United States Postal Service: Postal Service Postal Customer Council Graphic Guidelines
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Table of Contents Questions on the correct reproduction of the PCC PROGRAM OFFICE E-mail: pcc@usps.gov BRAND EQUITY & DESIGN E-mail: imagereq@email.usps.gov |
INTRODUCTION
Everywhere, every day, the United States Postal Service® touches every American. The U.S. Postal Service® is a symbol of trust and dependability in the life of America. These guidelines are for designers, art directors and contractors who create communications materials by all Postal Customer Council (PCC) members and postal employees who are involved with PCCs. These guidelines contain a set postal standard that have been developed to assist you by giving clear, consistent direction to the outside suppliers with whom you work.
For additional information or if you have questions, contact the PCC Program Office, the Customer and Industry Department at USPS Headquarters at pcc@usps.gov.
POSTAL SERVICE BRAND
The Postal Service brand is much more than a logo or a word. It’s the sum of all the tangible and intangible characteristics in verbal and visual messaging that makes our products and services unique to consumers, employees and other stakeholders. The brand is not only the image that we project but also how customers perceive the Postal Service.
The Postal Customer Council symbol is the look, the feel, the sound, the logo that Postal Service presents to customers. U.S. Postal Service remains distinctive in the service it provides to the nation. As America’s oldest delivery entity, the Postal Service is trusted to deliver money, messages and merchandise. In the delivery business today, it’s harder to sustain real differentiation between delivery services because all delivery companies offer similar products, services and guarantees. Competitive advantage depends on the way we do our jobs and our personality. The U.S. Postal Service is associated with trust, patriotism and the federal government.
It’s about universal service — delivering to every business and residence in the nation. The U.S. Postal Service champions the bond between sender and receiver, while making that everyday connection happen with value and dependability.
CORPORATE IDENTITY
The Postal Service’s corporate identity is a unique set of attributes that defines the Postal Service based on the experiences, impressions and emotions of our customers, employees and stakeholders when they come in contact with USPS® products, services, employees, images and communications.
Every day, the Postal Service has the opportunity to build on its corporate identity — our customers’ perceptions about our performance — at every touch point. To build and maintain a corporate identity requires that writers and designers use and present the elements of the corporate identity system in a consistent manner.
The Postal Service is the only entity that can use this powerful symbol to identify itself in both the collection, transmission, and delivery of mail, and its marketing communications material that the Postal Service produces.
POLICY ON PUBLICATIONS AND USE OF POSTAL SERVICE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
All PCC publications, mailings, materials, and other communication media, including individual PCC websites that are linked to, must be consistent in theme and purpose with the PCC Mission and are subject to approval by the local PCC Executive Board. Additionally, PCC materials must:
(1) Be consistent with the Postal Service’s intent to maintain neutrality on religious, social, political, legal, moral or other public issues;
(2) Not be obscene, deceptive, or defamatory of any person, entity, or group, nor advocate unlawful action; and
(3) Not harm the public image, reputation, or good will of the Postal Service nor otherwise be derogatory or detrimental to the interests of the Postal Service. Any questions about whether a proposed publication is consistent with this policy must be referred to the PCC Program office.
PCCs shall not, without the prior written permission and consent of the Postal Service, use any Postal Service intellectual property, including, but not limited to, the use of trademarks, service marks, logos, icons, trade names, trade dress, and materials subject to copyright protection, including, text, content, illustrations, photographs, stamps, and other images, owned by the Postal Service or originating from a Postal Service source. PCCs can seek permission to use Postal Service intellectual property from USPS Rights and Permissions, which can be found at: http://www.usps.com/rightsandpermissions/. PCCs seeking to use the PCC Logos must read, understand, and accept the conditions on page four of this guide. Permission for these PCCs to use the PCC Logos need not be sought through USPS Rights and Permissions.
POLICY ON ADVERTISING
PCC publications, mailings, materials, and other communication media, including individual PCC web sites that are linked to, may not be used to advertise or promote individual businesses or vendors or to convey other messages or commentary not in furtherance of the PCC Mission. “Advertising” is defined in this context as the use of sales slogans or verbiage intended to promote non-Postal Service products, services, or businesses, as well as other types of messages or commentary that are not strictly designed to promote or serve the PCC Mission or Postal Service products or services. The definition of “advertising” in this context does not include appropriate acknowledgment of sponsorships/donations as defined by this Publication (see Section of Publication 286 entitled “Appropriate Acknowledgement of Donations and Sponsorships”). Any questions about whether a communication constitutes advertising in violation of this prohibition must be referred to the PCC Program office.
CONDITIONS OF USE FOR THE PCC LOGOS
The Postal Service grants a limited license to use the PCC Logos only under the conditions set forth in 1 through 4 of this section. The Postal Service views any use of the PCC Logos inconsistent with these conditions as an infringement of its intellectual property rights.
1. This license is granted only to Postal Customer Councils and their membership. Use by any other entities or persons is not approved or licensed, and will be considered an infringement of the rights of the Postal Service.
