Which brand identity files should you receive?
Brand identity files usually include approved logo versions, colours, fonts and usage rules, plus the applications within the project scope. Ask for files suited to print and web, and editable artwork if agreed. Before sign-off, check that the files open, and confirm the list of deliverables, rights and applications.
What each use needs
| Where the identity appears | Suitable files | Who uses them |
|---|---|---|
| Website and app | SVG and transparent PNG logo, a square icon | Developer and web team |
| Social accounts | Profile image, cover, post templates | Marketing team |
| Presentations and documents | PNG version, slide template, email signature | Sales and management |
| Print and packaging | Vector PDF or EPS logo, CMYK values | The printer |
| Later edits | Source files, if agreed | An in-house or outside designer |
Write down who will use the files after handover, so the designer knows what to prepare and what falls outside the scope. Do not request every possible format just to lengthen the list. Choose what your team and suppliers will use.
What to ask for in a logo set
Request approved logo versions in the primary colours, a single-colour version and a version for a dark background if the design calls for one. Agree horizontal, vertical or symbol-only layouts only when the business needs them and the design supports them. Do not assume every variation is required or that every logo works on every background.
Choose file formats by use: vector artwork for print and scaling if that is part of the project, raster images for digital channels. Ask for file names that identify the version, background and format, such as “horizontal logo, transparent background”. Open each file on a second device before sign-off, and check that linked fonts or assets do not stop it from displaying.
Agree which transparent versions and backgrounds you need. Transparency helps place a logo over another design, but it does not solve contrast or legibility. Test each version on the agreed backgrounds and at the small size it will occupy as a phone or profile image.
If a problem appears, record the requested adjustment before approving the final file.
Colours and fonts: values, not names
Ask for colour values in the formats your suppliers need: HEX and RGB for screens, CMYK for print. Do not expect a colour to look identical on every screen and sheet of paper; the screen, the process and the paper change how it appears. Agree a colour reference and how to review a printed sample if you will print.
Ask for the chosen typefaces, their weights and how your team should use them in headings and body text. Ask about font licensing and how you obtain the files. Receiving a font file does not automatically give the company the right to use it. Name an agreed alternative typeface in the guide, especially if staff cannot install the primary font.
A usage guide that gets used
The guide explains the approved logo, the clear space around it, a minimum size where the design supports one, and the colours and typefaces your business selected. Ask for examples of correct and incorrect use where they help staff avoid repeated mistakes. The real test: a colleague who took no part in the design can pick the right file from the guide alone.
Request applications that match the scope
A visual identity does not mean every marketing asset is ready. Agree which items the designer will create, such as a presentation template, email signature, profile image or business card. List their number, sizes and language versions, and say who supplies the final wording and details.
If you want a company profile, explain how it relates to the identity work. Does the scope cover design only, or writing and review too? See company profile design to define what that deliverable may involve. Regular materials that change often may need a separate request under graphic design.
Ask for mock-ups that show the identity in context and label them previews if they are not production artwork. A mock-up helps the team judge clarity and consistency, but it does not prove that a printer or website has tested every file. Review the production files themselves before you approve delivery.
Check that the files work before approval
Open the files in the software your team or suppliers will use. Check that the name identifies the version, the colours are correct and transparency survives where needed. Test the logo on light and dark backgrounds, at small and large sizes, and review the print artwork with the supplier if that is part of the project.
Make sure the guide matches the final files and does not show an old colour or typeface. Review asset names, the folders for digital and print versions and the source files if they are part of the agreement. If a file will not open, record its name, the software and the error rather than asking for the whole handover again.
Keep the approved handover where the responsible people can reach it, and decide who may change the master files. Label old versions clearly so no colleague uses one in a new campaign.
Clarify changes and rights
Agree the review rounds and how to send comments before work starts. Gather feedback in one list and state the decision needed. If the business changes direction after approving a stage, ask how that affects scope and schedule.
Write down which source files you receive, the rights to use the logo and artwork, and any third-party licensed elements. Owning an editable file is different from holding a licence for a photograph, font or icon it contains. Ask about restrictions before printing a large quantity or distributing material beyond the agreed uses.
A short handover checklist
Compare the delivery with the agreed list: logo versions, digital files, print artwork, colour values, type guidance, usage rules and requested applications. Record the file name, format and approver for each item. If something is missing, note it and ask for the file.
Check names, wording, language and text direction in the Arabic and English applications if both are included. Open the artwork on a team device and ask an actual user to place the logo in a document they prepare. That shows whether staff can find the right file and follow the rules without asking the designer each time.
An example from our work: the QEM Holding identity
PROIDEA Egypt delivered an identity for QEM Holding after 50 logo concepts, with stationery, alongside an Arabic and English platform connecting Egyptian companies, investors and suppliers with opportunities in Qatar. Read the QEM Holding project while you describe the materials your own company needs, then list the files you want for each use.
What our identity package covers
Our logo and identity package covers the logo, colours, company profile and social media templates, in 10 days. The written quote fixes exactly what your package includes and the number of review rounds. Read brand identity design, and if the identity will appear in product images, see preparing products for photography.