The brand identity checklist
Every part of a brand identity that someone else will need to use it without you, grouped as logo, colour, type, layout, voice and files. Tick through it before you call an identity finished.
Beginner2 min readUpdated 27 September 2026Studio · Brand guideline builder
The checklist
- Logo in full colour, reversed (white) and dark mono, as SVG and as PNG with a transparent background.
- Clear space rule, as a share of the logo's height, and a minimum width on screen and in print.
- Which logo version goes on which background, checked at 3:1 against each.
- Brand, secondary and accent colours with a job each, plus a neutral family; hex, RGB and a CMYK starting point.
- Tints and shades for each colour, and a list of text pairings that pass 4.5:1.
- A heading font and a body font (optionally a data or code font), licensed for the uses you expect.
- A type scale, a body size of at least 16 px on screen, and leading for each step.
- A spacing unit (4 or 8 px), a grid, and a corner radius.
- Three to five voice words, and a short do and don't list.
- Examples in use: a social post, a document or letterhead, and whatever the business prints most.
- The guideline itself, as a PDF for reading and a print version if it will be bound.
- Files for developers (tokens), for other designers (swatches, fonts information) and for the client (logos, guideline).
Where each item lives in the guideline builder
| Item | Builder |
|---|---|
| Logo, clear space, minimum width, logo on each background | Identity tab: Logo, Clear space (¼, ½ or 1 H), Minimum width, Logo contrast |
| Colours, ramps, contrast pairs | Colour tab: Brand colour, Harmony, Secondary, Accent, Neutral warmth, Contrast list |
| Fonts and scale | Type tab: Headings, Body, Data and code; Scale; Base size |
| Spacing, grid, radius, principles, voice | Identity tab: Spacing unit, Grid, Corner radius, Art direction, Personality |
| The guideline pages | 13 pages from Cover to Close, as a deck or a document |
| Files | Export tab: screen and print PDF, HTML handoff, CSS, Tailwind, JSON tokens, .ase swatches |
Is a logo a brand identity?
No. A logo is one item. The identity is the system that makes every piece recognisable: colour, type, layout and voice as well, written down so others can apply it.
How long should brand guidelines be?
As short as the rules allow. Thirteen pages covers a small identity; a large organisation needs more examples, not more rules.
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