Every printed vermilion has to be the same vermilion. Colour build is the spec that makes it so — spot Pantone first, a tested CMYK fallback second, and ink limits that keep dark fields clean.

SPOTPANTONE 173 C INKBlack 6 C PROCESSCMYK tested RULESpot-first

F01.1 · SPOT COLOUR

Pantone, by default.

The vermilion is PANTONE 173 C and the ink is Black 6 C. Where budget allows, both print as spot colours so the accent is identical on every job, regardless of press.

F01.2 · CMYK FALLBACK

A tested build.

For four-colour and digital runs, the vermilion uses a fixed CMYK build chosen on press — not the auto-conversion, which prints muddy. The values ship with the artwork.

F01.3 · INK LIMITS & OVERPRINT

Clean darks.

The ink field uses a rich-black build within a 300% total ink limit so large dark areas stay flat and dry properly. The mark overprints rather than knocking out.

F01.4 · PROOFING

Sign the proof.

Key pieces get a wet or contract proof checked against the Pantone book under D50 light. The accent is signed off physically — screens lie about colour.

The mark needs air around it and a size below which it stops working. Clear-space and minimum-size rules protect the mark in print and on screen — the two numbers that keep it legible everywhere.

CLEAR1u all sides MIN PRINT8 mm MIN SCREEN24 px RULENever crowd

F02.1 · CLEAR-SPACE

One unit, all sides.

Clear-space equals 1u — the height of the ³ exponent — on every side. Nothing intrudes: no type, no rules, no other logos. The mark always has its own room.

F02.2 · MINIMUM SIZES

A hard floor.

In print the mark holds to 8 mm tall; on screen to 24 px. Below these the exponent and counters break up. There is no exception — if it won’t fit, the layout changes.

F02.3 · BLEED & SAFE

Edges, handled.

Print artwork carries 3 mm bleed and keeps critical content 4 mm inside the trim. The mark never sits in the bleed zone where a trim shift could clip it.

F02.4 · EXCEPTIONS

Almost none.

The only sanctioned small-size cut is the 16 px favicon, which uses a simplified mark. Everything else obeys the floor — documented here so no one invents their own.

Paper is the part of the brand you feel before you read. The stock spec keeps every printed piece on the same tactile register — heavy, uncoated, matte — and rules out the finishes that cheapen it.

DEFAULTUncoated WEIGHTS120–600 gsm FINISHMatte AVOIDGloss

F03.1 · STOCK WEIGHTS

Heavier than expected.

A weight ladder runs from 120 gsm for letterhead to 600 gsm for cards. Each artefact has a specified weight so the brand always feels a notch more substantial than people assume.

F03.2 · UNCOATED DEFAULT

Tooth, not shine.

Uncoated natural-white is the default everywhere. It takes ink matte, holds a pen, and feels honest. Coated stock is the rare exception for photo-heavy pieces only.

F03.3 · FINISH OPTIONS

Matte, then texture.

Where a finish is added it is tactile, not shiny — soft-touch laminate, an emboss, a painted edge. Gloss and high-UV are off the table; they read as cheap against the type.

F03.4 · SUSTAINABILITY

Recycled where it counts.

Stocks are FSC-certified, with recycled options specified for high-volume pieces. Sustainability is part of the spec, not an afterthought stamped on at the end.

Foil, emboss and die-cut are the brand’s special-occasion finishes — reserved for the pieces that matter, used once per piece, never sprinkled around. Specified here so “premium” never tips into gaudy.

FOILPMS 871 gold EMBOSSBlind DIE-CUTMark shape RULEOne per piece

F04.1 · FOIL

Gold, or vermilion.

Gold foil is PMS 871 on dark stock; a vermilion foil exists for the mark on ink. Foil goes on one element only — usually the mark — never on body text.

F04.2 · EMBOSS & DEBOSS

Felt, not seen.

A blind emboss or deboss of the mark adds texture without ink — best on covers and cards. Registered to the print where combined with foil for a sculpted effect.

F04.3 · DIE-CUT

Cut to the shape.

Die-cuts follow the mark silhouette for cards, tags and folder details. Each die-line is drawn to the artwork with proper bridges so delicate cuts survive handling.

F04.4 · WHEN TO USE

Once, and only once.

One special finish per piece, on the highest-tier items only — board decks, awards, premium cards. Stacking foil plus emboss plus die-cut on one piece reads as trying too hard.

Packaging is the brand’s closing act — the box a gift or a kit arrives in. A simple box system, a branded mailer, and a considered unboxing turn a delivery into a moment worth photographing.

BOXModular system MAILERBranded FILLTissue · wrap RULEUnboxing matters

F05.1 · BOX SYSTEM

A few sizes.

A small modular set of rigid boxes — ink outside, the reversed mark on the lid, a vermilion interior reveal. Three sizes cover gifts, kits and welcome packs.

F05.2 · MAILER

Branded, and tough.

Shipping mailers carry the mark and a short line, printed one-colour on kraft for everyday sends. Sturdy enough to arrive intact — the first touch shouldn’t be a dented box.

F05.3 · FILL & TISSUE

Wrapped, not stuffed.

Contents are wrapped in mark-printed tissue and a vermilion sticker seal, with paper fill — never plastic peanuts. The inside should feel as considered as the outside.

F05.4 · UNBOXING

A small sequence.

Opening is choreographed: lid, a printed welcome card, the wrapped contents, the reveal. A few seconds of order that says the brand cares about the last impression as much as the first.