A brand manual, also called brand guidelines or a graphic manual, is a document of rules for using your brand: logo, colours, typefaces, photography, tone of voice and examples of use. It makes your website, print and social media look like they come from one company, no matter who produces them. A logo manual covers only the logo itself.
- What it contains: six parts: the logo and its variants, a colour palette, typography, graphic elements and photography style, tone of voice, and applications with templates.
- Terms: a logo manual covers only the logo, a graphic manual (visual identity manual) adds colours, typefaces and applications, and a brand manual adds tone of voice and values. A design system adds ready-made components for the web.
- Scope and price: from a few pages to about 30. With me a 15-page PDF manual is part of the Brand Identity package from €720 (the graphic design service), and a manual of up to 30 pages is part of the Full Package from €1,600. A logo alone from €320 does not include a manual.
- Format: I deliver a PDF and the source file in Figma. I do not offer an online manual as a service.
What is a brand manual (and what isn't it)?
A brand manual (also called a style guide or brand guidelines) is a set of rules for how your brand may and may not be used. It isn't the logo itself, nor a creative moodboard, it's a user manual for your brand.
You have a logo. You use your colours somehow. But when a new designer, an external print shop or a marketing agency comes along, everything looks a little different every time, and the brand slowly dilutes. A manual is exactly what prevents this.
Do not confuse two concepts:
Visual identity and brand manual
- Visual identity is a set of elements
- logo
- colours
- typography
- graphic style
- A brand manual is the rules
- how to use the elements correctly
- what must not be done with them
- so the brand looks the same everywhere
You can have the best logo in the world, but without rules everyone uses it differently. The manual is what turns a pile of files into a real, recognisable brand.
What is the difference between a brand manual, a logo manual and a graphic manual?
The terms are not standardised and are often used interchangeably. In simple terms they build on each other: a logo manual is part of a graphic manual, and a graphic manual is part of a brand manual. A design system goes one step further, to ready-made components for a website or app. In Czech the same ladder is logomanuál, grafický manuál and brand manuál.
How the terms build on each other
- Logo manual how to use the logo
- Graphic manual adds colours, typefaces and applications
- Brand manual adds tone of voice and values
- Design system adds components and code for the web
| Term | What it answers | What it usually contains |
|---|---|---|
| Logo manual (logo guidelines) | How to use the logo correctly | logo variants, clear space, minimum size, prohibited uses |
| Graphic manual (visual identity manual, design manual) | What the brand looks like | the logo manual plus colours, typefaces, graphic elements, photography style, applications (business card, web, social) |
| Brand manual (brand guidelines) | What the brand looks and sounds like | the graphic manual plus tone of voice, often also mission and values |
| Design system | How to build the brand into a product | the brand manual plus ready-made components and code (buttons, forms, design tokens) for a website or app |
The boundaries blur in practice: a document called a brand manual is often really only a logo manual, and the other way round. Always check what a document actually contains. In this article I use "brand manual" as an umbrella term for the rules of a brand, including a graphic manual and what Czech clients call a firemní manuál (company manual). That Czech term sometimes means an internal operations handbook (procedures, staff onboarding), which has nothing to do with branding.
Brand manual or design system? A brand manual is a document for the people who use the brand: designers, print shops, marketers. A design system is live and tied to code, and a developer takes components from it directly. For a smaller website a brand manual with web rules is usually enough, a design system pays off for a larger product. You can see both layers side by side in the Czech state administration, see the examples below.
Why does a company need a brand manual?
A brand manual isn't a "drawer document." It solves very practical operational problems:
Four reasons for a brand manual
- Consistency across channels website, social media, print, packaging and presentations look like one company, not five
- Onboarding suppliers a new designer, print shop or agency knows what is allowed without explanations from scratch
- Fewer repeated decisions designers reuse approved rules and templates
- Brand protection prevents deviations that weaken the brand: wrong colours, distorted logos, foreign fonts
If you're still weighing whether a strong brand is even worth it, I cover the business case in my article on why you should invest in branding. Here I go one step further, to the specific document that keeps the brand in shape.
What does a brand manual contain?
The scope varies with company size, but a solid manual covers these six areas.
Six parts of a brand manual
- Logo and variants clear space, minimum size, prohibited uses
- Colour palette exact HEX, RGB, CMYK codes and Pantone where used
- Typography primary and secondary font, rules and web fallbacks
- Graphic elements and photos icons, patterns, UI elements and photography style
- Tone of voice how the brand speaks in all texts
- Applications and templates business cards, social media, signature, presentations, web
1. Logo and its variants
The heart of the manual. It defines:
- Logo variants: full colour, monochrome, negative, horizontal, vertical, and the icon alone (favicon).
- The clear space: the minimum free area around the logo so it doesn't "suffocate" in text.
- Minimum size: below which the logo shouldn't be used (it becomes illegible).
- Prohibited usage: what must never be done to the logo (distortion, custom colours, shadows, low-contrast backgrounds).
How the logo itself is created step by step, from brief to final files, is described in my complete guide to logo design.
