RESEARCH POSTER GUIDELINES CONTENTS Our image Approvals process ACU logo suite ACU Shield Colours Corporate ACU colours Reccomended sizes Clear space & incorrect use Co-branding Typefaces Photography and imagery 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 7 9
OUR IMAGE Our visual image has evolved to better reflect our vision and corporate identity (who we are, what we do and how we communicate). Our visual image is one of the most important features of our branding initiative. Our brand is our signature, our distinguishing mark of quality and our signpost in a cluttered marketplace. The Australian Catholic University (ACU) visual image is a way of combining all of what we do under one national brand. The logo along with typefaces, colours, font and style make up our ACU visual image. This guide is intended to assist in the appropriate usage of the ACU visual image. 1 ACU BRAND GUIDELINES
APPROVALS PROCESS This visual identity extends to research posters presented externally on behalf of ACU. When creating your poster, please ensure that it adheres to the following guidelines. The ACU logo must be clearly visual on all posters, with clear space around it to maximise the visual impact. The logo must be present at the top right of the poster. Where co-branding is required, the ACU logo remains at the top right, with other logos placed as required. The logo must never be reproduced in different colours or distorted in any way. Arial is the preferred font for posters. Arial may be used in a variety of weights and styles. Where possible, use the ACU colours as detailed on page 4. Please contact Natalie Sanders at natalie. sanders@acu.edu.au or on 02 9739 2221 if you have any questions about the branding of your poster. THE LOGO SUITE These logo suite guidelines outline the precise use of the University s logos, their application to stationery and enhanced use when promoting the brand in competitive environments. The ACU corporate logo suite is made up of the University badge and the primary typography for the name of the organisation. The logo is never to be typeset, redrawn or distorted in any way. The colours are never to stray from these examples. When reversing the corporate logo, please ensure only the typography is white. The default positioning for the ACU corporate logo is top right. To ensure that there is no future misapplication of old or incorrect logos, all approved artwork files can be downloaded from the University s MER site. Only logos from this source are approved. Visit www.acu.edu.au/mer 1 Preferred corporate logo: Corporate logo monochrome In addition to the coloured logo version above, the ACU logo can be produced in black and white (monochrome) and 50% grey. 1 Preferred corporate logo 60% grey version: 1 Preferred corporate logo monochrome: ACU BRAND GUIDELINES 2
ACU SHIELD The ACU shield is unique to the University and has been specially designed to represent ACU nationally. The logo may not be redrawn or altered in any way. Approved graphic design and advertising suppliers or signage/manufacturing suppliers must reproduce the ACU shield exactly to this format for all requested items for one colour production. single colour is PMS Reflex Blue, otherwise PMS Black to exact below configuration. The ACU shield must always sit to the left of the primary typography. The ACU shield should also never be separated from the primary typography (except ACU plaques and as approved by MER). 1 Four colour process: 2 Monochrome version: For stationery the preferred reproduction The ACU shield always sit to the left of typography. The ACU shield should never be separated from the primary typography. The ACU shield should never be used separately. COLOURS The ACU corporate colour palette is a fundamental component of the University s identity. ACU colours are vibrant and aesthetic to the eye. The University colours can only be reproduced in the PMS, CMYK and RGB colours specified in this manual. No other colours are approved. It is important to consult with your printer or manufacturer when creating University material. Please ensure colour accuracy by referring to your PANTONE Colour Matching System and paying special attention to all colours produced in four colour process (CMYK).! Important: Four colour process breakdowns on this page are indicative only and may change over different printing methods. We advise that in all cases, match to the spot PMS colour. Please note that the RGB colour specifications are amended for accurate website usage. PMS Reflex Blue C:100 M:72 Y:0 K:6 R:0 G:83 B:159 PMS 871 C:27 M:28 Y:62 K:3 R:173 G:159 B:109 PMS 185 C:0 M:91 Y:76 K:0 R:224 G:0 B:52 BLACK WHITE 3 ACU BRAND GUIDELINES
