When a Church Logo Isn’t Enough

In the graphic design world, much of our time is spent on layout. This is because you usually have fixed content, and a fixed space where that content needs to go. If those two variables are set in stone, then it’s up to the designer to solve the Tetris puzzle - how can I fit X content into Y box? Sometimes this is easier said than done. As a brand designer who often continues to help churches “roll out” their new visuals following a rebrand, I want to make things as easy as possible for future Braden. What if we get a space where the logo doesn’t fit, or looks awkward? This comes up quite a bit, and it’s something that can be solved by having an alternate verison of your logo for just such scenarios. The need for a mark to fit into narrow spaces comes up more than you might expect. Lanyards Banners Table runners Outdoor signs Leather belts (just seeing if you’re paying attention) Creating a “wide” version of your church logo means your brand can look and feel comfortable in those spaces that are too narrow for a more squarish mark. The way you do this is pretty straightforward, with some caveats and a couple of bonus tips I’ll share at the end. Unstack multiple lines of text into one line Move the icon to the left or right side of the mark (sometimes it can go in the middle of the words) That’s it! Well, sort of… Below I’ve put an example of how to apply this in practice. Also, if your church does have leather belts with your logo, please stop it. Get some help.

A side adventure I’ve had for the last two years has been bringing Oklahoma Trading Cards to market. But this week, that adventure almost ended abruptly. Turning photos of iconic landmarks into a product for sale, we knew we needed to be on our toes when it came to copyright. We thought all our ducks were in a row until we stumbled on a goose; a very aggressive goose who was not happy about his trademarked pop bottle sign being featured. We thought we were in the clear, but trademarks are tricky things. Now we have to negotiate with the business owner on how to compensate him and whether we need to stop our sales. At the time of writing, we’ve sold them all over Oklahoma so it’s no small matter. If you’re taking inspiration from a well-known or iconic image of any kind for your church, check the trademark database and avoid the headaches we’re going through now.

No, not that kind. I’m talking about a crest or circular mark that adds a level of class to your overall brand. You might think, “Isn’t a seal something you press into wax on a scroll or an envelope? I can’t see our church needing something so… outdated?” I’ll grant that. Seals and crests have been around a long time. But their oldness is exactly what makes them such a useful form for a logo to take. For almost every organization, and certainly for a church, there are times when you want to present yourself with a bit more formality. Pop quiz: You‘re greeting someone you know. Do you…? A. Give a short nod B. Embrace them with a warm hug C. Offer a firm handshake The answer is, it depends on the context! Some situations call for a nod, others a hug, and depending on where you are, neither of those things might be appropriate. The logo seal is the firm handshake of visual branding. Having this brand mark in your arsenal is tantamount to elevate your brand for settings where more formality and gravity is required.

I’ve encountered confusion when I provide multiple versions of a logo for a rebrand project, especially regarding the scaled-down or “mini” version. Why do we need this one? Shouldn’t the main logo be just fine? It’s understandable. Designers love to be nitpicky and anal about things. And most logos can work at small sizes (ish). But you want to elevate your brand above just “good enough” right? The thing to understand about “mini” versions of a logo is that they solve a very specific problem: Most logos with any kind of complexity will start to lose their detail or integrity at a certain size when scaled down. Beyond that point (usually around 1in on the longest dimension), linework starts to appear thin, gaps begin to plug up, and the logo loses its presence. Every medium for rendering an image or a shape into the real world has its limitations. Digital screens are limited by pixels. Ink on paper is limited by the dot size and density. Embroidery is limited by thread and needle size. Laser etching is limited by tolerance in the machinery and surface material. I could go on with this list, but it’s actually not necessary that you understand these different techniques. The critical idea is this: Relative size matters more than anything else. Every medium comes with logo limitations. Relative size is what matters most. For a sunglasses company, they need at least a version of the logo which works in the tiny space on the stem of a pair of sunglasses. For a food truck with no website or merch to speak of, the logo can be more complex, and is only limited by what can be printed on a vehicle wrap or a menu. For most churches, having a website is enough of a reason to have a logo optimized to fit in that little square provided by the browser tab (usually called a “favicon”). It’s a common practice for many churches and other organizations to have a mini logo, and it’s why I recommend all of my clients use the mini version I provide them in their branding package. If you ever anticipate getting the logo embroidered on a hat, embossed on a journal, or printed on a lanyard, you will probably need a simplified brand mark.

