Brand kit: what to include and how to build one

A brand kit is the folder of finished files your team uses: logos, colors, fonts, templates and sample images. Brand guidelines say how to use them. The kit is what people actually pick up. Here is what to include and how to build one.

What goes in a brand kit

• Logos in every version you allow, as vector and as image files.

• Colors as a list with hex codes and tested text pairs.

• Fonts you own or may use, with the licence.

• Templates for the work you repeat: posts, decks, emails.

• Sample images that show the style.

• A copy of your brand guidelines.

A brand kit folder structure to copy

brand-kit/
  README.txt            owner, last updated, who to ask
  01-logos/             primary, stacked, icon, one-color, reversed (SVG + PNG)
  02-colors/            palette list, hex codes, approved text pairs
  03-fonts/             font files you may share, plus licence notes
  04-templates/         social, deck, email, ad starter files
  05-images/            approved sample images and style notes
  06-guidelines/        brand guidelines (PDF)
  99-archive/           old versions, clearly dated

Number the folders so they sort the same way for everyone. Put the date in the README and update it when anything changes.

Pick file formats on purpose

Keep logos as vector files, plus transparent PNGs for places that cannot use vectors. For web images, WebP can save space. Google says lossless WebP images are 26% smaller than PNGs, and lossy WebP images are 25 to 34% smaller than comparable JPEGs at an equivalent SSIM quality index (Google WebP page, last updated 7 August 2025). Those are Google's figures under its own test conditions, so measure your own files. Our image compressor and WebP converter shows the saving on each file. Read Google's WebP page.

Check fonts and colors before they go in

For fonts, record the licence. The SIL Open Font License FAQ (version 1.1-update7, November 2023) says OFL fonts can be used for logos, posters and signage without extra permission, and that you cannot sell the font by itself. Other fonts have other terms. Write the licence next to each file.

For colors, list the pairs that pass. WCAG 2.2, contrast minimum asks for 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text. Use our color palette and contrast tools to check each pair.

Keep it current

• One owner who approves changes.

• One shared place, not copies in email.

• A dated README.

• A quarterly look for old logos and retired colors.

If you work with an outside designer, ask for source files with every delivery. We include them, and you own everything we make. Want a kit built and kept current? Book a call.

Build it in an afternoon

1. Make the folders from the structure above.

2. Collect the final logo files. Throw out old versions or move them to the archive.

3. Write the color list with hex codes and tested pairs.

4. Add the fonts you may share, with a note on each licence.

5. Drop in the three templates your team uses most.

6. Write the README and share the link with everyone who makes content.

A README to copy

BRAND KIT README
Brand: [name]
Owner: [name and email]. Last updated: [date].

Where to start: 04-templates for new work, 01-logos for any logo.
Rules: 06-guidelines/brand-guidelines.pdf.
Do not edit files in place. Copy them and rename.
Found something wrong or out of date? Tell [name].

Who owns what

Name an owner for each part. One person keeps logos and colors. Someone else may keep templates. If two people both own a folder, nobody does. When a designer joins, send them the link first. They should start from the kit, not from an old email.

Four mistakes to avoid

• Keeping several copies of the logo with different names.

• Sharing low-resolution PNGs when a vector exists.

• Leaving out the font licence, then arguing about it later.

• Never retiring old files.

Quick answers

How should I name files? Use lowercase and dashes, and add the version or date: logo-primary-2026-10.svg. Never use "final" or "final2".

Where should the kit live? In one shared folder everyone can open, with edit rights for the owner only.

How often should I update it? Whenever a rule changes, and check it every quarter. A kit that is a year old is probably wrong.

Share it the right way

Send the link in your welcome message to new hires, freelancers and agencies. Mention it in every brief. If someone asks you for a logo by email, reply with the link and ask them to use the kit next time. Within a month the question stops arriving.

Give view access to most people and edit access to the owner. That one rule prevents most accidents.

What we could not verify

The folder structure is our own suggestion. The WebP percentages are Google's claims, and we have not repeated Google's tests.