2. Colour palette
Colours help distinguish elements and establish a consistent appearance. The manual does not just say "blue and orange", it gives exact codes for every environment:
| Code | Where it's used |
|---|---|
| HEX | web, digital |
| RGB | screens, video |
| CMYK | |
| Pantone | spot-colour specification when the production process uses it |
A palette usually includes 1-2 primary colours, 2-3 secondary colours, and neutral shades for backgrounds and text. A good manual also handles contrast and accessibility, so text stays legible on coloured backgrounds.
CMYK conversion depends on the print profile and substrate. Verify colour with a proof; a code alone does not guarantee identical appearance on paper and screen. Record font licences and permissions for websites, documents and other suppliers.
3. Typography
Font choice affects both readability and brand perception. The manual defines:
- Primary font: for headings and prominent text.
- Secondary font: for body text.
- Rules: sizes, weights, line spacing, alignment.
- Web fallbacks: what shows when the brand font fails to load.
4. Graphic elements and photography style
Beyond the logo, colours and type, the visual language is completed by:
- Icons and illustrations
- Patterns and textures
- Button shapes, frames and other UI elements
- Photography style: composition, filters, types of shots, what should and shouldn't appear in photos
5. Tone of voice
Visual identity has its counterpart in words. The manual describes how the brand speaks:
- Formal vs. casual
- Expert vs. approachable
- Serious vs. humorous
- Authoritative vs. friendly
This way your email, social post and website copy all sound like one voice.
6. Applications and templates
Theory is useless without examples. A strong manual shows the brand in practice:
- Business cards and letterhead
- Social media templates
- Email signature
- Presentations and documents
- Website and e-shop
- Product packaging (if you have any)
Optional: brand strategy
Larger manuals start with strategy: why the company exists, who it is for and which values it holds. Tone of voice and visual choices follow from that. For a small company a few sentences are enough. For a rebrand or a larger organisation it makes sense to write out the mission, values and personality. The Brand Identity and Full Package packages include a workshop (90 minutes online) where I go through these questions with you, see the process below.
How long should a brand manual be, and what does it cost?
A manual doesn't need 100 pages. Size it to your company and to the number of people who use the brand:
| Scope | Who it is for | With me |
|---|---|---|
| Short version (1-2 pages) | sole trader or start-up: logo, colours, font, a few rules | Not a separate item in my price list. A logo alone from €320 does not include a manual; you get the logo in variants (colour, monochrome, negative) and in SVG, PNG, PDF and AI formats. |
| Standard manual (15 pages) | a company that wants one consistent brand across its website, print and social media | The Brand Identity package from €720: a 15-page PDF manual, palette and typography, business card and letterhead, 3 social media templates, email signature, favicon and the Figma source file |
| Extended manual (up to 30 pages) | corporations, rebranding, several locations, many people around the brand | The Full Package from €1,600: everything from Brand Identity, a visual system (icons, illustrations), print materials, marketing materials, presentation templates, a roll-up and a manual of up to 30 pages |
These are starting prices of the packages. The full overview of packages is on the graphic design service page.
How is a brand manual made?
This is how the work goes in the Brand Identity package. The Full Package extends it with more materials and a longer manual.
- Brand workshop (90 minutes online). I go through your business, audience, values, competitors and how the brand should feel: modern or traditional, serious or playful. The first concepts come out of this.
- Logo: three concepts. You get three distinct directions. You choose one and I develop it into the final variant in two rounds of revisions.
- Colours and typefaces. For the chosen logo I define the palette and typography so they work on the web and in print.
- Applications. I combine the logo, colours and typefaces on a business card, letterhead, three social media templates, an email signature and a favicon. Real materials show whether the rules work.
- Assembling the manual. I put the rules and examples into one document: a 15-page PDF in Brand Identity, up to 30 pages in the Full Package.
- Handover. You receive the PDF manual, the source file in Figma and the logo files in SVG, PNG, PDF and AI. Copyright passes to you. Delivery takes 2-3 weeks for Brand Identity and 3-5 weeks for the Full Package.
Should a brand manual be a PDF or online?
Both variants have their place:
| Online manual (web, Notion, Figma, a specialised platform) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Advantages | portable, works offline, easy to send to a print shop or supplier | one live version, a change shows up immediately, logos and templates download directly, a link instead of an attachment |
| Disadvantages | after a change a new version has to be sent out, old copies keep circulating | needs access management, ties you to a platform, harder to print |
| Suits | small and mid-sized companies, print, handover to a supplier | a larger team, many suppliers, a brand that changes often |
With me you get a PDF and the source file in Figma. I do not offer an online manual as a separate service. For most small and mid-sized companies a PDF is enough. When the company grows, an online manual on a specialised platform can replace it, and you will already have the Figma source.
When and who updates a brand manual?
A manual changes when the brand changes. Update it:
- at every significant change: a new typeface or colour, a new channel, a new product line or location,
- otherwise every one to two years: check whether the rules still match how the company really looks. This is my practical recommendation, not a standard.
