Brand Kit Starter
Logo lockups, colour system, type scale and social templates, with Ontario trademark and business-name rules so your brand is safe to use commercially.
Written against
- · Business Names Act (Ontario) — registering an operating name
- · Trademarks Act (Canada) — clearance and registration
- · Copyright Act (Canada) — licensing, moral rights and music use
1. Name and legal clearance (do this first)
- · Search the Ontario Business Registry for conflicting registered business names
- · Search the Canadian Trademarks Database for confusingly similar marks in your class of goods or services
- · Register your operating name in Ontario if you trade under anything other than your exact legal name; registration is valid for five years and must be renewed
- · Registering a business name does not give you exclusive rights — a trademark registration does
- · Secure the .ca and .com domains and matching social handles before you announce
2. Logo system
- · Primary logo, horizontal lockup, stacked lockup, icon/monogram, one-colour version
- · Minimum clear space equal to the height of the icon; minimum size 24 px digital / 15 mm print
- · Approved backgrounds and a short list of prohibited uses (stretching, recolouring, drop shadows, outlines)
- · Export set: SVG, PNG with transparency at 1×/2×/3×, favicon, and CMYK EPS for print
- · Get written assignment of copyright from any designer you hire — in Canada the creator owns copyright by default unless it is assigned in writing
3. Colour system
Ontario organizations covered by the AODA information and communications standard must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA on public websites — build accessible contrast into the palette from day one.
| Role | Use | Contrast requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Buttons, key accents | 4.5:1 against its background |
| Neutral dark | Body text | 4.5:1 minimum |
| Neutral light | Surfaces, cards | n/a |
| Accent | Highlights, badges | 3:1 for large text |
| Semantic | Success, warning, error | 4.5:1 |
4. Typography
- · One display face for headings, one workhorse face for body — no more than two families
- · Type scale: 12 / 14 / 16 / 20 / 24 / 32 / 44 px with 1.5 line height for body copy
- · Confirm the font licence covers web embedding, app use and client work
5. Applied templates
- · Social: profile, cover, post, story, carousel, thumbnail
- · Business: card, invoice, quote, email signature, proposal cover
- · Retail: label, packaging sticker, price card, signage
- · Every template locked to brand colours and fonts so staff cannot drift
This template is provided for general business use and reflects Ontario and federal Canadian requirements as commonly applied. It is not legal, tax or clinical advice. Confirm current requirements with Ontario.ca, your local public health unit or municipality, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the CRA, WSIB and your professional regulator, and have high-risk documents reviewed by a licensed Ontario lawyer or accountant before use.