This is the standing record for your brand — one copy that the studio and you both keep current. It is not tied to any single project. Amend it whenever the brand moves on: a new logo lockup, a colour change, a font licence renewal, a new approver. Every job we take on starts by reading this file.
Section 1 — Account & Contacts
Registered legal entity (if different):
Billing contact and invoice email:
Purchase-order or reference required on invoices:
Section 2 — Approvals & Sign-off
Who signs off on what. Keep this accurate — it is the difference between one review round and four.
Final approver — one name, the person whose yes ends a review round:
Section 3 — Live Brand Snapshot
The current, in-force brand. Supersede the old values here rather than adding a second set — this section must never contain two competing answers.
Current logo version in force:
Lockups that exist and when each is used (primary, stacked, horizontal, icon-only, reversed, monochrome):
Minimum clear space and minimum reproduction size:
Next font licence renewal to watch:
Section 4 — Source Files & Storage
Shared drive / cloud folder for this brand:
Master source files live in:
Client-side asset library or DAM:
File naming convention in force (with a worked example):
Access notes — who has edit rights, who has view-only, how new people are added:
Section 5 — Print & Production Notes
Standing print specifications — stock, finish, bleed, colour profile, spot colours, house sizes:
Known production quirks to remember next time (colour drift, trim tolerance, lead times):
Section 6 — Delivered Work Log
Every finished piece, newest at the top. This is how we find last year's artwork without a search party.
Section 7 — Standing Preferences & No-go Rules
Always do — house habits we apply without being asked:
Never do — stretched logos, unapproved colours, stock photography, competitor lookalikes, anything previously rejected:
Preferred way to give feedback, and usual turnaround the client can commit to:
Section 8 — Amendment Log
Dated entries whenever the brand changes — a repositioning, a palette revision, a new approver, a licence renewed. Newest at the top.
Last reviewed together on:
Keep this file current — it is the single source of truth every piece of work is measured against.