2. The PCC Logos may be used only on PCC envelopes, PCC postcards, PCC letterhead, PCC business cards, PCC newsletters, PCC web sites, PCC clothing, and PCC office items.
3. The Postal Service reserves the right to obtain information regarding the scope of use, to seek the termination of all unauthorized uses, and to pursue all legal remedies available to it.
4. Use of the PCC Logos must conform strictly to the guidelines set forth in this guide, including prior approval of all uses of the logos by the Postal Service’s Manager of Brand Equity and Design.
Direct your questions on the correct reproduction of the PCC Logos to:
PCC PROGRAM OFFICE
475 L’ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 2P546
WASHINGTON DC 20260-0546
E-mail: PCC@usps.gov
PCC SYMBOL — POSITIVE USE
Small Use
This application is to be used only on labels,
postcards, and envelopes that do not exceed
4 1/8” x 9 1/2 “ (Standard #10 envelope).
Font: Arial Bold Italic; Type size: 16 points Rules: 1.5 points; Length of rules; 7/8”. Type is set centered within length of rules.
Large Use
This application is to be used on placards and all
other envelopes, which are large and oversized.
Font: Arial Bold Italic; Type size: 32 points Rules: 3 points; Length of rules; 3 – 7/8”. Type must set centered within length of rules.
Color
The First-Class Mail symbol may only be used
in two colors: Black and Postal Blue (Postal
Blue = PMS 294*).
The symbol must be printed only on a light colored background.
*PMS is a registered trademark of Pantone Matching System.
PCC SYMBOL — REVERSE USE
The PCC emblem should be easy to distinguish from its background. When the PCC emblem is placed on a background that is darker than 40% screen of black, the reverse use is applied
1 color: Black
1 color: PMS 294, 485
1 color: PMS 294, 485
PCC SYMBOL — INCORRECT USE
The PCC emblem should be easy to distinguish from its background. When the PCC emblem is placed on a background that is darker than 40% screen of black, the reverse use is applied.
PCC SYMBOL PLACEMENT —
ENVELOPES & POSTCARDS
On envelopes, postcards, and labels, place the PCC symbol on the front of the envelope. Place the symbol vertically from the top edge of the envelope to the top edge of the address area. Maintain the clearance area around the symbol to keep an identification of the mailpiece as it goes through the system. Do not place anything above the symbol.
PCC SYMBOL PLACEMENT —
WORD TEMPLATES & NEWSLETTERS
There are three separate locations to place the PCC symbol when creating a one page document. They are:
- Flush left, where the PCC symbol would align on the left side margin;
- Flush right, where the PCC symbol would align with the right side margin;
- Or the PCC symbol would be centered within the left side and right side margin.
For sizing please refer to page 6 for the proper sized symbol to be used when creating a one page document.
SAMPLE PCC NEWSLETTER — COVER
SAMPLE PCC NEWSLETTER — LEFT INTERIOR PAGE
SAMPLE PCC NEWSLETTER — RIGHT INTERIOR PAGE
SAMPLE PCC NEWSLETTER — BACK COVER
REPRODUCTION — FOR EMBROIDERY ONLY
The Postal Customer Council (PCC) emblem below has been specially created for embroidery only . Please do not alter the PCC emblem when reproducing it.
APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
Approval is required from the manager of Brand Equity & Design for any application of the Postal Customer Council (PCC) emblem.
To expedite the process, please mail or fax a preliminary layout. If you prefer to E-mail an electronic file, please send a PDF file.
E-mails must not exceed 2 megabytes.
Mail to:
Manager, Brand Equity & Design
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260-3100
Fax to:
Manager, Brand Equity & Design
202.268.2392
E-mail to:
imagereq@email.usps.gov
REPRODUCTION — OFFICE ITEMS
It is customary to have on hand a selection of standard office items for distribution. To date, the following items have been selected to display the PCC Symbol:
- Binders/Portfolios
- Mugs/Coffee Cups
- Note Pads
- Pens/Pencils
- Caps
- Water Bottles
Other office items may be prepared with the PCC symbol; however, the items must be in keeping with the USPS quality standards, and designs must support our reputation for excellence. Use only the sizes specified on the reproduction sheets. The small-size format may not be reduced for these items because any reduction makes the corporate signature unreadable.
The PCC symbol may appear in a one-, two-, or three-color format. For exact color specifications, see pages 6 through 7. The size of an item and the minimum size allowed for the PCC symbol might not accommodate the PCC symbol. For these particular situations, use the words Postal Customer Council in 65 Helvetica Medium without the PCC symbol.
BUSINESS CARDS
Cards have been created to assist PCCs in recruitment of additional members. These two sided cards are available on Message Maker 3 (postal authorized users only).
CLEARANCE AREA — ALL USES
Always display the PCC emblem prominently without interference from other graphic elements such as photographs, illustrations, body text, or frame boundaries such as in a web page. Certain display requirements have been established to prevent competition from other graphic elements.
