Hexagonal Package Logo Creation

This skill covers creating professional hexagonal package logos using the hexSticker package. Hex logos are the standard branding for R packages, featured on package websites, GitHub repos, and CRAN pages.

Rules

1. Standard dimensions: 5.08cm x 4.39cm (2 x 1.73 inches) for consistency
2. Use hexSticker package for proper proportions and formatting
3. Generate with script in man/figures/generate_logo.R (reproducible)
4. Exclude script from build via .Rbuildignore
5. Output both PNG and SVG formats (PNG for README, SVG for print)
6. Use Google Fonts with showtext for custom typography
7. Match package identity with appropriate colors and imagery
8. Keep it simple - logos should work at small sizes
9. Add to README with proper alignment and alt text
10. Version control logos (commit PNG/SVG, not temporary files)

Installation and Setup

Required Packages

# Install hexSticker and dependencies
install.packages("hexSticker")
install.packages("showtext")  # For Google Fonts
install.packages("ggplot2")   # For custom plots
install.packages("magick")    # For image manipulation

# Load packages
library(hexSticker)
library(showtext)
library(ggplot2)

Standard Hex Dimensions

Official Specifications

• Width: 5.08 cm (2 inches)
• Height: 4.39 cm (1.73 inches)
• Aspect ratio: ~1.15:1
• DPI: 300 for print, 72 for web (hexSticker uses default appropriate for each)

These are set automatically by hexSticker.

Basic Hex Sticker Creation

Minimal Example (Text Only)

library(hexSticker)

sticker(
  # Required: subplot (can be empty plot)
  subplot = ~ plot.new(),
  # Package name
  package = "mypackage",
  # Package name styling
  p_size = 20,           # Font size
  p_color = "#FFFFFF",   # White text
  # Hex styling
  h_fill = "#0054AD",    # Fill color
  h_color = "#000000",   # Border color
  # Output
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png"
)

With Image Subplot

library(hexSticker)

# Using an existing image
img_path <- "man/figures/icon.png"

sticker(
  subplot = img_path,
  s_x = 1,               # Center horizontally
  s_y = 0.75,            # Position vertically
  s_width = 0.6,         # Image width
  s_height = 0.6,        # Image height
  package = "mypackage",
  p_size = 20,
  p_y = 1.45,            # Position below image
  p_color = "#FFFFFF",
  h_fill = "#0054AD",
  h_color = "#000000",
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png"
)

With ggplot2 Subplot

library(hexSticker)
library(ggplot2)

# Create a plot
p <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(mpg, wt)) +
  geom_point(color = "white", size = 2) +
  theme_void() +
  theme_transparent()

# Create sticker
sticker(
  subplot = p,
  s_x = 1,
  s_y = 0.85,
  s_width = 1.3,
  s_height = 1,
  package = "mypackage",
  p_size = 20,
  p_y = 1.5,
  p_color = "#FFFFFF",
  h_fill = "#0054AD",
  h_color = "#FFFFFF",
  h_size = 1.5,
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png",
  dpi = 300
)

Google Fonts Integration

Using showtext for Custom Fonts

library(hexSticker)
library(showtext)

# Add Google Fonts
font_add_google("Fira Sans", "firasans")
font_add_google("Fira Code", "firacode")

# Enable showtext
showtext_auto()

# Create sticker with custom font
sticker(
  subplot = ~ plot.new(),
  package = "mypackage",
  p_size = 24,
  p_family = "firasans",       # Use Google Font
  p_fontface = "bold",
  p_color = "#FFFFFF",
  h_fill = "#0054AD",
  h_color = "#000000",
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png",
  dpi = 300
)

