You invested in a logo, colours and fonts. Six months later, a printer stretches the logo, a new staff member uses the wrong blue, and your Instagram looks like three different companies. A brand style guide prevents this, and a small business only needs a few pages.
1. Your brand in one paragraph
Start with who you are, who you serve and what makes you different. Add your three personality words. Everyone who uses the guide should understand the “why” before the rules.
2. Logo rules
- The main logo and any alternative versions, such as horizontal, stacked or icon only.
- Versions for light and dark backgrounds.
- Minimum size and the clear space to leave around it.
- A few clear “don’ts”: no stretching, recolouring, shadows or busy backgrounds.
3. Colours
List every brand colour with its codes: HEX for screens, RGB for digital, CMYK for print. Show which is the main colour and roughly how much of each to use, so the palette stays balanced.
4. Typography
Name your heading and body fonts, where to download them, and the sizes and weights to use for titles, subtitles and paragraphs. Include a fallback font for when the main one isn’t available, for example in email.
5. Imagery
Describe the kind of photos and illustrations that fit your brand: natural or studio light, people or products, bright or muted. Include three good examples and one that doesn’t fit.
6. Voice
Add your voice traits with their “but not” limits, plus a few before-and-after examples of real messages.
7. Templates
The fastest way to stay consistent is to never start from a blank page. Link to ready-made templates for social posts, business cards, letterheads, invoices and presentations.
Make it easy to find
Save the guide as a PDF and keep it in one shared place with your logo files and templates. Send the link to every designer, printer and staff member who creates anything for your business. Review it once a year and update it when your business changes.
A clear guide turns your brand from something you have to police into something everyone can use correctly.
Need a brand guide for your business? Get in touch.