LOGO SHEET
PCC WEBSITE — HOW TO MODIFY OR UPDATE A LOCAL PCC WEBSITE USING THE PCC WEBSITE TEMPLATE
This guide should be used to modify and maintain a local PCC website according to USPS Brand Equity & Design standards. In order to update the PCC website, it is not necessary that you be a web designer or that you have had more than a year’s experience with website updating. However, maintaining a basic site on a regular basis according to templates and site organization can be quite complicated and requires advanced computer skills. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with the current version of Dreamweaver, understand Section 508 standards, and consult with USPS’s Department of Information Technology before attempting to make any modifications to the site. Training on these programs might take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on one’s prior experience.
BECOME VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CURRENT VERSION OF DREAMWEAVER
If you are not already familiar with or well-versed in Dreamweaver or basic web design and site management, consult an instructional book or an online tutorial like Lynda.com’s Dreamweaver CS3 Essential Training. Make sure to pay special attention to the chapters on CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
UNDERSTAND SECTION 508 STANDARDS FOR WEB ACCESSIBILITY
If you are not already well-versed in Section 508 Compliancy standards, become knowledgeable about the rules and regulations from online resources, e.g. http://www.section508.gov and Lynda.com’s chapter “Web Accessibility Principles” in Dreamweaver CS3 tutorial.
CREATE A NEW SITE IN DREAMWEAVER
- Place the PCCWEBSITE2008 folder on your desktop or a place that is easily accessible for you.
- Open Dreamweaver then go to top menu panel and click on SITE > NEW SITE.
- In the local info category in Advanced mode, make site name “PCC_site”
- Define the Local root folder to be PCC_site folder located inside PCCWEBSITE2008.
- Define “Default images folder” to be images subfolder within the PCC_site folder.
- Then to finish and exit for the time being, hit OK button at bottom right corner.
(IMG. 1 is just an example of the Dreamweaver site definition window you will likely see when performing these steps. You will not be filling out the forms exactly the same as the picture because of the differences in computer names. To be most accurate, click on the folder icons to the right of the form and select folders.)
MODIFY CONTENT IN EXISTING PAGES VIA EDITABLE REGIONS
To update information on pages, you will need to insert or modify text content sections called editable regions in Dreamweaver. (see IMG 2)
The font sizes and paragraph properties should stay the same based on the template and attached CSS pages. If they shift or change for some reason while you input new copy, use the following as a guide:
Headers: Impact, 100%, color: # 005a9c
Paraheading: HelveticaCondensedBlack;
Color: #333333
Body: Helvetica; Color: #333333
- In the new document design view, click inside the EditRegion 1 area and change the title accordingly. (see IMG. 2)
- Click inside the EditRegion 2 area and insert new text (via copy & paste from your original document or by typing in directly) section by section to insure that the headings and paragraphs maintain their identify tags in order to maintain their correct attributes.
CREATE NEW PAGES FROM TEMPLATES
Within the PCC_site folder, there is a subfolder named Templates. Inside of this folder are templates marked with the end tag of .dwt. These pages will allow you to create new HTML pages using the existing design from the templates.
- To create new pages, in Dreamweaver go to FILE > NEW and in the left most column, choose “Page from Template”.
- Then the window will lead you to choose between different template files and you will choose PCCpages to create a new page that is not the homepage. (see IMG. 3)
Click on the Create button on the lower right corner to start your new html document from the chosen template.
MODIFYING AND SAVING YOUR HTML FILE
- In the title field at the top of your Dreamweaver document, type in the title that you want this site homepage to be named. (e.g. as a default, in the homepage file, it says in the current example PCC Newsletter April 2008”) (see IMG 4.1)
- Save this file as the appropriate file name (e.g index.html or contact.html) and save it to the PCC_site folder. (see IMG 4.2)
MODIFYING OTHER PAGES FOR YOUR UPDATED SITE
- Open up pages that relate to corresponding topics that you need to edit, e.g. calendar. html. (see IMG 5.1)
- Edit content accordingly via editable regions following instructions from step 5. (see IMG 5.2)
- Save file as the original file name. Otherwise, if you save it as a different name, your flyout menu (called Spry menu in Dreamweaver) on the homepage will not work properly. If you must save it as a different name, make sure you edit the Spry menu correctly on the template page for the corresponding page. (See IMG. 5.3 where Join the PCC menu item and join.html is highlighted as an example)
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: PROPERLY MAINTAINING YOUR SITE
- Make sure you don’t move pages around outside of PCC_site folder or within different subfolders. If you do, the links will be broken. However, if you need to move pages around, do so in the Dreamweaver files window. (see IMG 6.1) Then choose to UPDATE links if you move files. (see IMG 6.2)
CONTACTS
APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
Approval is required from the manager of Brand Equity & Design for any application of the Postal Customer Council (PCC) emblem.
To expedite the process, please mail or fax a preliminary layout. If you prefer to E-mail an electronic file, please send a PDF file.
E-mails must not exceed 2 megabytes.
Mail to:
Manager, Brand Equity & Design
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260-3100
Fax to:
Manager, Brand Equity & Design
202.268.2392
E-mail to:
imagereq@email.usps.gov