A brand often appears in website navigation, a social avatar, the front of a pack and an exhibition backdrop. Navigation is narrow and wide, an avatar is nearly square, and packaging shares reading space with a product name. One lockup rarely handles all positions equally well.
Choose a lockup by container proportions, the recognition task, viewing distance and language needs. Approved versions can have a family relationship while serving different purposes. Users should not rearrange lettering, alter proportions or append a translation themselves. If the available versions are insufficient, complete the standards before use.
Horizontal and stacked versions address space
A horizontal lockup often fits a narrow, wide area; a vertical or stacked arrangement may suit a squarer one. These are starting points. Check the actual size of the symbol and name, surrounding content and required space.
A horizontal lockup may work in navigation but become tiny inside an avatar. Consider an approved standalone symbol or square lockup rather than stretching the horizontal version vertically. Using a symbol in an avatar does not mean other pages can omit the name. Ask whether the audience can recognise the brand in that position.
Vertical space does not require vertically set text. Putting the symbol above the name is one arrangement; setting the lettering vertically is another design decision. Layout staff should not conflate them to fill space.
Set language priority from the audience
Before combining Chinese and English, distinguish an official English brand name, an English company name and an English description of the business. Their roles differ; not every piece of English belongs in a logo lockup.
For predominantly Chinese-speaking clients, the Chinese name can carry the main recognition task. For audiences who need English identification, select the appropriate version. Defined lockup rules should determine scale and order, rather than letter count deciding prominence.
If the official English name is unconfirmed, settle it first. An improvised translation added to a logo can spread to packaging, websites and sales files, expanding the eventual correction. Language versions must represent the same entity, rather than describing different business identities.
Ask three questions before taking a file
Work through “who needs to recognise it, where it goes, and how it will be viewed”. Is this a first encounter? How much space is available? Will it be seen on a phone, on paper or on a distant sign? These answers are more useful than choosing orientation first.
| Position | Versions to compare first | Essential check |
|---|---|---|
| Website navigation | An approved horizontal name lockup | Name legibility when the mobile layout narrows |
| Social avatar | An approved standalone symbol or square lockup | Small-size cropping and whether the account name supplies identification |
| Packaging front | A lockup coordinated with the product-name hierarchy | Whether shoppers distinguish brand, product and specification |
| Bilingual company introduction | An approved bilingual or appropriate language lockup | Whether both names identify the same brand entity |
| Exhibition backdrop | Approved versions compared at viewing distance | Distant recognition, obstructions and partner credits |
This is a selection guide, not a requirement for every brand to make five logos. Suppose a bilingual horizontal lockup becomes unreadable in an avatar. Use an approved symbol with the account name to identify the brand. If no standalone symbol has been approved, cropping a piece from the lockup is not a substitute. The need is an applicable version and a check, not more similar files.
ZHAMORE's visual standards point the English wordmark, Chinese lockup and standalone symbol to their respective approved assets, with proportions, clear space and background conditions. Staff do not retype the wordmark in another font. Transparent padding does not count towards visible artwork width. This makes file selection explicit. Client projects use their own confirmed names and assets.
Define relationships before co-branding
When appearing with clients, channels or partners, establish who is organiser, service provider, partner or product brand. Equal-size logos can imply equal organiser status. Displaying related company names together does not explain their legal or business relationship.
Check both parties' assets and permissions, and add a brief relationship description where necessary. Spacing, dividers and relative scale can have a co-branding specimen, but one collaboration should not become a permanent version of your own logo.
Avoid cropping a partner's logo from a promotional poster. Low-quality or obsolete files harm recognition. Obtain the approved asset for significant external materials.
Deliver a version selection table
Turn the guide into an accessible directory. For each real context, provide the approved filename, language, background conditions, confirmed dimensions and preview. Mark missing versions directly instead of returning the decision to users with “adjust as appropriate”.
Include unsuitable uses: a bilingual lockup whose lettering becomes illegible, or a standalone symbol that cannot identify an unfamiliar brand on its own. Positive examples aid use; negative examples aid error recognition. Both are more useful than simply multiplying files.
Review lockups in real pages or at physical size. Check name legibility, space and conflicts between information levels. A presentation board proves the versions are easy to display together. Placing them correctly shows the selection standards are beginning to work.
Test the guide in three positions
Choose website navigation, the usual social avatar and a client introduction page. Ask a colleague outside the design process to find assets using only the table. If they must rearrange the name or cannot choose a language version, the guide or assets still have gaps. Feed those findings back into the standards and verify the display. “Files delivered” is different from “the team knows how to use them”.
