Signage Brand Guide
About This Guide
This guide is designed to establish a cohesive and welcoming signage system for the City of Tumwater’s Parks Department, ensuring all signage reflects a unified visual identity that complements the City’s logo and color palette. The goal for the signage rebrand is to enhance the visitor experience while maintaining functional clarity, creating a sense of community, friendliness, and accessibility.
Through vibrant colors, playful iconography, and modern typography, the signage will communicate the values of Tumwater—engaging residents and visitors alike. Clear and simple icons will accompany park rules, ensuring readability and understanding for diverse audiences.
Additionally, the design elements draw inspiration from the natural beauty and historical significance of Tumwater’s parks, creating a sense of place that resonates with the City’s unique identity. This guide serves as the foundation for signage that both informs and connects people to Tumwater’s rich parks heritage.
How to Use This Guide
To effectively use this brand guide, follow its detailed instructions to maintain consistency and clarity in all Tumwater Parks Department signage.
Start by familiarizing yourself with the core visual elements, including the color palette, typography, and iconography. These components are the foundation of the brand identity and must be applied consistently across all signage to ensure a cohesive look and feel.
When creating or updating signage, reference the guide’s layout templates and specifications to ensure proper spacing, alignment, and hierarchy of information. Use the recommended typefaces and font sizes to maintain readability
and accessibility for all audiences, and incorporate the approved icons for easy-to-understand messaging. The guide also provides guidance on how to pair design elements, such as combining colors and icons, to achieve a balanced and visually appealing result.
For location-specific signage, draw inspiration from the guide’s examples of integrating Tumwater’s natural and historical themes. This ensures each sign not only serves its functional purpose but also reflects the unique character of the park it represents.
By following this guide closely, you’ll create signage that is professional, welcoming, and aligned with the Parks Department’s mission to enhance community engagement.
Parks Logo Application Available Logos Incorrect Application
Using the park logo correctly is essential for reinforcing the visual identity of Tumwater’s Parks Department and creating a sense of trust and recognition among visitors. It ensures consistency across all signage, connecting each piece to the larger parks system and the City’s brand. The logo acts as a unifying element, tying together diverse messages while showcasing pride in Tumwater’s natural beauty and community values. Including the logo prominently on all signage helps communicate professionalism, fosters a sense of place, and strengthens the overall brand.
Available logos Application
File types: To maintain logo integrity, always use the high resolution, transparent background file types .PNG, .Ai, .SVG, or .PDF files. Never screenshot, copy/paste, or take the logo from the internet, as it will degrade quality.
Horizontal Vertical
Proportions:
Keeping the correct proportions of the logo is important. To do this, always hold ‘shift’ while dragging a corner of the logo image to scale it proportionally. Do not squish the logo.
Size:
Minimum logo size is 5/8” or .625”, horizontally or vertically. With a vector file (.AI, .SVG), you can scale the logo to the largest size you need for visibility.
Clearspace:
Maintain a minimum of 1/4” or .25” space around all sides of the logo to prevent it from becoming crowded by text or images. In larger applications, you will want to allow more space around the logo for breathing room.
Incorrect Application
Color:
Do not change the color of the logomark or logotype. If you need a logo in a different brand color, contact [insert communications email address?].
Logomark:
The logomark is the old brewery and river image. Do not use the logomark separately from the logotype. Do not resize this element.
Logotype:
Do not use the logotype separately from the logomark. Do not separate the sub-brand (parks). Do not change the font of the logotype, or pair other words with it. Use of a tagline, where appropriate, should be a separate element from the logo.
Typography
Fonts
Accessibility: Color & Size Typography Usage
Using brand fonts consistently is essential for building a strong and cohesive brand identity. Fonts communicate more than just words; they convey the tone, personality, and professionalism of your brand. Consistency across all platforms, from print materials to websites and social media, reinforces brand recognition and ensures a polished look. Approved brand fonts, color, and size also follow accessibility and readability guidelines.
About the Font Pairing
Cabin and Raleway are both sans-serif fonts that pair well together to create a clear, modern look. Cabin’s humanist style provides a warm contrast to Raleway’s geometric precision. This font duo is suited for conveying clear, straightforward messages with a friendly and approachable tone.
