C-SPAN

Official Websites

• https://www.c-span.org

Brand Guidelines

2019

Brand Summary

Mission

• To present to the public the inner workings of American democracy with no party affiliation and no right or left bias, operating as a public service without government funding [^1].

Core Values

• impartiality
• public service
• clarity
• integrity
• transparency
• innovation
• respect for standards

Target Audience

• Viewers interested in unbiased coverage of government proceedings and American democracy, primarily consuming content on screen and across digital platforms [^2].

Personality Traits

• modern
• clear
• confident
• innovative
• thoughtful
• balanced

Visual Identity Overview

• The brand identity is anchored in a vibrant blue color palette, modern and clear logos, minimalistic and bold visual style, and a typographic system using Cooper Hewitt, Poppins, and Georgia. The frame device and strict logo usage guidelines reinforce clarity and consistency across media [^3].

Categories

Brand Imagery

• The image should feature a simple, small, solid blue square positioned on a white background. The square should be clearly defined with sharp, straight edges, and occupy a small central or slightly left-aligned location within the frame. The background must be plain, uniformly white, providing no additional elements or distractions. The overall composition is minimalistic, emphasizing the blue square as the focal point, with no other objects, textures, or patterns present.

Color Palette

• The C-SPAN identity is anchored in a dynamic system of colors, with a vibrant blue as our signature hue.
• Our audience views the C-SPAN identity primarily on screen. As a result, our master colors are RGB-based values. While all print-based color values strive to meet that on-screen standard, there will be differences due to the inherent limitations of ink.
• Note: Not all of the CMYK values listed here are from the Pantone® Color Bridge. Please use these values instead of Pantone’s standard conversion.
• Navy RGB: 0, 26, 114 HEX: #001A72 PMS: 2747 CMYK: 100, 80, 5, 35 CMYK Newsprint 100, 80, 0, 0
• Cobalt RGB: 60, 80, 255 HEX: #3C50FF PMS: 285 CMYK: 95, 40, 0, 0 CMYK Newsprint 100, 10, 0, 0
• Red RGB: 186, 12, 47 HEX: #BA0C2F PMS: 200 CMYK: 5, 100, 48, 25 CMYK Newsprint 10, 100, 100, 0
• Midnight RGB: 4, 30, 66 HEX: #041E42 PMS: 282 CMYK: 100, 85, 13, 68 CMYK Newsprint 100, 100, 0, 30
• Dark Gray RGB: 65, 85, 99 HEX: #415563 PMS: 7545 CMYK: 58, 32, 18, 54 CMYK Newsprint 50, 30, 20, 40
• Light Gray RGB: 208, 211, 212 HEX: #D0D3D4 PMS: 427 CMYK: 7, 3, 5, 8 CMYK Newsprint 0, 0, 0, 20
• Amber RGB: 241, 179, 0 HEX: #F1B300 PMS: 3514 CMYK: 0, 27, 100, 0 CMYK Newsprint 0, 30, 100, 0
• Dark Amber RGB: 207, 69, 32 HEX: #CF4520 PMS: 173 CMYK: 0, 80, 95, 15 CMYK Newsprint 10, 80, 100, 0
• Maroon RGB: 111, 38, 61 HEX: #6F263D PMS: 209 CMYK: 20, 97, 40, 58 CMYK Newsprint 30, 100, 50, 30
• Teal RGB: 0, 167, 181 HEX: #00A7B5 PMS: 7710 CMYK: 81, 0, 23, 0 CMYK Newsprint 80, 0, 30, 0
• Dark Viridian RGB: 0, 81, 81 HEX: #005151 PMS: 7722 CMYK: 89, 0, 45, 72 CMYK Newsprint 100, 10, 60, 50
• Purple RGB: 150, 60, 189 HEX: #963CBD PMS: 7442 CMYK: 60, 85, 0, 0 CMYK Newsprint 50, 100, 0, 0

