A brand style guide makes sure your business looks the same everywhere: website, invoices, social posts, packaging and signs. Large companies have long ones. A small business can start with one or two pages.
Why it matters
Consistency builds recognition. When your posts, emails and shop sign share the same colours and fonts, people learn to recognise you without reading the name. It also saves time: nobody has to guess which green or which font each time.
What to include
- Your logo, its versions and how to use it.
- Your colours, with exact codes.
- Your fonts, and where each one is used.
- The style of images and photos you use.
- How you write, in a few rules.
A one-page template
Logo
- Main version: [file], for most uses.
- Simplified mark: [file], for small spaces such as profile pictures.
- Leave clear space around the logo, at least [amount] on each side.
- Do not stretch, recolour or add effects.
Colours
- Main: [name], HEX [code]
- Secondary: [name], HEX [code]
- Background: [name], HEX [code]
- Use for alerts or status only: [name], HEX [code]
Fonts
- Headings: [font name]
- Body text: [font name]
- Fallback when unavailable: [font name]
Images
- Real photos of our work and people. No stock photos of people at laptops.
- Natural light, simple backgrounds.
Voice
- Short sentences, plain words. No hype words. No exclamation marks in customer emails.
Files
- All logos and templates are in [shared folder].
Get the colour codes right
Write down the exact codes, not just "dark green". HEX codes such as #1F4D3A are used for screens, and printers may ask for other formats. Your designer or the logo files can usually tell you each one.
Keep the files in one place
The guide is only useful if people can find the logo files, fonts and templates it describes. Keep them all in one shared folder, with clear names, and link to it from the guide.
Voice belongs with it
How your brand sounds matters as much as how it looks. Many small businesses add a short voice section, or keep a separate one-page voice guide. Together they cover nearly everything a designer, freelancer or AI tool needs.
Use it
Share it with everyone who makes anything for the brand: staff, freelancers, printers, the person who runs your social media. Check new work against it. Update it when something changes, with a date at the top.
If you are still choosing a name or a line to go with the logo, see how to name your business and how to write a tagline.