Type Usage
Hierarchy:
Use for title and section headers (H1 & H2) in bold or semibold.
About Raleway Raleway is a sans-serif typeface family that is elegant, sophisticated, and stylish. It is often used for titles & headings.
Type Usage
Hierarchy:
Use for body copy. Bold should be used for paragraph headings (H3). Regular used for body copy.
About Cabin Cabin is classified as a sansserif font, characterized by clean lines and the absence of decorative elements at the ends of strokes.
Header Font
Bold: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Semibold: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Regular: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
0123456789
Body Font
Raleway Cabin
Bold: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Semibold: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Regular: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
0123456789
Accessibility: Color & Size
For fonts to remain accessible to vision impaired individuals, including color blind audiences, it is recommended for the font to have a high contrast color to the background. Always run your design through a colorblind simulator before committing to a color pairing. Headers can be brighter colors, whereas body copy should be black, white, or other dark color. Minimum size for copy is 11pt font.
Color Palette
Primary Colors About the Colors
Secondary Colors Tints
Using the colors appropriately is essential to maintaining the integrity and consistency of the Tumwater Park brand. Each color was thoughtfully chosen to reflect the park’s natural beauty and community-focused identity, so applying them consistently ensures that the brand feels cohesive and recognizable. Proper use of the color palette helps evoke the intended emotions of warmth, vibrancy, and connection, strengthening the overall impact of the brand across all materials and experiences.
About the Color Selection
The color palette for the City of Tumwater Parks & Recreation brand guide was carefully crafted to reflect the park’s natural beauty and the sense of community it fosters. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant hues of the park’s flora, fauna, and iconic salmon, the colors were chosen to capture the essence of the park’s ecosystem and its deep connection to nature. These selections create a welcoming and approachable feel, emphasizing the park’s role as a space for gathering, recreation, and exploration.
Primary Colors
Primary colors should be used as the foundation of the Tumwater Parks & Recreation brand, creating a cohesive and recognizable visual identity. They should dominate designs, providing consistency and aligning with the park’s vibrant, natureinspired personality.
Secondary colors
Secondary colors should be used to complement the primary palette, adding depth and versatility to designs. They work best as accents or to highlight specific elements, enhancing visual interest while maintaining balance and cohesion.
Tints
Secondary colors should be used to complement the primary palette, adding depth and versatility to designs. They work best as accents or to highlight specific elements, enhancing visual interest while maintaining balance and cohesion.
Neutrals
Neutrals should be used to balance the vibrant primary and secondary colors, providing a clean and cohesive foundation for designs. They work well as backgrounds, text, or subtle accents, allowing the brighter colors to stand out while maintaining a polished and professional look.
Primary Tints
Secondary Tints
Iconography
Icon Guidelines Available Icons
It is crucial to use the icons provided in the park’s signage system to maintain consistency and brand integrity. These icons are designed to work cohesively with the overall aesthetic, ensuring a unified visual language across all signage. If new icons are created, they should follow the same style, proportion, and simplicity to match the existing set, keeping the overall design seamless.
Icon Guidelines
Simplicity and Clarity:
Icons should be simple, easy to recognize, and universally understood. Avoid overly detailed or complex designs that may confuse or clutter the sign.
Consistency:
Maintain consistency in style, size, and color across all icons used on signage. This helps create a cohesive visual language and enhances the overall branding of the park.
Functionality:
Icons should serve a functional purpose, providing quick, intuitive guidance. Use icons to represent park amenities, activities, or key information like restrooms, trails, or picnic areas.
Contrast and Visibility:
Ensure icons have high contrast with their background to stand out clearly, especially from a distance. This enhances legibility and accessibility, ensuring the icons are
Available Icons
visible under different lighting conditions.
Size and Proportion:
Icons should be appropriately sized for their placement, ensuring they are visible without overwhelming other design elements. Keep a clear visual hierarchy, with larger icons for more important features.
Legibility:
Choose icons that are easy to understand at a glance. Use standard, universally recognized symbols to ensure all visitors, regardless of language or background, can easily interpret the signage.
