--- title: "Brand Guidelines: What to Include, Checklist and Template" description: "What a brand book must specify, section by section, with real examples from Spotify, Mailchimp and two governments, a checklist and a template to copy." url: "https://dardo.studio/en/blog/brand-guidelines/" language: "en" translations: {"es":"https://dardo.studio/es/blog/manual-de-marca/","pt":"https://dardo.studio/pt/blog/manual-de-marca/"} updated: "2026-10-17T23:56:10.071Z" --- [Blog](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/) # Brand guidelines: what to include, section by section, with a checklist, a template and real examples Logo rules with clear space and minimum sizes, colours for screen and print with tested contrast, licensed type, voice with examples, templates and an owner. By [Nicolás Cerón](https://dardo.studio/en/nicolas-ceron/) ·October 17, 2026 ![A large loom in a dim mill at night, its blue-grey threads held together by a single crimson thread running through the weave.](https://dardo.studio/_astro/01M564FNATC013K88R9J96E4JH_FDYnq.webp) ## Key takeaways - Good brand guidelines specify measurable rules: clear space as a unit of the logo itself, minimum sizes in pixels and millimetres, and every colour in HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone. - Logo colours are often not text colours: in Brazil's federal palette, the yellow reaches 1.47:1 and the green 2.10:1 against white, below WCAG's 4.5:1 for body text. - Font licences are part of the guidelines: commercial foundries license desktop, web, app and advertising use separately, often priced by users, page views or impressions. - Voice stays constant while tone changes with the reader's situation; write examples of both, in each language you publish in, rather than adjectives alone. - Every guideline needs a named owner and a change process; the Brazilian government's design system requires new colours to be tested for accessibility and approved first. ## The short answer Brand guidelines (a brand book, or brand standards) must turn your identity into rules someone else can follow without asking you. At minimum they specify: - **Logo:** the versions, clear space measured in a unit of the logo itself, minimum sizes in pixels and millimetres, and what not to do. - **Colour:** every colour in HEX and RGB for screens and CMYK and Pantone for print, plus the colour pairs that pass contrast for text. - **Typography:** typefaces, weights and sizes, fallbacks, and the licences you own. - **Imagery, voice and tone, templates, digital and motion rules, co-branding**, and a named owner who keeps the guide current. Keep it as short as the rules allow. If more than a few people or agencies use it, publish it as a web page rather than a PDF, and if developers build product screens from it, connect it to a design system. ## What the guidelines are for Guidelines exist so that a decision made once isn't made again by every designer, agency, developer and partner who touches the brand. Write them for those people: they need answers ("Can I put the logo on this photo?", "Which blue for links?"), not the story of the brand. You don't need 80 pages. A business with one designer and a website can cover the essentials in a few pages. What matters is that each rule is specific enough to check: "leave generous space around the logo" can't be checked; "clear space equal to half the icon's height" can. ## The sections, and what each must specify ### Logo - **Versions.** The full logo, a compact mark or icon, and one-colour versions in black and white, with the backgrounds each may sit on. - **Clear space.** Define it with a unit taken from the logo, so it scales. Spotify's [design guidelines](https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/design) set an exclusion zone equal to half the height of its icon. Brazil's federal government [brand manual](https://www.gov.br/secom/pt-br/arquivos/2301-jan%5Fgovbr%5Fmanual-de-marca-rgb%5Fv2%5Fsml.pdf) uses x, the thickness of the letter I in BRASIL. - **Minimum size, for screen and print.** Spotify: the full logo never smaller than 70 px on screen or 20 mm in print, the icon never below 21 px or 6 mm. Brazil: 200 px or 3.5 cm wide, with a reduced version down to 110 px or 2.7 cm for exceptional cases. - **Misuse.** Show what not to do. Brazil's manual lists nine: don't rotate, distort, recolour, merge shapes, use as a watermark, move the elements, frame, change the lettering or place it straight onto busy backgrounds. - **Files.** Vector (SVG, PDF) and raster (PNG) files for each version, light and dark, plus a favicon that still reads at small sizes. ### Colour Give every colour a name, a role and its values for each medium. Brazil's manual gives HEX, RGB and CMYK for all seven of its colours and a Pantone reference for six; its green, for instance, is #00D000, R0 G208 B0, C88 M0 Y100 K0 and PANTONE 354C. Then say how much of each to use, which colours go together, and what changes in dark mode. The part most brand books skip is contrast. Colours chosen for a logo are often unreadable as text. We measured Brazil's federal palette against white using the [WCAG 2.2](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/) contrast formula (body text needs 4.5:1; large text and interface components 3:1): | Colour in Brazil's brand manual | HEX | Contrast on white | Usable on white for | | ------------------------------- | ------- | ----------------- | ----------------------------------- | | Amarelo-Sol (yellow) | #FFD000 | 1.47:1 | Decoration only | | Verde-Amazônia (green) | #00D000 | 2.10:1 | Decoration only | | Vermelho-Urucum (red) | #FF0000 | 4.00:1 | Large text and icons, not body text | | Azul-Atlântico (blue) | #183EFF | 6.62:1 | Any text | | Cinza-Harpia (grey) | #3C3C3C | 11.03:1 | Any text | That isn't a flaw in the manual, which governs the logo. It's why the government's [gov.br design system](https://www.gov.br/ds/fundamentos-visuais/cores) uses its own values for screens: #333333 for text on light backgrounds (12.63:1 by our calculation) and #1351B4 for links and interactive elements (7.33:1). Your guidelines should list the approved text and background pairs, so nobody has to calculate. The [U.S. Web Design System](https://designsystem.digital.gov/design-tokens/color/overview/) shows a way to build this in. It grades every colour from 0 (white) to 100 (black), and a difference of 50 or more between two grades, its "magic number", gives WCAG AA contrast for text. ### Typography - **Typefaces and roles.** Which family for headings, body text and data, in which weights, with a size scale and line heights. - **Fallbacks.** What to use where the brand font can't load. Brazil's manual allows only the Rawline family and names Verdana for web use when Rawline isn't available. - **Language coverage.** Check that the fonts draw every character you need: ñ, ç and accented capitals for Spanish and Portuguese. - **Licences.** Fonts under the [SIL Open Font License](https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/) can be used, embedded and redistributed free of charge, but not sold on their own. Commercial fonts are licensed by use: Klim Type Foundry's [licences](https://klim.co.nz/licences/), for example, price desktop use by number of users, websites by page views or unique users, apps by monthly active users or downloads and advertising by impressions, and email templates need a web licence. Write down which licences you hold and whether agencies and freelancers may use your files or need their own. ### Imagery and illustration Say what photos show (real people and places, or products in context), how they're lit, cropped and colour-treated, and what to avoid. Do the same for illustration and icons: one style, one stroke weight, one icon set. Add the rules for rights and credits, and for alt text: who writes it and how it describes the image. ### Voice and tone Mailchimp's [content style guide](https://styleguide.mailchimp.com/voice-and-tone/) draws the distinction most guides miss: the voice stays the same, while the tone changes with the reader's situation. Someone who is confused or upset gets a different tone from someone celebrating a finished campaign. Specify: - three or four voice traits, each with what it means and what it doesn't; - words you use and words you avoid, including how the brand name is written and said (if the name is new, [how to name a business](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/how-to-name-a-business/) covers the checks it should pass first); - before-and-after examples for the situations you write in most: a homepage line, an error message, a sales email, a reply to a complaint; - rules for each language. A tone written in English needs its own examples in Spanish or Portuguese, written by a native speaker, not translated line by line. ### Layouts and templates Define the grid, margins and where the logo sits, then ship editable templates for the documents people make most: proposals, slide decks, social posts, email signatures and invoices. Brazil's manual even specifies how ministries build a joint signature with the government's mark: Rawline Semibold and Black, with line spacing equal to the font size, and pre-built files to use instead of redrawing. ### Digital: interface components and accessibility For websites and products, the guidelines hand over to design tokens and components. State the token names for colour, type, spacing and radius, and point to the component library. If you keep tokens in files, use the Design Tokens Community Group's [format](https://www.designtokens.org/tr/2025.10/format/), published on 28 October 2025 as a final community group report; it isn't a W3C Standard, but it's the shared format design tools are converging on. Write the accessibility rules into the components: text contrast of at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text), 3:1 for the visual parts of controls and meaningful graphics, and colour never the only way to convey information (WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.3, 1.4.11 and 1.4.1). The gov.br design system sets AA as its minimum and requires any new colour to be tested for accessibility and approved by the design system team before use. ### Motion and sound Specify durations and easing, how the logo animates, and what appears in video. Brazil's manual keeps the government mark in the top right corner of videos at 70% transparency until the closing card, and gives a spoken signature for radio spots. On screens, follow WCAG 2.2: anything that moves automatically for more than five seconds needs a way to pause it (2.2.2), nothing flashes more than three times a second (2.3.1), and honouring the operating system's [reduced-motion setting](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/At-rules/@media/prefers-reduced-motion) is the usual way to meet the AAA criterion for animation triggered by