SKNTSBranding Guidelines-July10:Layout 1 - Skillnets

Branding
Guidelines

Skillnets
Boosting Skills and Productivity
Skillnets’ approach to training enables groups of member
companies to set up networks to decide on their training
needs, and develop the solutions to those needs. Networks
choose training methods, courses, trainers and priorities
that are most relevant to their member companies and
Skillnets supports these choices through facilitation and
funding.
At the heart of these activities is the networking process.
Through networking, enterprises can accelerate learning
and develop competitive advantages whilst trainees
up-skill and gain positive personal and economic benefits.
These essential benefits are captured in the Skillnets brand
mark. The contemporary typestyle and fresh colours of the
name in combination with the ‘networking’ symbol present
a positive and bright style in a confident and professional
manner.
These branding guidelines have been developed to help
everybody involved in the design and production of
communication materials and play a critical role in the
building of the Skillnets identity and reputation.
For more information see www.skillnets.ie

Use of the Skillnets brand mark
The brand mark has been specially hand drawn and
should never be altered in any way. Please ensure that
appropriate master artwork is used when reproducing
the brand mark.
There are various brand mark formats for different
communication materials and media. The brand mark
is displayed in full colour, black and white and in reverse
format on the opposite page.
When printing the brand mark through four-colour
process the ‘CMYK’ files should be used.
NOTE:
the colours featured throughout these guidelines are not
intended to match the Pantone © Colour Matching Standards.
For accurate colour matching please use the PMS guide books.

Clearance area
In order to give prominence to the brand mark, it should
be used with an area of clear space surrounding it to
ensure that it is always clear of other graphic elements,
such as text. The clearance area, as shown, is equivalent
to the stem of the ‘i’ in the brand mark.

Minimum size
The brand mark should always be legible, clear and
reproduced to the highest standards. The minimum
size for the brand mark is 20mm as illustrated below.
The brand mark should not be used at a size smaller
than 20mm.
20mm

Primary and secondary colour palette
The Skillnets brand colours consist of Pantone PMS
368 green and Pantone PMS 303 blue. We have shown
the equivalent colour values when printing four-colour
process (CMYK), for the web and for signage (RAL).
Colour varies depending on the type of paper or
substrate material used. When referring to Pantone
colour specifications the printer will be able to match
the Skillnets colours precisely.
For on-screen communications use RGB values (screen/
monitor colours and hexadecimal codes web safe
colours). These match the Pantone references as closely
as possible. Use RAL values for industrial painted
colours and plastics.

PMS 303 coated
PMS 303 uncoated
C100 M11 Y0 K74
R0 G54 B74
Web: #00364A
PMS 368 coated
PMS 368 uncoated
C57 M0 Y100 K0
R97 G191 B26
Web: #61BF1A
Process Yellow
C0 M0 Y100 K0
R247 G230 B23
Web: #F7EO17
PMS Rubine Red
C0 M100 Y15 K4
R207 G3 B92
Web: #CF035C
PMS Process Blue
C100 M8 Y0 K5
R0 G140 B204
Web: #008CCC

Typography
The way the written word is presented has a powerful
effect on the viewer’s perception of Skillnets. Good
typography aids clear, distinctive and memorable
communication. When writing the name Skillnets in
standard text such as news print, always start with
a capital.
The main brand typeface is Neo Sans, a contemporary
font with a clear and unique character and excellent
legibility. It is available in a variety of forms and weights
to give flexibility across different communication pieces.
Enterprise-led
learning networks

Fonts
Neo Sans Regular
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890.,:;’&%!
Neo Sans Medium
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890.,:;’&%!
The electronic typeface is Arial, for use in digitally
produced communications such as letters and
correspondence, PowerPoint presentations, online
application forms and in-house forms such as memos.
Arial
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890.,:;’&%!
Boosting
Skills and
Productivity

Co-branding visual guidelines and rules
Rules:
• Networks must develop a name.
• Networks must not use Skillnet or Skillnets as part
of the corporate name registered with the
Companies Registration Office (CRO) or the register
of friendly societies, for example, ABC Ltd.
• Networks must use the name Skillnet as part of its
trading name, for example, ABC Skillnet.
• Always use the term ‘SKILLNET’, typeset in capitals
and in its corporate typeface Neo Sans medium.
• Always use the SKILLNET name in its corporate
colour green.
(See colour specifications for spot and CMYK).
Always use the same letter height for SKILLNET as for
your unique name.