Three things make updating easier:
Three things that keep the manual current
- One responsible person keeps the manual current and decides on exceptions: the owner, a marketer or an external designer
- Version and date on the first page, older versions marked as no longer valid
- One place to store it a shared drive or a single link, not email attachments
The most common brand manual mistakes
- No manual. The rules live only in the owner's head. The moment someone else takes over the brand, it falls apart.
- A "drawer" manual. It exists, but nobody follows it. The manual must be accessible to everyone working with the brand.
- Too rigid, or too loose. It either constrains so much you can't work, or it defines nothing that matters.
- No digital rules. If a company uses a website and social media, the rules need to cover their formats and legibility.
- Never updated. Companies evolve. A manual that hasn't been opened in years eventually stops fitting.
Where can you find examples of public brand manuals?
Several manuals and design systems are public. They are too extensive for a small company, but they show how the rules are structured and how much can be described.
| Example | Type | What you will find |
|---|---|---|
| Unified Visual Style of the Czech state administration (JVS) | online manual | logos, colours, the state typeface Czechia Sans, templates and specifications for print and digital; according to the gov.cz Design System site, all new materials and presentations must follow JVS from 30 April 2026 |
| Design system gov.cz | design system | components, rules and design tokens for state websites and apps; it links to JVS, so it shows both layers side by side |
| JVS user manual of the town of Chrudim | PDF manual | what a manual for a town looks like: a PDF of roughly 115 pages from January 2023 |
| Škoda Flow Design System | online design system | the public design system of the Škoda brand for digital products |
| GOV.UK Design System | design system | styles, components and patterns for UK government services |
| Mailchimp Content Style Guide | writing guide | a public writing guide (grammar, social media, emails, accessibility) with a voice and tone section, which is the tone of voice from part 5 |
What to take away
- A brand manual is a set of rules for using the brand: logo, colours, typefaces, photography, tone of voice and examples of use.
- A logo manual covers only the logo, a graphic manual adds colours, typefaces and applications, and a brand manual adds tone of voice too.
- A solid manual covers six areas and does not need 100 pages. It needs to be used and kept current.
- Update it at every significant change, mark the version with a date and name one responsible person.
- With me a 15-page manual is part of the Brand Identity package from €720; a logo alone from €320 does not include a manual.
Conclusion
A brand manual helps people apply a brand consistently. Its practical value depends on people actually using it. It doesn't have to be huge, it has to be used and kept current.
I design logo and visual identity including the brand manual, from logo variants and colour codes to templates and usage rules. If you need your brand to work the same even without you, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a brand manual, a logo manual and a graphic manual?
A logo manual describes only the logo: variants, clear space, minimum size and prohibited uses. A graphic manual (also called a visual identity manual) adds colours, typefaces, graphic elements and examples of applications. A brand manual usually adds tone of voice and often the mission and values. The terms get mixed up, so always check what the document actually contains.
Is a company manual (firemní manuál) the same as a brand manual?
In this article, yes: both mean the rules of a brand and its visual identity. The Czech term firemní manuál sometimes also means an internal operations handbook (procedures, staff onboarding), which has nothing to do with branding.
Should a brand manual be a PDF or online?
A PDF is portable and suits print shops and suppliers. An online version is easier to update and suits a larger team or frequent changes. With me you get a PDF and the source file in Figma, and I do not offer an online manual as a service.
How often should a brand manual be updated?
At every significant change: a new typeface, colour, channel or product line. Otherwise review it roughly every one to two years. Mark the version and date and name one person who is responsible for the manual.
What is the difference between a brand manual and a design system?
A brand manual says what the brand looks and sounds like. A design system is in addition a set of ready-made components and code for a website or app. For a smaller website a brand manual with web rules is usually enough.
How much does a brand manual cost?
With me it is part of the Brand Identity package from €720: a 15-page PDF manual, logo, palette and typography, business card, letterhead, social media templates and the source file in Figma. A manual of up to 30 pages is part of the Full Package from €1,600. A logo alone from €320 does not include a manual.
What must a brand manual contain as a minimum?
Logo variants with clear space and minimum size, exact colours for web and print (HEX, RGB, CMYK, optionally Pantone), typography including a fallback typeface, and examples of use on real materials. For a one-person business a few pages are enough; the point is that a decision about colour or typeface gets made once, not every time. A digital-only brand may not need every print colour specification.
Sources and links
- Unified Visual Style of the Czech state administration (jvs.gov.cz), the link leads to the online JVS manual, checked 20 October 2026
- Design system gov.cz: about the unified visual style, JVS contents and the 30 April 2026 date, read 20 October 2026
- Design system gov.cz, components, rules and the link to JVS, read 20 October 2026
- JVS user manual of the town of Chrudim (PDF, 16.6 MB), availability checked 20 October 2026
- Škoda Flow Design System, availability checked 20 October 2026
- GOV.UK Design System, read 20 October 2026
- Mailchimp Content Style Guide, read 20 October 2026