Just use red? Can it really be that simple? Red is historically a color used by churches of all denominations, and it checks all the boxes I’ve mentioned so far in this color selection series. ✅ It makes a bold hero color and contrasts with both white and black. ✅ Among other biblical tie-ins, red symbolizes the blood of Christ that is offered in the gospel. ✅ Almost every church building or location has some form of red that can be sampled for a close match. There are an infinite number of shades of red that can work for a church brand identity. Even if you’re not using red as one of your core colors, see if there’s a place for it in your supporting color palette. P.S. This week I’m focusing on church brand color selection principles, which I’ve gathered the hard way from years of church rebrands. If you want the complete guide, I’ve collected all of the principles into a single post here.

Carefully crafting color categories can catalyze cohesion. Alliteration aside, the categories or buckets you sort your colors into will determine the overall look and feel of your church’s brand. If you try to use too many colors spread out across different channels, your visual identity can start to feel incoherent and disjointed. Core colors Keeping the visual identity unified is why we normally pick 2 to 4 “core colors,” which are the duo, trio, or quartet that glue your whole brand together. Core colors can help focus the look of the brand and make it recognizable by a particular combination of colors alone. This also means core colors must be used and guarded more carefully than other colors. Supporting colors Supporting colors are generally taken from other parts of the color spectrum. We do this to add a certain level of variety and depth to the overall brand. Having supporting colors sprinkled in throughout your brand helps prevent it from being strictly monochromatic, which can come across as flat or boring. Even if your core colors aren’t monochromatic, they can be easy to overuse, diluting their impact and handicapping their ability to grab attention. So, to sum up, distinguishing between core colors and supporting colors is all about proportions and ratios. Disproportionate use of even the perfect palette can send the wrong message, so prioritize which colors you want to stand out and maintain that balance. P.S. This week I’m focusing on church brand color selection principles, which I’ve gathered the hard way from years of church rebrands. If you want the complete guide, I’ve collected all of the principles into a single post here.

Look for symbolism Just like with your church logo, you’ll want layers of meaning and depth behind your church color choices. One way to accomplish this is through symbolism. Colors are symbolic because they can bring to mind a mix of material things and abstract ideas. Here are a few examples… but before I share them with you, keep in mind that these colors are broad and have many different meanings associated with them. The symbolism I’m focusing on here is related specifically to churches, and how a church might use these for their brand colors. Don’t start using them without doing your own research as well. Okay, with that out of the way, here are some color symbolism examples: Gold Gold can communicate permanency, age, and class. It symbolizes kingship, wealth, and light. Orange Orange can communicate energy, friendliness, and youthfulness. It symbolizes flowers, fire, and sunsets. Red Red can communicate courage, warmth, and gravity. It symbolizes blood, life, love, and sometimes purity. Purple Purple can communicate spirituality, depth, and confidence. It symbolizes royal robes, heaven, and wisdom. Teal Teal can communicate balance, peace, and renewal. It symbolizes healing, water, and growth. If you want to go deeper, here’s where you can read more on color symbolism and usage (from a secular source). P.S. This week I’m focusing on church brand color selection principles, which I’ve gathered the hard way from years of church rebrands. If you want the complete guide, I’ve collected all of the principles into a single post here.

Brand colors aren’t always black and white (wink), so this week I’m answering the following questions: How do you get buy-in and agreement on what the colors should be? How do you know which colors to use more and which to use less? How do you stay confident in your colors over years and years? Those questions all have the same answer: timeless color selection principles. I’m giving you mine, which I’ve gathered the hard way from years of church rebrands. If you want the complete guide, I’ve collected all of these principles into a single post here. Sample Everything In a vacuum, it’s easy for one person to pick colors that “look good.” But when the stakes are high and the colors have look good to more people in more contexts, suddenly things get trickier. Sampling colors from the real world can be a great starting point for palettes that feel cohesive and familiar. Palettes taken from nature, architecture, and even human features translate surprisingly well to both digital and print. Scottish tweed makers will go out into the countryside, capture a swatch of colors from their environment, and use those colors in their designs. What’s stopping us from doing the same thing? Find or take a photo of your church building, its surroundings, or something in your environment that fits the aesthetic you’re going for. Pull the image into a tool like Coolors.co and start sampling. You’ll notice that the palettes you can create will have light colors in the highlights of the image, dark colors in the shadows, and mid tones which are more vibrant or less vibrant. You’ll want at least one of each. Then, when you’re feeling good about a particular palette, you can go beyond the screen to a Home Depot or Sherwin Williams paint store. Gather swatches close to the colors in your palette, and compare them in different real-life environments. If you follow these steps for sampling, it’s hard to go wrong.

