Desktop Metal, Inc. is an additive manufacturing technology company headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, founded in 2015 to make metal 3D printing accessible to engineers, designers, medical professionals and manufacturers [1]. The company’s visual identity centers on a typographic wordmark that appears in red and white on the front panels of its production equipment [2].
Design and History
Desktop Metal’s logo is a wordmark lockup that has remained consistent since the company’s founding. The company’s terms of use distinguish between its word-only service marks and its “design” service marks, noting that the logos and design marks require prior written authorization for any use [3]. The company also holds a trademark registration for the “DM” mark, filed in the United Kingdom on September 6, 2017 [4].
In 2022, Desktop Metal rebranded its acquired ExOne product line, replacing the former green and white ExOne branding with dark enclosures and the Desktop Metal logo in red and white on the front panel of each machine [2]. This rebranding effort was part of a broader harmonization of the company’s growing family of sub-brands, which includes acquired companies such as ExOne, EnvisionTEC (rebranded as ETEC) and Adaptive3D [5].
In a separate digital rebranding project, the agency BASIC/DEPT (now DEPT) was engaged to redesign Desktop Metal’s website and elevate its existing brand with a digital-first approach. The agency developed a comprehensive visual language and a type and color system “inspired by technical ephemera” to create a familiar aesthetic that demands trust [6]. The project was described as “elevating and codifying the existing brand” rather than creating a new logo [7].
Typography and Design
Documented details about the Desktop Metal wordmark’s typography are limited. The company’s brand guidelines, referenced by the creative agency Toolbox Creative, govern the creation of cohesive brand and product assets across the Desktop Metal portfolio [5]. The DEPT case study notes that the design system developed for Desktop Metal’s digital presence uses a “familiar type and color system inspired by technical ephemera,” though specific typeface names and color values have not been publicly documented [7].
No public source identifies the original designer or agency responsible for creating the Desktop Metal wordmark. The logo has remained visually consistent since the company’s founding, with the red and white presentation on equipment serving as the most verifiable color application [2].
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