Popular Font Combinations

# Modern and clean
font_add_google("Inter", "inter")
font_add_google("JetBrains Mono", "jetbrains")

# Professional
font_add_google("Roboto", "roboto")
font_add_google("Roboto Slab", "robotoslab")

# Friendly
font_add_google("Nunito", "nunito")
font_add_google("Quicksand", "quicksand")

# Technical
font_add_google("Fira Sans", "firasans")
font_add_google("Fira Code", "firacode")

# Elegant
font_add_google("Lato", "lato")
font_add_google("Merriweather", "merriweather")

# Bold/Impact
font_add_google("Montserrat", "montserrat")
font_add_google("Bebas Neue", "bebas")

Complete Generation Script Template

man/figures/generate_logo.R

#!/usr/bin/env Rscript

# Hex sticker generation script for mypackage
# Run this script to regenerate the package logo

# Load required packages
library(hexSticker)
library(showtext)
library(ggplot2)

# Configuration
PACKAGE_NAME <- "mypackage"
OUTPUT_DIR <- "man/figures"

# Ensure output directory exists
if (!dir.exists(OUTPUT_DIR)) {
  dir.create(OUTPUT_DIR, recursive = TRUE)
}

# Add and configure fonts
font_add_google("Fira Sans", "firasans")
showtext_auto()

# Color scheme (adjust to match your package theme)
FILL_COLOR <- "#0054AD"      # Primary brand color
BORDER_COLOR <- "#000000"    # Black border
TEXT_COLOR <- "#FFFFFF"      # White text
ACCENT_COLOR <- "#FFA500"    # Orange accent

# Option 1: Text-only logo
# Uncomment to use
# sticker(
#   subplot = ~ plot.new(),
#   package = PACKAGE_NAME,
#   p_size = 24,
#   p_family = "firasans",
#   p_fontface = "bold",
#   p_color = TEXT_COLOR,
#   p_y = 1,
#   h_fill = FILL_COLOR,
#   h_color = BORDER_COLOR,
#   h_size = 1.5,
#   filename = file.path(OUTPUT_DIR, "logo.png"),
#   dpi = 300
# )

# Option 2: Logo with ggplot2 visualization
# Create a representative plot
set.seed(123)
plot_data <- data.frame(
  x = rnorm(100),
  y = rnorm(100)
)

p <- ggplot(plot_data, aes(x, y)) +
  geom_point(color = TEXT_COLOR, alpha = 0.6, size = 1.5) +
  geom_density_2d(color = ACCENT_COLOR, size = 0.8) +
  theme_void() +
  theme_transparent() +
  theme(
    legend.position = "none",
    panel.background = element_rect(fill = "transparent", color = NA),
    plot.background = element_rect(fill = "transparent", color = NA)
  )

# Create sticker with plot
sticker(
  subplot = p,
  s_x = 1,
  s_y = 0.85,
  s_width = 1.4,
  s_height = 1.1,
  package = PACKAGE_NAME,
  p_size = 20,
  p_family = "firasans",
  p_fontface = "bold",
  p_color = TEXT_COLOR,
  p_y = 1.5,
  h_fill = FILL_COLOR,
  h_color = BORDER_COLOR,
  h_size = 1.5,
  url = "github.com/username/mypackage",
  u_size = 3.5,
  u_color = TEXT_COLOR,
  u_family = "firasans",
  filename = file.path(OUTPUT_DIR, "logo.png"),
  dpi = 300
)

# Also generate SVG version
sticker(
  subplot = p,
  s_x = 1,
  s_y = 0.85,
  s_width = 1.4,
  s_height = 1.1,
  package = PACKAGE_NAME,
  p_size = 20,
  p_family = "firasans",
  p_fontface = "bold",
  p_color = TEXT_COLOR,
  p_y = 1.5,
  h_fill = FILL_COLOR,
  h_color = BORDER_COLOR,
  h_size = 1.5,
  url = "github.com/username/mypackage",
  u_size = 3.5,
  u_color = TEXT_COLOR,
  u_family = "firasans",
  filename = file.path(OUTPUT_DIR, "logo.svg")
)

message("Logo generated successfully:")
message("  PNG: ", file.path(OUTPUT_DIR, "logo.png"))
message("  SVG: ", file.path(OUTPUT_DIR, "logo.svg"))