A few months ago, Crossway released The Dyslexia-Friendly Bible, featuring a new font they called “Grace.” The design team took a data-driven approach, carefully studying and testing what tiny details makes a font more accessible for dyslexic readers. This Bible also featured special design touches to make the reading experience more approachable, and less fatiguing. The team working on the design used existing studies, focus groups, and user testing to optimize things like paragraph spacing and line height (and other technical specs we designers are thinking about all the time). The end result was a beautiful product that is already changing the way thousands read and access God’s Word. This brings me the same joy as when the Scriptures are translated into a new language. Praise God! It’s also a good reminder that intentional design can make your localized vision and message accessible to a previously “unreached” people group. Are you studying what prevents your congregation and community from "getting" it?

I’ll admit, I fit the graphic designer stereotype. I spend too much time oohing and ahhing over mockups, color palettes, and typefaces, and little tiny details that nobody else cares about. One way I fit the designer stereotype is that I’m a font hoarder… “That new typeface I bought? I know I saved it here somewhere….” “I’ll definitely use this font at some point… unlike the other one I bought last year and never used…” Maybe I am Michael Scott: Oscar: “Okay, the green bar is what you spend every month on stuff you need, like a car and a house.” Michael: “That's so cool how you have my name at the top.” Oscar: “The red bar is what you spend on non-essentials, like magazines, entertainment. And this scary black bar is what you spend on things that no one ever, ever needs, like multiple magic sets, professional bass fishing equipment.” Michael: “How did you do this so fast? Is this PowerPoint?” In that spirit, I want to share eight free or inexpensive fonts that you can use in your church branding to bring it into the 21st century and give it some life without breaking the bank. 1. Funnel Display / Funnel Sans Funnel Sans and Funnel Display are modern sans-serif typefaces with both clarity and character, originally developed by NORD ID and Kristian Möller for Funnel. Funnel Sans is a functional yet personal sans-serif, featuring both square and circular shapes in its letterforms. In Funnel Display, certain parts of the stems are shifted to further enhance the sense of movement. Get it here. 2. Inknut Antiqua Inknut Antiqua is an Antiqua typeface for literature and long-form text. Approaching the idea of web-publishing as a modern day private press, it is designed to evoke Venetian incunabula and humanist manuscripts, but with the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the kinds of typefaces you find in this artisanal tradition. Get it here. 3. TeX Gyre Bonum TeX Gyre Bonum can be used as a replacement for ITC Bookman (designed by Alexander Phemister, 1860, redesigned by Edward Benguiat, 1975). Get it here. 4. Outfit Outfit follows the forms of classic (and classy) geometric sans-serif families like Futura, but with 21st century features and modifications. Get it here. 5. Afacad The ’Afacad typeface project’ commenced in 2017 as a personalised lettering endeavour for Slagskeppet, a Swedish housing tenant, who sought fresh house address numbering for their entrances. The letters and numerals were meticulously crafted to harmonise with the architectural proportions and materials employed by Architect Sture Elmén during the 1940s. Get it here. 6. Felonia Felonia is an elegant serif font that blends retro and classic vibes, offering sophistication and a touch of nostalgia to your designs. Its timeless appeal makes it perfect for creating fresh and innovative designs. Get it here. 7. Hepta Slab Hepta Slab is a slab-serif revival based on specimens of antique genre types from Bruce and Co., primarily Antique 307. The family is a variable font which consists of 10 weights with the extremes intended for display use and the middle weights for setting text. Get it here. 8. Gambarino / Gambetta Gambarino is a condensed, single-weight serif face for headlines. Gambetta is intended for use in book design and in editorial design; the fonts come from Paul Troppmar. Get Gambarino here. Get Gambetta here.