Integration with Text:
When using icons alongside text, ensure there’s enough space between the two to prevent clutter. Icons should complement the text, not replace it entirely, for clear and effective communication.
Images Image Guidelines Image Examples
By adhering to these photography guidelines, Tumwater City Parks & Recreation signage will maintain a visually appealing and professional look that effectively communicates the park’s natural beauty and community spirit.
Image Examples
Image Guidelines
High Quality:
Use high-resolution images (at least 300 DPI) to ensure clarity and sharpness, especially for large-format prints. Avoid pixelation or blurry images that could diminish the quality of the signage.
Relevance:
Choose images that reflect the unique aspects of Tumwater City Parks, such as scenic views, wildlife, or recreational activities. Ensure the images align with the park’s identity and intended message.
Natural Lighting:
Opt for photos taken in natural light to enhance the beauty of the park. Aim for early morning or late afternoon for the best lighting, which adds warmth and depth to the photos.
Composition:
Follow the rule of thirds and maintain balanced, well-composed images that draw the viewer’s eye to key subjects. Avoid overly busy or cluttered photos that can detract from the signage message.
Inclusivity:
Feature diverse groups of people engaged in activities at the park, ensuring representation of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to reflect the inclusivity of Tumwater City Parks.
Consistency:
Use a consistent style and tone across all park signage photography. Consider color tone, contrast, and saturation to ensure the images create a cohesive look across all signage materials.
Focus on Detail and Emotion:
Capture moments that evoke a sense of connection to nature, joy, and community. Include close-ups of flora, fauna, and people to highlight the beauty and essence of the park.
Avoid Distractions:
Keep backgrounds simple and uncluttered, and remove any objects or signage that could distract from the main subject of the photo. Ensure no unnecessary distractions are visible in the frame.
Layouts
Layout Guidelines
Using The Golden Ratio
Horizontal Sign Layout
Vertical Sign Layout
Following layout guidelines ensures clear communication, improved readability, and a strong visual hierarchy. It helps maintain consistency, prevents clutter, and enhances the overall user experience, making designs both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Layout Guidelines
Following layout guidelines for park signage ensures consistency, clarity, professionalism, and visual appeal. Key elements include:
• Visual hierarchy: Organize content by importance using size, color, and placement to guide the viewer’s eye naturally through the information. Use the Golden Ratio (explained below) to organize information and other elements.
• Margins: Ensure adequate space around the edges of the design to improve readability and maintain a clean, uncluttered appearance.
• Space: Create breathing room between text, images, and other elements to avoid overcrowding and enhance visual flow.
• Balance: Arrange all components—
such as text, photos, and icons— harmoniously to maintain a cohesive and visually appealing layout.
• Photos: Use high-quality, relevant images that complement the message without overwhelming or distracting from the design.
• Icons: Incorporate clear, simple icons to support the content and make information easy to interpret at a glance.
• Logo placement: Position the logo prominently but tastefully to reinforce the park’s brand while keeping the focus on the message.
By following these guidelines, park signage remains functional, engaging, and easy to understand.
Using The Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio, an ancient mathematical proportion often found in nature, is a powerful tool in graphic design for creating visually appealing and harmonious layouts.
Use the layout of the ratio to organize signage elements such as titles, spacing, sizing, and composition to achieve a natural sense of balance and flow that draws the viewer’s eye intuitively through the design.
In relation to visual hierarchy, the Golden Ratio helps prioritize content by determining the ideal proportions for headings, subheadings, images, and other elements, ensuring they work together seamlessly. This thoughtful structuring not only enhances aesthetics but also improves usability, guiding the audience effortlessly to the most important information.
The Golden Ratio
Horizontal Layout
A horizontal layout for signage is ideal for presenting information in a way that aligns with the natural reading flow, making it easy for viewers to scan from left to right. This format provides ample space for larger visuals, headlines, and detailed text, allowing for a more expansive and balanced design. When using a horizontal layout, it’s important to organize elements with a clear visual hierarchy and ensure proper spacing to maintain readability. This layout works well for wider spaces and can create a more relaxed, approachable feel.
EXAMPLE:
Using the Golden Ratio as a guide, this horizontal layout shows how text, photos, and icons can be arranged to lead the eye from left to right.