interaction (2.3.3). ### Co-branding and partners Say how your logo sits next to a partner's: relative size, spacing, divider, order, and who approves. If you integrate with platforms, include their rules too: Spotify requires partners to attribute its content with its logo or icon and not to place their own logo on album artwork. Governments do this by regulation. In Colombia, public entities' websites must carry a GOV.CO bar on every page that links to the national portal, under MinTIC's [Resolución 2893 de 2020](https://normograma.mintic.gov.co/mintic/compilacion/docs/resolucion%5Fmintic%5F2893%5F2020.htm). ### Languages If you publish in more than one language, say which version of the logo, tagline and signature to use where. Brazil's manual uses the language of the piece and, for multilingual pieces, the language of the country where it's distributed. ## The checklist | Section | Must specify | Done when | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | Logo | Versions, clear space unit, minimum sizes in px and mm, misuse | A designer can place it without asking | | Colour | Name, role, HEX, RGB, CMYK, Pantone; proportions; dark mode | Every text and background pair is marked pass or fail | | Typography | Families, weights, scale, fallbacks, language coverage | Licences cover desktop, web, app and ads as used | | Imagery | Subjects, treatment, crops, icons, rights, alt text | A freelancer could shoot or source images to brief | | Voice and tone | Traits, word list, examples per situation and language | Two writers produce copy that sounds alike | | Templates | Grid, logo placement, editable files | The most-used documents exist as templates | | Digital | Tokens, components, accessibility rules | Components meet WCAG 2.2 AA contrast and focus | | Motion and sound | Durations, easing, logo animation, video, audio | Reduced motion is respected | | Co-branding | Lockups, sizing, approvals, platform rules | Partners have a one-page summary | | Ownership | Owner, version, changelog, file location | Old files are archived | ## PDF, living site or design system? | Format | Good for | Weak spot | What it costs (read 17 October 2026) | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | PDF | Small teams, printers, sending to an agency | Goes stale; old copies circulate | Your time | | Page on your own site or wiki | One link everyone can find | Needs someone to keep it current | Your time | | Brand guidelines platform | Several teams and agencies, asset downloads | Another subscription | [Standards](https://standards.site/pricing/): Pro from USD 40 a month, two seats included, extra seats from USD 20 a month. [Frontify](https://www.frontify.com/en/pricing): no published prices; quotes are based on monthly active users | | Design system documentation | Product teams with designers and developers | Needs ongoing maintenance | [zeroheight](https://zeroheight.com/pricing/): free for one editor; Starter USD 59 per editor a month, or USD 49 billed yearly. [Figma](https://www.figma.com/pricing/) shared libraries: Professional full seats from USD 16 a month; Organization USD 55 a month per full seat, billed annually | Most companies outgrow the PDF when a second team or agency starts producing work. A design system is a separate, larger project: worth it when several people build interface screens from the same parts, overkill for one marketing site. Our [design systems](https://dardo.studio/en/services/design-systems/) page explains when it pays off. ## Who maintains it Name one owner with the authority to approve exceptions. Give the guide a version number and a changelog, keep the approved files in one shared folder and archive the old ones, and review it whenever you add a channel, product or language. Changes should follow a process: the gov.br rule, test first and approve before use, works for any team. ## A template you can copy ```txt 1. Introduction: who this guide is for, the owner, version and date 2. Logo: versions, clear space, minimum sizes, backgrounds, misuse, files 3. Colour: palette with HEX, RGB, CMYK, Pantone; roles; approved contrast pairs 4. Typography: families, weights, scale, fallbacks, licences 5. Imagery: photography, illustration, icons, rights, alt text 6. Voice and tone: traits, word list, examples by situation and language 7. Layouts and templates: grid, logo placement, links to editable files 8. Digital: tokens, components, accessibility rules, link to the design system 9. Motion and sound: durations, easing, logo animation, video and audio 10. Co-branding: partner lockups, approvals, platform rules 11. Changelog and contacts ``` ## What to do next Check your palette's contrast pairs with our [WCAG 2.2 checklist](https://dardo.studio/en/tools/wcag-2-2-checklist/) before you finalise the colour section. If the guidelines are part of a rebrand, our [rebrand launch checklist](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/brand-launch-checklist/) covers the rollout, and if you're still choosing between a full rebrand and a refresh, read [rebrand or brand refresh](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/rebrand-vs-brand-refresh/). Dardo delivers usage rules and templates as part of [brand creation](https://dardo.studio/en/services/brand-creation/) and [logo design](https://dardo.studio/en/services/logo-design/). ## Common questions **What should brand guidelines include?