CORPORATE ACU COLOURS The corporate red and blue colour scheme of ACU should be applied to all central departments and units of the University (as distinct to the faculty and course areas), which will tie them back to the core ACU brand. By applying a corporate colour scheme across all central areas of the University, external audiences will see ACU as a single cohesive brand, instead of separate business areas or entities with potentially contrasting identities. Please note, however, this does not prohibit the use of separate logos in addition to the ACU logo. The aim of establishing a simple colour palette for the central areas is to establish an easily recognisable brand and build upon our reputation in the marketplace. By applying the corporate colour scheme to all internal and external publications, including online and printed material, the ACU brand will remain consistent, professional and easily identifiable. Application The corporate red and blue will become the primary branding colours for all printed materials by central departments and units these include but are not limited to brochures, pamphlets, posters, advertising, banners and reports. They will also become the primary branding colours for all online and website presence, in addition to PowerPoint presentation slides. RECOMMENDED SIZES To ensure logo legibility in all media, ACU has restrictions on the minimum size reproduction for the logo stacked and horizontal logos which should be adhered to at all times. 1 Minimum size This is the recommended minimum size for logo reproduction. 40mm 2 A4 size This is the recommended size for logo reproduction on A4 size print collateral. 60mm 3 A3 size (standard poster size) This is the recommended size for logo reproduction on A3 size print collateral. 80mm ACU BRAND GUIDELINES 4
CLEAR SPACE As the most valued visual symbol, the logo must be clearly identified on all material. When used, the logo must have clear space around it to maximise the visual impact. The guide below demonstrates the minimum amount of surrounding space. This rule does not apply to stationery. INCORRECT USE The ACU corporate logo is a unique design that has been specially created for the University. The logo is never to be typeset, redrawn or distorted in any way. Never use any other colour than what is stipulated. Never use the logo out proportion or in a distorted way. CO-BRANDING - INTERNAL ACU UNITS/DEPARTMENTS Several units/departments within ACU have established logos as distinct to the ACU preferred logo. These are only ever to be used in conjunction with the ACU preferred logo ie, the preferred logo must always be present on marketing materials. Co-branding is allowed in various formats: posters and promotional flyers; PowerPoint presentations; marketing brochures and reports, etc. A variety of examples below demonstrate how this could be implemented. 5 ACU BRAND GUIDELINES
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TYPEFACES The preferred ACU corporate typeface is Arial. It is to be used in all formal communications, such as letters and presentations, as well as in emails and email signatures, to achieve consistency across the University. Arial, a sans-serif typeface, has been selected for its superior legibility. It is available in numerous weights and styles. For printed publications, such as annual reports and brochures, the preferred typeface is Myriad Pro.! Important: A range of fonts can be utilised for marketing purposes but all materials produced for an external audience must be approved by MER prior to production. 1 Arial Arial Arial Bold Arial Italic Arial Bold Italic 7 ACU BRAND GUIDELINES
2 Myriad Pro Myriad Pro Myriad Pro Semibold Myriad Pro Bold Myriad Pro Italic Myriad Pro Semibold Italic Myriad Pro Bold Italic ACU BRAND GUIDELINES 8
PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGERY Photography is a powerful tool that can highlight who ACU is, the values we espouse and the culture of our organisation. Please note: only ACU produced/authorised images of people, where appropriate consent has been obtained in writing from the subject/s, should be used. Credits Before publishing any image or photograph (online or print), ensure that you have included the relevant artist credit, and that the credit is featured in the required fashion. For example, you may need to feature the photographer s credit immediately alongside the image instead of at the end of the document, and the artist may require the credit to be worded in a specific way. Please consult with MER if you have any queries regarding credits. Please note: it is illegal to publish (online or print) any image without crediting the artist in the required way. Professional photography For all your photography needs, we recommend staff contact a professional photographer. Details of our preferred photographers for each campus are listed on the MER website - www.acu. edu.au/mer. MER provides a limited free photography service. Bookings must be made with MER at least two weeks in advance, please contact MER for more information. Photography and film talent We would prefer to feature our own students and graduates wherever possible. If selecting talent, consider their academic or professional achievements, their overall