Skate Canada Brand guidelines

Brand Standards
Guide
1

Introduction
This Standards Guide helps all of us accurately portray Skate Canada’s brand in external and internal
communicati ons. The aim is to present a strong, uniform message and image to employees of Skate
Canada, its clubs and secti ons, as well as to our partners and the general public. Every element of a
communicati on piece, the writi ng style, colours used, typefaces, logos and layout should reinforce
Skate Canada as a Nati onal Sports Organizati on — a nati onal leader in building champions committ ed
to the development of personal excellence through parti cipati on in skati ng.
These guidelines will help Skate Canada stakeholders create a strong unifi ed look for Skate Canada,
yet allow room for individual creati vity. While this manual provides general guidelines, not every
graphic applicati on of the Skate Canada brand can be anti cipated. If you have a project that requires
unspecifi ed graphic treatments, please contact skatecanada@skatecanada.ca.
1

Corporate Logo
This secti on demonstrates the proper use and
applicati on of the Skate Canada logo. As our
identi fying image, it enhances recogniti on and
allows for easy applicati on of the Skate Canada
name. The elements of the logo are fi xed and
should not be altered in any way. The graphic
elements (stylized “leaf and blade”) in the logo
should never be separated from the wordmark
(Skate Canada).
The logo must always be protected on all sides by
a negati ve or white space equivalent to the height
and width of the lett er S of the Skate Canada
lett ering in the wordmark. This safe area must be
free of all non-branded graphic or copy elements,
and is to be respected under all circumstances.
Remember to treat the wordmark and leaf as one
image (logo) — always use the master fi les that
have been supplied by Skate Canada.
For specifi c applicati ons that don’t allow the use of
colour, the Skate Canada logo may be reproduced
using 100% black. It can also be reproduced in
white on other coloured backgrounds. The Skate
Canada logo may be reversed out of an image, if
there is enough of a contrast.
2

Colours
Using colour consistently is essenti al in
strengthening brand awareness. Our primary
colour is Skate Canada corporate red and is used
in the leaf, while black is used in the Skate Canada
wordmark.
Primary Colours
Process Colours
Light Red
Pantone: 186
Dark Red:
Pantone: 188
Process colour
for print
projects
Cyan/Magenta/
Yellow/Black
C / M / Y / K
Monitor colour
for website and
electronic use
Red/Green/Blue
R / G / B
0/100/81/4 242/0/23
0/97/100/50 128/6/0
The colours shown should be used as main colours
in corporate designs.
The greyscale logo may be used for highlights
or black and white use on other communicati on
materials.
Here is an example applying secondary colours on
a Skate Canada publicati on
3

Skate Canada Secti on or Club
Logos
The Skate Canada Secti on or Club logo remains
the same with the excepti on of the added line
of text to identi fy each secti on or club. The
previously stated guidelines also apply to the
Skate Canada secti on and club logos.
Using your logo with the Skate
Canada logo
When using the Skate Canada logo alongside
either your secti on or club logo, or a partner, the
Skate Canada logo should appear side-by-side
with its counterparts. On occasion, due to design
constraints, it could appear above or below, but
always on an equal size rati o to the other logos
being used.
The corporate Skate Canada logo should be used
in conjuncti on with your logo on all secti on,
club or school material. This helps identi fy your
organizati on with Skate Canada.
Merchandising
The use of the Skate Canada logo for
merchandising is not allowed. If a Secti on, club or
school wishes to include the Skate Canada logo on
merchandise it should be ordered from the Skate
Canada offi ce.
4