Typography

• Our typographic system consists of three typefaces. Each has been carefully selected to work together, yet have their own unique characteristics and primary functional roles.
• To ensure that our typographic system is as accessible as possible, two of our typefaces are freely available under an Open Font License (OFL), while the third is a standard system font on both Mac and PC platforms.
• Cooper Hewitt: A CONDENSED SANS-SERIF USED FOR LARGE HEADLINES, CHYRONS, AND SUB-BRAND LOGOS.
• Poppins: A GEOMETRIC SANS-SERIF BEST USED FOR SHORT AMOUNTS OF BODY TEXT, SMALLER HEADLINES AND SUBHEADS, ETC.
• Georgia: A SERIF TYPEFACE WELL SUITED FOR LONG-FORM BODY TEXT OR TO PROVIDE A CONTRASTING HEADLINE STYLE WHERE NEEDED.
• The Cooper Hewitt typeface is a condensed sans-serif that we use for large headlines, on-screen chyrons, and our sub-brand logos. Available in a variety of weights, it is highly legible with a unique and friendly style.
• Available under the Open Font License, Cooper Hewitt is free to download and use on all printed materials, broadcast, websites, or apps.
• To download this typeface and for more information regarding the Open Font License, visit: https://github.com/cooperhewitt/ cooperhewitt-typeface
• Available weights and styles: Thin, Thin Italic, Light, Light Italic, Book, Book Italic, Medium, Medium Italic, Semibold, Semibold Italic, Bold, Bold Italic, Heavy, Heavy Italic.
• Poppins: The Poppins typeface is our “workhorse” font. A geometric sans-serif, we use Poppins for headlines (smaller than those used for Cooper Hewitt), subheads, and short amounts of text. Designed for geometric precision, Poppins has a clean, modern appeal.
• Available under the Open Font License, Poppins is free to download and use on all printed materials, broadcast, websites, or apps. Poppins is also available as a free Google web font, however, we recommend downloading the files from the type foundry for access to the most up-to-date version and the cross-platform Open Type font format.
• To download this free typeface, visit: https://www.indiantypefoundry.com/fonts/ poppins Or, for more information regarding the Open Font License, https://github.com/itfoundry/Poppins
• Available weights and styles: Thin, Thin Italic, Extra Light, Extra Light Italic, Light, Light Italic, Regular, Regular Italic, Medium, Medium Italic, Semibold, Semibold Italic, Bold, Bold Italic, Extra Bold, Extra Bold Italic, Black, Black Italic.
• Georgia: As our primary serif typeface, Georgia is best suited for long-form text or to provide an occasional contrasting headline style. Recommended primarily for on-screen use, Georgia is designed to maintain a high level of legibility, even at smaller sizes.
• As a standard system font on Mac and PCs, Georgia may already be installed on your machine.
• For extended print usage, Georgia Pro is available for purchase on myfonts.com.
• Available weights and styles: Regular, Regular Italic, Bold, Bold Italic.

Logo Usage

• Our logo is available in a variety of color options to choose from. We recommend using the primary version whenever your design and production method allows. Please refrain from using the black & gray versions if your media allows for color.
• In rare instances, our logo may need to be used in a single color other than those seen here. In that case, a marketing or design contact at C-SPAN will need to provide a custom file and approve its use.
• Refer to the Color section for detailed RGB, Pantone®, and CMYK color values.
• In application, our logos should be separated from text* and other graphic elements to maintain clarity and ensure distinction. The safety zone is defined by [x] and should be preserved whenever possible.
• • Note: The C-SPAN mantra and tagline lockups are an exception to this rule. They can be locked up with half the amount of our safety zone.
• The C-SPAN logo is the foundational element of our identity. All efforts should be taken to present our logo clearly, avoiding the common mistakes as shown below.
• These usage guidelines apply to C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, and C-SPAN3.
•  DISTORT THE LOGO
•  ROTATE
•  APPLY AN OUTLINE
•  MIX THE COLORS
•  CHANGE THE COLORS
•  USE OVER A COMPLEX BACKGROUND
•  APPLY PHOTOSHOP EFFECTS
•  CHANGE THE TYPE
•  APPEND .ORG OR OTHER TEXT