Make Script Executable

chmod +x man/figures/generate_logo.R

Exclude from Package Build

Add to .Rbuildignore:

^man/figures/generate_logo\.R$

Or use usethis:

usethis::use_build_ignore("man/figures/generate_logo.R")

Comprehensive Parameter Reference

sticker() Parameters

Subplot Parameters

• subplot: Image path, ggplot object, or expression (required)
• s_x: Horizontal position (default: 1, center)
• s_y: Vertical position (default: 0.75)
• s_width: Width scaling (default: 0.4)
• s_height: Height scaling (default: 0.4)

Package Name Parameters

• package: Package name string
• p_x: Horizontal position (default: 1, center)
• p_y: Vertical position (default: 1.4, bottom)
• p_size: Font size (default: 8)
• p_color: Text color (default: "#FFFFFF")
• p_family: Font family (default: "sans")
• p_fontface: Font face: "plain", "bold", "italic", "bold.italic"

Hex Parameters

• h_fill: Fill color (default: "#1881C2")
• h_color: Border color (default: "#87B13F")
• h_size: Border width (default: 1.2)

Spotlight/White Space Parameters

• spotlight: Add spotlight effect (default: FALSE)
• l_x: Spotlight horizontal position
• l_y: Spotlight vertical position
• l_width: Spotlight width
• l_height: Spotlight height
• l_alpha: Spotlight transparency (0-1)

URL Parameters

• url: URL text to display at bottom
• u_x: URL horizontal position (default: 1)
• u_y: URL vertical position (default: 0.08)
• u_size: URL font size (default: 1.5)
• u_color: URL text color (default: "black")
• u_family: URL font family
• u_angle: URL text angle (default: 30)

Output Parameters

• filename: Output file path (required)
• dpi: Resolution for PNG (default: 300)
• asp: Aspect ratio override (usually omit)

Color Scheme Guidelines

Choosing Colors

Brand colors: Match your organization/project colors

Contrast: Ensure text is readable on background

Color theory:

• Complementary: Opposite on color wheel (high contrast)
• Analogous: Adjacent on color wheel (harmonious)
• Triadic: Three evenly spaced colors (balanced)

Color Palette Examples

# Tidyverse style (blue and green)
h_fill = "#1881C2"
h_color = "#87B13F"
p_color = "#FFFFFF"

# Professional blue
h_fill = "#0054AD"
h_color = "#003366"
p_color = "#FFFFFF"

# Bold red
h_fill = "#DC3545"
h_color = "#8B0000"
p_color = "#FFFFFF"

# Nature green
h_fill = "#28A745"
h_color = "#155724"
p_color = "#FFFFFF"

# Modern purple
h_fill = "#6F42C1"
h_color = "#3D1F6B"
p_color = "#FFFFFF"

# Warm orange
h_fill = "#FD7E14"
h_color = "#A04100"
p_color = "#FFFFFF"

# Monochrome
h_fill = "#212529"
h_color = "#000000"
p_color = "#FFFFFF"

# Light theme (dark border)
h_fill = "#F8F9FA"
h_color = "#000000"
p_color = "#212529"

Accessibility

Ensure sufficient contrast (WCAG AA standard: 4.5:1 for normal text):

# Good contrast examples
h_fill = "#0054AD"; p_color = "#FFFFFF"  # ✓ High contrast
h_fill = "#FFFFFF"; p_color = "#000000"  # ✓ High contrast

# Poor contrast (avoid)
h_fill = "#FFD700"; p_color = "#FFFFFF"  # ✗ Low contrast
h_fill = "#87CEEB"; p_color = "#FFFFFF"  # ✗ Low contrast

Advanced Examples

Logo with Custom Icon

library(hexSticker)
library(showtext)
library(magick)

# Load and prepare icon
icon <- image_read("man/figures/custom_icon.png")
icon <- image_transparent(icon, "white")  # Make background transparent
icon <- image_trim(icon)  # Remove whitespace
image_write(icon, "man/figures/icon_processed.png")