Program Logo
Program logos are an extension of the current
Skate Canada logo and should be used as such
with the same safe zone and colour guidelines as
menti oned in this document. The logos are below
for reference. The sponsor tag line associated with
the CanSkate logo must be used at all ti me.
Typography
The fonts selected for the wordmark give the
Skate Canada brand a modern look and feel.
The typeface for SKATE is Akzidenz Grotesk
Extended BQ – Medium and Canada appears in
Akzidenz Grotesk Extended BQ – Light
The body copy font for other text to be used is
Calibri 12 — Calibri a more modern font that
gives a professional appearance and complements
the typeface used in the wordmark. It is also a
standard font found on most computer systems.
Logo Language
SKATECANADA
Whenever possible the English Skate Canada logo should be used on English documents and the French
Pati nage Canada logo should be used on French documents.
The bilingual applicati on of the corporate logo is strictly limited and subject to approval from the Skate
Canada offi ce.
Writi ng Style
When speaking to diverse audiences, the Skate Canada writi ng style is friendly, confi dent, yet direct.
The writi ng style should incorporate plain language, with easy-to-understand terminology. Because of
the varied audiences, the writi ng style should stress clarity over formality. Always take the person(s)
who will be receiving the informati on into considerati on and adapt your style to the intended audience.
5

What Not to Do
The following graphic examples indicate what not to do when designing Skate Canada materials.
Always use the master fi les that have been supplied.
Do not change the colour.
Do not recreate the logo.
Skating for fun and beyond
Do not incorporate a tagline in the white space.
Do not reverse the logo on a light background.
Do not alter the size relati onship of the elements.
Do not rotate the logo.
Do not distort the logo.
Do not use the wordmark by itself.
Do not embed the logo in between text.
Do not place the logo on a busy background.
6

Applicati ons
These are examples of how the logo has been used in a variety of designs for diff erent applicati ons.
7

Frequently asked Questi ons
Q. Can the Secti ons, clubs or skati ng schools use the Skate Canada Logo?
A. Secti ons can use the Skate Canada logo together with their Secti on logo. Skate Canada
registered clubs and skati ng schools can use the Skate Canada logo in conjuncti on with their
logo to indicate they are a member of Skate Canada.
Q. Can a Skate Canada member club or skati ng school put the Skate Canada logo on its website?
A. Yes, clubs should adverti se that they are a Skate Canada member club by using the Skate Canada
logo.
Q. Can a Secti on use the Skate Canada or program logo on team clothing for qualifying competi ti ons
such as Secti onals and Challenge events?
A. No. Secti ons may not use the Skate Canada or program logo on team clothing; however, they
can use their Skate Canada Secti on logo.
Q. Can a club or skati ng school use the Skate Canada or program logo on retail merchandise, such as
t-shirts?
A. No. A club may not use the Skate Canada or program logo on any type of retail merchandise
items. However, items branded with the Skate Canada logo may be purchased from the Skate
Canada online store.
Q. Can a club or skati ng school use the Skate Canada or program logo on merchandise such as team
jackets that are not for sale?
A. No. Clubs and skati ng schools cannot produce team apparel that includes the Skate Canada or
program logo. If your club or skati ng school team is representi ng Canada at an internati onal
competi ti on, please contact Skate Canada at skatecanada@skatecanada.ca.
Q. Can a club or skati ng school use the Skate Canada logo on promoti onal materials designed to
att ract sponsors?
A. Yes. A club or skati ng school may use the Skate Canada logo in conjuncti on with their club or
secti on logo on their adverti sing and promoti onal material.
Q. Can a club or skati ng school use the Skate Canada logo on club competi ti on related publicati ons,
adverti sing brochures, posters etc?
A. Yes. Clubs or skati ng schools may use the Skate Canada logo on their club competi ti on materials
as long as it is used in conjuncti on with the secti on or club logo.
Q. Can a coach use the Skate Canada logo on a business card?
A. Yes. If the coach is a member in good standing, he or she may use the Skate Canada logo on
their business card. A sample of the card must be e-mailed to Skate Canada at skatecanada@
skatecanada.ca for approval before it is printed.
Q. Can a club use the Skate Canada logo on its lett erhead?
A. Yes. Clubs or skati ng schools may use the Skate Canada logo on their lett erhead as long as it is
used in conjuncti on with the secti on or club logo.
8

Contact Informati on
Before considering a project that involves the Skate Canada logo, or if you are considering one that
diverges signifi cantly from the examples and established guidelines, please contact:
SKATE CANADA
skatecanada@skatecanada.ca
613.747.1007 ext.2519
1.888.747.2372 ext. 2519
www.skatecanada.ca
9