Brand Guidelines Template for Illustrator & Indesign - With Freebie

You wouldn't send your client away with a bunch of logos they don’t know how to use, right? This 38-page Brand Guidelines Template helps you wrap up your brand design project by showing your client exactly how to use their new brand, answering their questions before they even ask, and leaving them with a polished, professional document they’ll actually want to reference.

From logo usage and colour pairings to typography and brand patterns, this template lays out all the rules in a way that’s easy for your client to follow—and it comes with prompts to make it easy for you to fill in. Plus, it includes a mini guidelines sheet for clients to use as a quick reference, so they can keep key brand details on their phone or share with their team easily.

What’s Inside:

• A 38-page template available in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign (4:3 Landscape)
• Brand Foundations Section to outlines the basics of the brand.
• Logo Guidelines Section for each logo in the suite with clear space, minimum sizing & usage rules.
• Color Guidelines Section for the colour palette (with HEX, RGB, HSB and CMYK codes), approved pairings for accessibility and unapproved pairings to avoid.
• Typography Guidelines Section showinf font info, hierarchy and guideline info
• Additional Elements Section for icons and brand patterns with guidance on how to use them.
• Brand Application Section for mockups to show how the brand works in the real world.
• An example brand with a toggleable layer in Illustrator + an included PDF version.
• Mini Guidelines Sheet: A 1-page Adobe Illustrator template to summarise logos, colours, and fonts for quick client reference.
• Prompts to help you fill it in
• A “Read Me First” page with links to required Adobe Fonts.

Why You’ll Love It:

• Helps Avoid Endless Questions: This template helps you answers all your client’s “How do I use this?” questions before they ask.
• Keep Their Brand Consistent: Every rule, from logo usage to typography, is laid out to make sure their brand stays polished and professional.
• See It in Action: The includes and example brand (a fun passion project) to show how to use this template to its full potential.
• Mini Guidelines for Quick Access: Your client gets a 1-page sheet they can reference on the go—perfect for quick brand checks or sharing with their team.

Where This Fits in the Process:
This is Step 3 in the 123 Method—Brand Strategy > Brand Presentation > Brand Guidelines. Once your client has signed off on their new identity, this template wraps everything up in a polished, professional document that ensures their brand stays consistent for years to come.

Looking for the other steps? Start with the Brand Strategy (Step 1) to define the foundation, and the Brand Presentation (Step 2) to present the new identity to your client.