suitability and their availability for the photo shoot and/or interview. The person you select will represent ACU to the wider public, so it is vital that they are briefed prior to the photography shoot on suitable presentation. Ideally, talent should: dress in a neat, professional style not wear clothing with strong patterns or writing/large logos only wear jeans and/or sneakers that are neat and clean have neatly groomed hair and suitable make-up not wear beanies, caps or sunglasses for profile shots when photographed for international publications, talent should be dressed in a manner suitable to a broad international audience Subjects are to be photographed candidly for a natural look posed or formal photography set-ups are to be avoided. The images should evoke an inspired mood, employing warm and friendly tones that convey the ACU story. This can be achieved through: lighting, which should be flat and not harsh; the use of happy and positive subjects that endear the audience to ACU; and clean backgrounds. Anyone who will appear in ACU photography and film footage must sign a Consent and Release Form (available via www.acu.edu.au/274307). Please send a scanned copy of each form to MER for the University s records. Copyright NOTE! It is illegal to reproduce images in any format that we do not have copyright authority to do so. For example, copying images from other websites to feature on the ACU site, without seeking written permission, is an illegal and fineable offence. If you are unsure about the origins of the image, whether it is owned by ACU or who took the image, avoid employing it in any materials you produce. As stated above, only ACUapproved photographs are acceptable for use. Editing images Be careful when editing an image to retain its original quality. Stretching and bad contour are common examples of mistakes made during editing. For print publications, a high resolution image (300dpi) is best. For the web low resolution (72dpi) is preferred. Collage and montage are examples of digital photo manipulation. Photographic collaged or montaged imagery is not part of ACU s photographic style. Please contact MER to source a variety of images from the ACU photography database. NOTE: MER is currently working on an online image library which will be available to all staff in early 2011. 9 ACU BRAND GUIDELINES
Stock images The main issue when using stock photography is the lack of exclusivity. As royalty-free stock photography is readily available to buy and download, it is much more likely you may accidentally use an image already prominent in marketing materials issued by another university, or perhaps a bank or supermarket chain. When choosing images for an important marketing campaign or publication, MER strongly advises staff to use original images taken by a professional photographer and/or images from the MER image library. Using stock imagery will dilute the uniqueness of your message and can cause confusion with other marketing campaigns employing the same imagery. When employing stock images, always adhere to the usage requirements and regulations in the terms and conditions for each stock image. Below are some guidelines around stock photo usage. AVOID at all times: 1 Close-up stock images of people It is important that ACU portrays a genuine and authentic image at all times. As such, stock images featuring closeups of people are not permitted (where the subject s face is clearly recognisable and the person/people form more than 25 percent of the image content). At all times, avoid overtly American imagery. Stock images of objects or landscapes are to be used sparingly. 2 Using stock images when you could easily have the images shot by a professional photographer and/or MER staff Often employing a professional photographer is more costeffective than purchasing stock images for each publication/ marketing campaign. Professional shoots allow you to build up your own image library and can be used in a variety of ways, while a stock image can often be purchased for one-time usage only. MER also offers a limited photography service visit the MER website to find out more. 1 6 7 3 Using pictures that don t relate well to your content Use photos to reinforce your message, not to simply decorate your page: hence, your content should precede your design. 4 Buying the low-resolution version of a stock image because it s cheaper What determines the size of image you purchase is the size of the area you will be placing the photo in to. If you cannot afford a photo that meets your size requirements, find a new photo. 5 Using imagery that looks outdated or unprofessional 1 2 8 6 Using pictures that look too posed or stiff 7 Unnatural cropping 8 Blending (integrating) or collaging images 1 6 ACU BRAND GUIDELINES 10
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Compiled by Marketing and External Relations, Australian Catholic University For more information, visit www.acu.edu.au/mer 13 ACU BRAND GUIDELINES