** At minimum: logo versions, clear space, minimum sizes and misuse; colours with screen and print values and approved contrast pairs; typefaces with licences and fallbacks; imagery rules; voice and tone with examples; templates for the most-used documents; digital and motion rules; co-branding; and who owns the guide. **How many pages should a brand book have?** As few as the rules need. A small business can cover its logo, colour, type and voice in a handful of pages; a company with products, partners and several languages needs more, often as a website rather than a PDF. Length isn't the measure: people finding the answer they need quickly is. **What is the difference between brand guidelines and a design system?** Brand guidelines tell anyone how to represent the brand in any medium. A design system turns the digital part into reusable interface components and design tokens shared by designers and developers. Product teams usually need both, with the design system inheriting colour, type and voice from the guidelines. **Should brand guidelines be a PDF or a website?** A PDF works for a small team and for sending to printers and agencies, but it goes stale and gets copied. A web page or a guidelines platform can be updated in one place and linked. If developers use it, connect it to a design system and code. **Who should maintain brand guidelines?** One named owner, usually in marketing or design, with the authority to approve exceptions and changes. Version the guide, keep a changelog, archive old files so nobody uses them, and review it when you launch a new channel, product or language. **Do I need font licences for my brand fonts?** Yes, unless the fonts are open source. Fonts under the SIL Open Font License can be used, embedded and redistributed free of charge but not sold on their own. Commercial fonts are licensed per use, such as desktop, web, app or advertising, so the guidelines should say which licences you own and who may use them. ## Sources & further reading Sources behind this page, with further detail from the original publishers. - [Spotify for Developers: Design guidelines](https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/design) · developer.spotify.com - [Secom, Presidência da República: Manual de uso da marca do Governo Federal, v1.1 (January 2023, PDF)](https://www.gov.br/secom/pt-br/arquivos/2301-jan%5Fgovbr%5Fmanual-de-marca-rgb%5Fv2%5Fsml.pdf) · gov.br - [Governo Federal: Padrão Digital de Governo (gov.br Design System), Cores](https://www.gov.br/ds/fundamentos-visuais/cores) · gov.br - [U.S. Web Design System: Color](https://designsystem.digital.gov/design-tokens/color/overview/) · designsystem.digital.gov - [W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/) · w3.org - [Mailchimp Content Style Guide: Voice and tone](https://styleguide.mailchimp.com/voice-and-tone/) · styleguide.mailchimp.com - [SIL: Open Font License, official text](https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/) · openfontlicense.org - [Klim Type Foundry: Font licences](https://klim.co.nz/licences/) · klim.co.nz - [MinTIC Colombia: Resolución 2893 de 2020 (compiled text)](https://normograma.mintic.gov.co/mintic/compilacion/docs/resolucion%5Fmintic%5F2893%5F2020.htm) · normograma.mintic.gov.co - [Design Tokens Community Group: Design Tokens Format Module 2025.10](https://www.designtokens.org/tr/2025.10/format/) · designtokens.org - [MDN: prefers-reduced-motion](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/At-rules/@media/prefers-reduced-motion) · developer.mozilla.org - [zeroheight: Pricing](https://zeroheight.com/pricing/) · zeroheight.com - [Standards: Pricing](https://standards.site/pricing/) · standards.site - [Frontify: Pricing](https://www.frontify.com/en/pricing) · frontify.com - [Figma: Plans and pricing](https://www.figma.com/pricing/) · figma.com [Nicolás Cerón](https://dardo.studio/en/nicolas-ceron/) Nicolás Cerón is the founder of Dardo, a brand, web design and development studio in Bogotá, Colombia. ## Related articles - [**How to name a business: a step-by-step process, from naming brief to trademark search**Write a naming brief, explore territories, pick a strong type of name, then check language, domains and trademarks in every market before you test it.](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/how-to-name-a-business/) - [**Rebrand launch checklist: brand rollout and website go-live, phase by phase**A launch checklist for a new website and a new or changed brand: what to finish weeks before, in launch week, on launch day and in the 30 days after.](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/brand-launch-checklist/) - [**How much does brand identity design cost? Published packages, guidelines prices and timelines (2026)**Published US brand identity packages ran USD 1,299–13,000 without strategy and USD 8,000–40,000+ with it. Tiers, guidelines prices and timelines.](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/brand-identity-cost/) - [**Rebrand vs brand refresh: how to decide, what changes in each, and how to keep the recognition you've earned**Refresh when the strategy still works but the look doesn't; rebrand when the business, name or structure has changed. A signal table, examples and a workshop.](https://dardo.studio/en/blog/rebrand-vs-brand-refresh/) ## Keep exploring. - [Service · **Brand creation and identity design for new businesses**](https://dardo.studio/en/services/brand-creation/) - [Your project · **Start a conversation**](https://dardo.studio/en/contact/)