A Complete Guide to Making Sure Your Files are Always Set Up Properly

Too often, designers deliver an unfinished product when it comes to logo and branding development. I have seen many a logos come across my own computer screen that a client had received from a past designer. Rarely is the logo in a usable format, often times being too low resolution, pixelated when being used for print or sometimes where fonts are not outlined and the logo does not render properly.

If you are a freelance designer, small design studio or large marketing firm, you have an obligation to supply your client with clean, proper files and concise documentation. It’s the very reason a business decided to consult with a professional in the first place. In addition to this, you must produce brand artwork that fulfills multiple criteria.

Listed below you will find one tool I use as a branding guideline, or checklist if you will. If followed properly, you can use these criteria to produce a thorough, well-thought out logo, brand and usage guideline. This isn’t the only guideline you will ever need though, rather a strong base in order to help get you started.

Final Project Deliverables

• Official, full-color logo
• All additional logo artwork needed for print usage
• All additional logo artwork needed for online usage
• All artwork in industry standard formats including Vector, .JPG, .GIF and .PNG formats
• Digital and printed usage and brand style guide with all guidelines and instructions used to outline and create any image associated with the client brand and image

Brand Naming and Media Guideline

• “Official” Approved Brand Name
• “Official” Approved Formal Name
• “Official” Approved Common Name
• “Official” Approved Nickname
• “Official” Approved Contact for all Brand, Naming, Media and Marketing Approvals
• “Official” Approved Family Brand Name Extension Guideline
• “Official” Approved Media/PR/Marketing Naming, Branding, Brandmark and Additional Associated Approved Image Reference Guideline
• “Official” Approved tagline usage, if any
• “Official” Approved URL display usage and reference
• “Official” Approved Social Media Affiliated Sites
• “Official” Approved Social Media Usage, Display Reference Media and PR Reference Guideline
• “Official” Approved Name Usage Guideline
• “Official” Approved Mark Usage Guideline
• “Official” Approved Owner/Operator Reference Guideline
• “Official” Approved Phone Greeting Reference Guideline

Brand Mark Usage Guideline

• “Official” Approved Full Color Mark Display
• “Official” Approved Full Color Mark Alternatives
• “Official” Approved Mark/Family Extensions
• “Official” Approved One Color Mark Display
• “Official” Approved Reversed Color Display Usage

Brand Color Usage Guideline

• “Official” Approved Full Color (CMYK) Usage Reference
• “Official” Approved RGB Color Usage Reference
• “Official” Approved Web Safe Color Usage Reference
• “Official” Approved PMS Spot Color Usage Reference”Official” Approved One Color Usage Reference Brand Typeface Usage Guideline
• “Official” Approved Logomark Typeface Usage
• “Official” Approved Tagline Typeface Usage
• “Official” Approved Online Web Typeface Usage

Brand Mark Appearance, Display and Treatment Guideline

• “Official” Approved Misuse and Improper Alteration Guideline Reference
• “Official” Approved Stay-Away Zone of Mark Display Usage
• “Official” Approved Minimum Display Size Usage and Variations
• “Official” Approved Tagline Display Integration Guideline Graphic Elements Usage Guideline
• “Official” Approved themed graphic elements intended for use in accompany with and and all brand marketing

Stationary Design Set up and Guideline

• “Official” Approved Letterhead Design Guideline
• “Official” Approved Business Card Design Guideline
• “Official” Approved Standard #10 Envelope Design Guideline
• “Official” Approved Presentation Folder Design Guideline
• “Official” Approved Email Logo Signature Display Guideline