Guidelines:
You can develop a special typeface for your name, see
examples below. We suggest keeping the name short
and memorable; the best solution would be to use eight
to ten characters in the name or one or two words.
The name should reflect the network objectives. You
can choose either to create a mark, symbol and name
or name only (logotype).
SQUARE XYZ
SKILLNET
Typical logo: using a symbol
and name
ABC STAR
SKILLNET
Typical mark: using a symbol,
name in a shape
CIRCLE HAT
SKILLNET
Typical logotype: using only
the name

Communication Materials
Long shelf life material –
Substantial printed documents, brochures, pop up stands,
dvd’s (both external labeling and content credits) and websites
must apply:
1. Network co-brand.
2. National Development Plan (NDP), Department of
Education and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks.
(A plate containing the strip of logos is provided.)
3. The official Skillnets legend below:
“The (insert name) Skillnet is funded by member
companies and the Training Networks Programme,
an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National
Training Fund through the Department of Education
and Skills.”
Sample: Pop-up Stand
XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXX
· XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXX
XXXXXX XXX
· XXXX XXXXXX XXX XXXX
Network
co-brand
Legend and logo plate

Websites –
When a network develops their own website they must apply
the following on every page:
1. Network co-brand.
2. National Development Plan (NDP), Department of
Education and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks.
(A plate containing the strip of logos is provided.)
3. The official Skillnets legend below:
“The (insert name) Skillnet is funded by member
companies and the Training Networks Programme,
an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National
Training Fund through the Department of Education
and Skills.”
4. A direct link to the Skillnets website www.skillnets.ie
…

When a network utilises a contracting organisation’s website
the pages dedicated to the network must apply the following:
1. Network co-brand.
2. National Development Plan (NDP), Department of
Education and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks.
(A plate containing the strip of logos is provided.)
3. The official Skillnets legend below:
“The (insert name) Skillnet is funded by member
companies and the Training Networks Programme,
an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National
Training Fund through the Department of Education
and Skills.”
4. A direct link to the Skillnets website www.skillnets.ie
The guidelines above also apply to any online presence
a network may have through social media, blogs, digital
marketing etc.
Sample: Website
Network
co-brand
Legend and logo plate

Short shelf life material –
Flyers, event leaflets and once-off printed documents must
apply:
1. Network co-brand.
2. The official Skillnets legend below:
“The (insert name) Skillnet is funded by member
companies and the Training Networks Programme,
an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National
Training Fund through the Department of Education
and Skills.”
Short shelf life material does not require the National
Development Plan (NDP), Department of Education
and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks
(ie the plate provided).
Sample: Leaflet
Network
co-brand
Legend

The (insert your Network name) Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative
of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Education and Skills.
Stationery –
Letterhead
must apply:
1. Network co-brand.
2. National Development Plan (NDP), Department of
Education and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks.
(A plate containing the strip of logos is provided.)
3. The official Skillnets legend below:
“The (insert name) Skillnet is funded by member
companies and the Training Networks Programme,
an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National
Training Fund through the Department of Education
and Skills.”
Sample: Letterhead
Network
co-brand
ABC STAR
SKILLNET
Legend and
logo plate
Business cards and compliment slips
only need to apply:
1. Network co-brand only.

Advertisements –
must apply:
1. Network co-brand.
2. National Development Plan (NDP), Department of
Education and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks.
(A plate containing the strip of logos is provided.)
3. The official Skillnets legend below:
“The (insert name) Skillnet is funded by member
companies and the Training Networks Programme,
an initiative of Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National
Training Fund through the Department of Education
and Skills.”
Advertisements in national media must be
pre-approved by Skillnets Ltd.
Sample: Advertisement
Network
co-brand
Legend and logo plate

LOGO PLATE
The logo plate contains the strip of logos to be applied to the
communication materials.
Logos:
National Development Plan (NDP), Department of Education
and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks are provided.
There are 2 versions of the plate –
Standard (for use on most communication materials)
Limited Size (for use on materials where space is limited).
‘Standard’ Logo Plate
‘Limited Size’ Logo Plate

Use of contracting organisation’s logo on network
materials
The contracting organisation’s logo may be used on individual
network material but the network co-branded logo and the
National Development Plan (NDP), Department of Education
and Skills (DES) and Skillnets brand marks plate must take
prominence.
Use of member companies / other companies logos
The use of member companies logos are not permitted on
any individual network materials except in the case where
sponsorship is received for a specific event.
The logo can only be used on short shelf life communication
materials relating specifically to that event.

Third parties
Use of the Skillnet logo or individual co-branded
network logos
Co-branded network logos may be represented in third
party websites in their client list section on receipt of
permission from Skillnets Ltd.
The Skillnets corporate logo may be used for branded
promotional material relating to joint initiatives on
receipt of permission from Skillnets Ltd.
Co-branded network logos may be used on course
materials created for delivery solely in network
training events.
No third party is allowed to use the Skillnets corporate
logo in graphic or electronic format without the written
consent of Skillnets Ltd.
No third party is allowed to use the individual
co-branded network logos in graphic or electronic
format without the written consent of Skillnets Ltd.
Third parties may not refer to their courses as
‘Skillnet(s)’ courses or give the impression that
they are licensed as a reseller of Skillnets training.

Photographic style
The overall mood is confident and optimistic. It clearly
demonstrates the optimism of positive change — the key
benefit of training and learning. When using people in pictures
we suggest having more than one, as the overall image should
associate with networking activities.

For master artworks or further information about Skillnets
brand mark and how it should be used, please contact:
Skillnets Ltd.
Tel: 01. 207 9630
Email: communications@skillnets.com
Web: www.skillnets.ie
www.skillnets.ie
The Training Networks Programme is an
initiative of Skillnets Ltd. and is funded
from the National Training Fund through
the Department of Education and Skills.
Skillnets Ltd. Registered in Ireland No. 298694
Registered Office: 5th Floor, Q House, 76 Furze Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18