo first used?
It was introduced in 1941 and trademarked in 1942.