# Add font
font_add_google("Fira Sans", "firasans")
showtext_auto()

# Create sticker
sticker(
  subplot = "man/figures/icon_processed.png",
  s_x = 1,
  s_y = 0.85,
  s_width = 0.5,
  s_height = 0.5,
  package = "mypackage",
  p_size = 22,
  p_family = "firasans",
  p_fontface = "bold",
  p_color = "#FFFFFF",
  p_y = 1.45,
  h_fill = "#0054AD",
  h_color = "#003366",
  h_size = 1.5,
  url = "mypackage.com",
  u_size = 3,
  u_color = "#FFFFFF",
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png",
  dpi = 300
)

Logo with Spotlight Effect

library(hexSticker)

sticker(
  subplot = ~ plot.new(),
  package = "mypackage",
  p_size = 24,
  p_color = "#FFFFFF",
  p_y = 1,
  h_fill = "#0054AD",
  h_color = "#000000",
  spotlight = TRUE,
  l_x = 1,
  l_y = 0.8,
  l_width = 3,
  l_height = 3,
  l_alpha = 0.3,
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png"
)

Statistical Visualization Logo

library(hexSticker)
library(ggplot2)
library(showtext)

# Font setup
font_add_google("Roboto", "roboto")
showtext_auto()

# Create visualization
set.seed(42)
df <- data.frame(
  x = rep(1:10, each = 10),
  y = rep(1:10, times = 10),
  z = rnorm(100)
)

p <- ggplot(df, aes(x, y, fill = z)) +
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_gradient2(
    low = "#0054AD",
    mid = "#FFFFFF",
    high = "#DC3545",
    midpoint = 0
  ) +
  theme_void() +
  theme_transparent() +
  theme(legend.position = "none")

# Create sticker
sticker(
  subplot = p,
  s_x = 1,
  s_y = 0.8,
  s_width = 1.2,
  s_height = 1,
  package = "heatmapR",
  p_size = 18,
  p_family = "roboto",
  p_fontface = "bold",
  p_color = "#000000",
  p_y = 1.55,
  h_fill = "#F8F9FA",
  h_color = "#000000",
  h_size = 1.5,
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png",
  dpi = 300
)

Network Visualization Logo

library(hexSticker)
library(ggplot2)
library(ggraph)
library(igraph)
library(showtext)

# Font setup
font_add_google("Montserrat", "montserrat")
showtext_auto()

# Create network
set.seed(123)
g <- erdos.renyi.game(15, 0.3)

p <- ggraph(g, layout = "fr") +
  geom_edge_link(color = "white", alpha = 0.5, width = 0.5) +
  geom_node_point(color = "#FFA500", size = 3) +
  theme_void() +
  theme_transparent()

# Create sticker
sticker(
  subplot = p,
  s_x = 1,
  s_y = 0.85,
  s_width = 1.3,
  s_height = 1.1,
  package = "netanalysis",
  p_size = 16,
  p_family = "montserrat",
  p_fontface = "bold",
  p_color = "#FFFFFF",
  p_y = 1.5,
  h_fill = "#0054AD",
  h_color = "#000000",
  h_size = 1.5,
  filename = "man/figures/logo.png",
  dpi = 300
)

Adding Logo to README

Standard README Header

# mypackage <img src="man/figures/logo.png" align="right" height="139" alt="" />

<!-- badges: start -->
[![R-CMD-check](https://github.com/username/mypackage/actions/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/username/mypackage/actions/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml)
<!-- badges: end -->

Brief description of your package.

