What is a brand style guide, and does a small business need one?
20 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
A brand style guide is a simple reference that shows how your brand should look wherever it appears: your logo and its variations, your colour codes, your fonts and a few examples of them in use.
Why it matters
Without one, every new flyer, sign or social post becomes a guess. Colours drift, the logo gets stretched, and before long your business looks slightly different everywhere. A guide keeps everything consistent, which is what makes a brand recognisable.
What goes in it
- Your main logo, alternative versions and where to use each
- Clear space and minimum sizes for the logo
- Colour codes for print (CMYK) and screens (RGB and HEX)
- Fonts for headings and body text
- Examples: a business card, a social post, a sign
Do you need one?
If anyone other than you ever works on your marketing, such as a printer, a sign writer or a staff member posting on social media, then yes. It is one of the most useful things you'll get from a branding project.