Sometimes you’re stuck with a brand you inherited from whoever came before you. If the gut feelings and associations around that brand are good, then you don’t want to throw everything out and start over from scratch. As my dad would say: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s true… but… there comes a time when you could use a little refresh to make that brand more effective, without losing the trust and goodwill built up in the past. You need a good old Rebrand Lite™️ Color adjustments One option is to brighten up your color palette slightly, bringing a little more energy and vibrancy without losing the hues that are recognized by your congregation. Logo adjustments A second way to do a light brand refresh is to refine your existing logo. What is the core idea it represents? Is there anything that distracts from that core idea? What happens if you simplify it just slightly? If it’s multiple colors, is there a way to make it work in a single color? This is a more advanced option, but even a slight adjustment can help your logo look more clean and confident. Font adjustments There are two elements to typography: selection and application. Fonts can be tricky to navigate because there are so many bad ones out there. Rather than picking totally new fonts, think about how your existing fonts that could be used in a new creative way. If you’re pruning things that distract, and nurturing things that bear fruit, you’ll be able to make an outdated brand work for a long time! It’s not a forever solution, but hopefully these strategies can make a difference in the meantime.

Part of my process when I help a church to rebrand involves giving them what I call a “branding toolkit.” This is basically a set of logos, colors, fonts, patterns, textures, photography, etc. they can use to quickly create digital graphics or print pieces that look and feel like their church. In the past, I’ve handed this toolkit off as just digital files, stored on a hard drive or in the cloud. It worked, but it was a little clunky. Then I found out about Canva Brand Kits. These were a game changer… and the best part is, churches get Canva Pro for free. (Canva didn’t sponsor this or anything like that, in fact I despised it for a long time because of how simplistic it used to be... it’s a powerhouse now) With a brand kit, your whole visual identity is a living, breathing system. Your colors are live swatches rather than just hex codes. Your fonts are set up as different styles and apply with just a click. I think I’m behind the times on this, but I wanted to share it in case you or your staff haven’t taken full advantage of brand kits. Have you tried it? Hit reply and let me know how it went.

If you’re a church that does sermon series graphics, then you might have struggled with how far to push the envelope in those visuals. Do you download the latest free template from Free Church Media or Ministry Designs dot com? Do you design them in-house? For us creatives, it’s enticing to explore and use new visuals every few months. But I want to encourage you to curb that impulse. Here’s why: Those unbranded templates and graphics can ultimately work against your brand. But wait, they’re not permanent - what’s so bad about them? Over time, these graphics become part of your brand, whether you like it or not. Using templates that are fun, fresh, and modern might feel like a good way to keep things interesting, but over time that variety adds up into noise. Over time, too much variety accumulates into noise. Instead of your sermon graphics reinforcing your brand, they can start to pollute it. They start to appear disjointed and random when you sample them as a whole. To protect your brand, you need a common thread woven throughout. This is why brand guidelines are so important. They provide a fixed scope for visual styles. Robust brand guidelines will tell you not only what that common thread is, but how it should be integrated in different contexts. If you’re worried about your sermon graphics polluting your brand rather than reinforcing it, check your brand guidelines to see if there’s a way to bring that free template into alignment. If you don’t have brand guidelines, consider having some created. It’s a great way to get the most out of your existing logo and can help you add variety to your church’s communications, without feeling random.

No, not that kind. I’m talking about a crest or circular mark that adds a level of class to your overall brand. You might think, “Isn’t a seal something you press into wax on a scroll or an envelope? I can’t see our church needing something so… outdated?” I’ll grant that. Seals and crests have been around a long time. But their oldness is exactly what makes them such a useful form for a logo to take. For almost every organization, and certainly for a church, there are times when you want to present yourself with a bit more formality. Pop quiz: You‘re greeting someone you know. Do you…? A. Give a short nod B. Embrace them with a warm hug C. Offer a firm handshake The answer is, it depends on the context! Some situations call for a nod, others a hug, and depending on where you are, neither of those things might be appropriate. The logo seal is the firm handshake of visual branding. Having this brand mark in your arsenal is tantamount to elevate your brand for settings where more formality and gravity is required.