Title: Raleway Bold
Subheading: Raleway Semibold
Paragraph heading: Cabin Bold Body copy: Cabin Regular
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Paragraph heading: Cabin Bold
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*Note: The elements used in each layout do not have to fit exactly within the containers of the Golden Ratio. It’s simply meant as a guide to help arrange and organize information in an aesthetically pleasing way, ensuring alignment and that all necessary elements have a place.
Photo caption: Cabin Italic
Vertical Layout
A vertical layout for signage effectively guides the viewer’s eye from top to bottom, making it ideal for presenting information in a clear sequence. Key elements like headings and icons should be placed to establish a strong visual hierarchy, with ample spacing for readability. This format is perfect for narrow spaces, offering a balanced and visually appealing design.
EXAMPLE
Using the Golden Ratio as a guide, this vertical layout shows how text, photos, and icons can be arranged to lead the eye from top to bottom.
Title: Raleway Bold
Subheading: Raleway
Semibold
Paragraph heading: Cabin Bold
Body copy: Cabin Regular
Celis expernatas apienis sequo oditem la que suntota dolor arum idera volupta turersp ernatin pratectis re verio ipsa doluptaesed mo blaborum ent eligeni tibernatio consequ odictem adit offic tem fugia cusciur ate magnim exped expe et lam nimi,
Paragraph heading: Cabin Bold
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Subheading: Raleway
Semibold
Paragraph heading: Cabin Bold
Body copy: Cabin Regular
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Photo caption: Cabin Italic
Printing Print Guidelines Preparing Files
By following these guidelines, you ensure that your large format signage is professional, readable, and effective. Using a professional printer ensures highquality, accurate prints with the proper materials and expertise to bring your design to life. They have the right equipment to handle complex jobs, ensure color accuracy, and offer guidance on paper types, finishes, and other details that can enhance the final product. This professional touch guarantees that your project looks polished and meets industry standards.
Preparing Files for Printing
To package a file for printing in Adobe InDesign, follow these steps to ensure all necessary elements are included and the file is ready for a smooth printing process:
Finalize Your Document:
• Ensure all copy is finalized and all design elements are in place and linked, including images, fonts, and colors.
Check Document Settings:
• Confirm that your document’s dimensions, bleed, and margins are set correctly for the print job. Make sure you’ve included the appropriate bleed area (usually 0.125” to 0.25” depending on the print requirements).
Package the File:
• Select File > Package. This option collects all the necessary components of your document into a single folder, including:
• The InDesign file
• Linked images
• Fonts used in the document
• A high-quality print PDF version of the document with bleeds and printers marks included.
Review the Package Options:
• In the Package dialog box, make sure to select the appropriate options for your needs.
Create the Package:
• Choose a destination folder for the packaged file, and click Package. InDesign will generate a folder containing the InDesign file, all images and fonts used, and any linked files.
Double-Check the Package:
• Open the packaged folder and review the contents to ensure everything has been included. Verify that all fonts and images are present and that the file is ready for the printer.
Print Guidelines for Large Format Signage
Resolution and Quality: Ensure a high resolution (at least 150-300 DPI) to maintain sharpness and clarity when printed at large sizes.
File Format: Use vector-based files (e.g., PDF, AI, EPS) for logos and graphics to prevent pixelation. For images, use high-quality TIFF or JPEG files with adequate resolution.
Color Mode: Always use CMYK color mode for print to ensure color accuracy. Avoid RGB files as they may not match the final printed result.
Bleed and Margins: Include at least 0.125” bleed around the edges to account for cutting inaccuracies. Ensure all text and important elements stay within the safe margin area.
Fonts: Use the fonts in this brand guide. Avoid overly intricate or small text that may become unreadable at large scales.
Contrast and Visibility: Use high contrast between text and background for legibility. Ensure colors are vibrant and stand out, especially when viewed from a distance.
Scaling and Proportions: Maintain correct proportions of design elements when scaling up for larger prints to avoid distortion. Check the layout at actual size or use mockups.
Outdoor Durability: For outdoor signage, choose durable materials like metal, PVC, or heavy viny and consider weatherresistant finishes, such as UV coatings, to protect the print from fading and damage.