## Installation

You can install the development version of mypackage from GitHub:

```r
# install.packages("devtools")
devtools::install_github("username/mypackage")

**Height specification**: 139 pixels is standard (1/5 of typical hex height)

### Alternative: Center Logo

```markdown
<div align="center">
  <img src="man/figures/logo.png" width="200" alt="mypackage logo">
  <h1>mypackage</h1>
  <p>Brief tagline</p>
</div>

Common Pitfalls

1. Logo Not Showing on GitHub

Problem: Logo displays locally but not on GitHub

Fix:

• Commit logo files: git add man/figures/logo.png
• Use relative path: man/figures/logo.png (not absolute)
• Check file exists in repository

2. Poor Text Readability

Problem: Package name is hard to read at small sizes

Fix:

• Increase font size: p_size = 24 or higher
• Use bold font: p_fontface = "bold"
• Ensure high contrast between text and background
• Avoid decorative fonts for package name

3. Image Subplot Off-Center

Problem: Icon or plot is positioned incorrectly

Fix: Adjust position parameters:

s_x = 1     # Center horizontally (0.5-1.5 range)
s_y = 0.85  # Adjust vertical position (0.5-1.5 range)

Experiment with values to find optimal placement.

4. Fonts Not Rendering

Problem: Google Fonts don't appear in output

Fix:

# Ensure showtext is loaded and enabled
library(showtext)
showtext_auto()

# Add font BEFORE creating sticker
font_add_google("Font Name", "fontid")

# Use correct font family ID
p_family = "fontid"  # Not "Font Name"

5. SVG Export Issues

Problem: SVG file has rendering problems

Fix:

• Some complex ggplot2 features don't export well to SVG
• Simplify plot (reduce transparency, gradients)
• Or stick with PNG for complex visualizations

6. Large File Size

Problem: PNG file is >500 KB

Fix:

# After creating logo, optimize
library(magick)
logo <- image_read("man/figures/logo.png")
logo <- image_resize(logo, "1024x")  # Resize if too large
logo <- image_write(logo, "man/figures/logo.png", quality = 85)

7. Colors Look Different on Web

Problem: Colors appear different on different screens

Fix:

• Use web-safe colors
• Test on multiple devices
• Use hex color codes consistently
• Avoid very saturated colors

8. Logo Dimensions Wrong

Problem: Logo is squashed or stretched

Fix: Don't override aspect ratio - hexSticker handles this automatically. Remove any asp parameter.

9. URL Text Unreadable

Problem: URL at bottom is too small or angled

Fix:

u_size = 4      # Increase size
u_angle = 0     # Make horizontal
u_color = "#FFFFFF"  # Ensure contrast

10. Subplot Cuts Off

Problem: Image or plot is clipped at edges

Fix:

s_width = 0.5   # Reduce width
s_height = 0.5  # Reduce height
# Add padding in original image/plot

Automation and Reproducibility

Makefile Integration

Create Makefile:

.PHONY: logo clean

logo:
	Rscript man/figures/generate_logo.R

clean:
	rm -f man/figures/logo.png man/figures/logo.svg

Usage:

make logo   # Generate logo
make clean  # Remove generated files

GitHub Actions

Add to .github/workflows/logo.yaml:

name: Update Logo

on:
  push:
    paths:
      - 'man/figures/generate_logo.R'

jobs:
  update-logo:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r@v2
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: |
          install.packages(c("hexSticker", "showtext", "ggplot2"))
        shell: Rscript {0}
      - name: Generate logo
        run: Rscript man/figures/generate_logo.R
      - name: Commit logo
        run: |
          git config user.name "GitHub Actions"
          git config user.email "actions@github.com"
          git add man/figures/logo.png man/figures/logo.svg
          git commit -m "Update logo" || echo "No changes"
          git push

Logo Variations

Different Output Sizes

# Standard size (for README)
sticker(..., filename = "man/figures/logo.png", dpi = 300)

# Large size (for print)
sticker(..., filename = "man/figures/logo_large.png", dpi = 600)

# Thumbnail (for website favicon)
library(magick)
img <- image_read("man/figures/logo.png")
img_thumb <- image_resize(img, "256x256")
image_write(img_thumb, "man/figures/logo_256.png")

White Border Version

# Black background version
sticker(..., h_fill = "#000000", p_color = "#FFFFFF")

# White background version
sticker(..., h_fill = "#FFFFFF", p_color = "#000000", h_color = "#000000")

Creating a professional hex logo enhances your package's visibility and brand recognition!