I’ve encountered confusion when I provide multiple versions of a logo for a rebrand project, especially regarding the scaled-down or “mini” version. Why do we need this one? Shouldn’t the main logo be just fine? It’s understandable. Designers love to be nitpicky and anal about things. And most logos can work at small sizes (ish). But you want to elevate your brand above just “good enough” right? The thing to understand about “mini” versions of a logo is that they solve a very specific problem: Most logos with any kind of complexity will start to lose their detail or integrity at a certain size when scaled down. Beyond that point (usually around 1in on the longest dimension), linework starts to appear thin, gaps begin to plug up, and the logo loses its presence. Every medium for rendering an image or a shape into the real world has its limitations. Digital screens are limited by pixels. Ink on paper is limited by the dot size and density. Embroidery is limited by thread and needle size. Laser etching is limited by tolerance in the machinery and surface material. I could go on with this list, but it’s actually not necessary that you understand these different techniques. The critical idea is this: Relative size matters more than anything else. Every medium comes with logo limitations. Relative size is what matters most. For a sunglasses company, they need at least a version of the logo which works in the tiny space on the stem of a pair of sunglasses. For a food truck with no website or merch to speak of, the logo can be more complex, and is only limited by what can be printed on a vehicle wrap or a menu. For most churches, having a website is enough of a reason to have a logo optimized to fit in that little square provided by the browser tab (usually called a “favicon”). It’s a common practice for many churches and other organizations to have a mini logo, and it’s why I recommend all of my clients use the mini version I provide them in their branding package. If you ever anticipate getting the logo embroidered on a hat, embossed on a journal, or printed on a lanyard, you will probably need a simplified brand mark.

Recently I shared a story about a church who was threatened with a lawsuit due to a similar logo. But that was probably just a fluke - is spending the time and money on a trademark really necessary? As it turns out, there are other cases of trademark battles involving churches, and more nuanced reasons to venture down the trademarking path. I’ve been learning about this process lately, so I figured I would share what I’m learning here and contextualize it for churches. With that, here are five reasons you might want to trademark your church name and logo. 1. You’ve been confused with other organizations This first one should be obvious, but trademarking your church’s name and logo is the best way to prevent organizational identity theft and brand abuse. In 2010, the International House of Prayer (IHOP), faced a trademark infringement lawsuit from the restaurant chain International House of Pancakes, also known as IHOP. The restaurant chain alleged that the ministry’s use of the acronym “IHOP” and the website domain “ihop.org” caused confusion and diluted its brand. Although the lawsuit was eventually dropped and settled out of court, the ministry agreed to rebrand itself as IHOPKC to distinguish itself from the restaurant chain. 2. You sell merchandise If you’re selling books, shirts, or creating digital resources under your church’s name, a trademark can help you maintain control over the brand. As soon as you start putting your name or logo on merchandise like shirts, mugs, hats, books, etc., you’re entering the realm of commerce. A trademarked image and name helps you protect your church’s right to sell those products without worrying about knock-offs or competing merch. Otherwise, another church could copy your image for their own merch and start profiting off it. Online platforms like Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy will sometimes even require you to trademark your brand, rather than run the risk of stores impersonating you. 3. You create media resources Similar to physical products, digital products can be replicated, resold, or changed without your permission, which can quickly turn into a huge headache. In fact, digital products are even more vulnerable than physical products because they are easier to make and distribute copies of. Media resources like trainings, devotionals or Bible-reading plans, and paid digital content (even if it’s just raising support for a campaign) can all be exploited without trademark protection. 4. You’re expanding digitally In that same vein, creating content online can become more complicated as your brand and audience grows. Even if there’s no money changing hands, your church’s reputation is an asset that can be maligned or challenged. All that to say, if you’re expanding online (websites, social media, podcasts), you probably want to think about trademarking sooner than later. 5. You’re expanding geographically If you’re starting satellite campuses, or gaining regional/national recognition, trademarking helps protect your brand across state lines. At the end of the day, without proper trademark protection, your name or logo can be used by others, leading to confusion or association with unrelated or even opposing groups.