Tone And Messaging

• Our mantra underpins the fact that C-SPAN is a public service, operating without government funding, to present to the public the inner workings of American democracy with no party affiliation, and no right or left bias.
• Mantra Your Unfiltered View of Government
• Our mantra can be used as a stand-alone element or as a lockup with the primary C-SPAN logo. However, when used as a separate element, always do so in conjunction with other C-SPAN branding to ensure proper context.
• As a graphic element, the mantra should always be typeset in the Cooper Hewitt Semibold, tracking set to 0, title case (as shown), and baseline set to 112.5% of the type size.
• Logo & mantra lockup: standard size applications
• PRIMARY LOCKUP z ½ safety zone 1z HORIZONTAL LOCKUP 1z ½ safety zone
• Alternate lockup sizing is available for larger applications, such as posters, outdoor advertising, and vehicle graphics. Use your best discretion to determine which size relationship is optimal at a typical viewing distance and/or screen resolution. Legibility should remain a top priority.
• LARGE LOCKUP z ½ safety zone ¾z
• EXTRA LARGE LOCKUP z ½ safety zone ½z
• In certain instances, the left-aligned mantra may need to be altered to better suit the layout, such as on our on-screen chyrons. Choosing an alternate alignment should be carefully considered before use.
• Other alignments are not permitted.
• Please refrain from using the alternate alignments as a stand-alone element and mixing different alignments within the same document.
• CENTER ALIGNMENT z ½ safety zone 1z
• SINGLE-LINE ALIGNMENT z ½ safety zone Sized to fit optical width of logo Note: Special care should be taken when using this alignment to ensure legibility is maintained.
• Underpinning our impartial, balanced coverage is the fact that no government or taxpayer dollars support C-SPAN, as we continue to be solely funded by the cable industry. Our industry tagline reminds our followers of the critical role our funders play in providing this public service, both at the community and national level.
• Industry tagline CREATED BY CABLE IN 1979 Use this tagline to reinforce the importance of C-SPAN as a public service. It can be used as a stand-alone element or as a lockup with the primary logo. Please do not combine it with our mantra—this should always have it’s own separate space.
• The industry tagline should be typeset in Poppins Medium, uppercase, and tracking set to +75.
• PRIMARY LOCKUP z ½ safety zone Sized to fit optical width of logo

Brand Values

• Our mantra underpins the fact that C-SPAN is a public service, operating without government funding, to present to the public the inner workings of American democracy with no party affiliation, and no right or left bias.
• Mantra Your Unfiltered View of Government
• Our mantra can be used as a stand-alone element or as a lockup with the primary C-SPAN logo. However, when used as a separate element, always do so in conjunction with other C-SPAN branding to ensure proper context.
• As a graphic element, the mantra should always be typeset in the Cooper Hewitt Semibold, tracking set to 0, title case (as shown), and baseline set to 112.5% of the type size.
• Underpinning our impartial, balanced coverage is the fact that no government or taxpayer dollars support C-SPAN, as we continue to be solely funded by the cable industry. Our industry tagline reminds our followers of the critical role our funders play in providing this public service, both at the community and national level.
• Industry tagline CREATED BY CABLE IN 1979
• Use this tagline to reinforce the importance of C-SPAN as a public service. It can be used as a stand-alone element or as a lockup with the primary logo. Please do not combine it with our mantra—this should always have it’s own separate space.
• The industry tagline should be typeset in Poppins Medium, uppercase, and tracking set to +75.

Visual Style

• The image should feature a simple, small, solid blue square positioned on a white background. The square should be clearly defined with sharp, straight edges, and occupy a small central or slightly left-aligned location within the frame. The background must be plain, uniformly white, providing no additional elements or distractions. The overall composition is minimalistic, emphasizing the blue square as the focal point, with no other objects, textures, or patterns present.
• Our logos are designed for modern clarity and to stand confidently among a landscape of political news outlets. As the foundation of our brand identity, careful consideration should always be given to their use across a growing variety of media and digital platforms.
• Our logo is available in a variety of color options to choose from. We recommend using the primary version whenever your design and production method allows. Please refrain from using the black & gray versions if your media allows for color.
• In rare instances, our logo may need to be used in a single color other than those seen here. In that case, a marketing or design contact at C-SPAN will need to provide a custom file and approve its use.
• Refer to the Color section for detailed RGB, Pantone®, and CMYK color values.
• The C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 channels are assigned a signature channel (number) color. The signature colors can be used at your discretion when the design or media allows, but we encourage use of the primary version when possible.
• In application, our logos should be separated from text* and other graphic elements to maintain clarity and ensure distinction. The safety zone is defined by [x] and should be preserved whenever possible.
• Note: The C-SPAN mantra and tagline lockups are an exception to this rule. They can be locked up with half the amount of our safety zone.
• All efforts should be taken to present our logo clearly, avoiding the common mistakes as shown below.
• These usage guidelines apply to C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, and C-SPAN3.
•  DISTORT THE LOGO  ROTATE  APPLY AN OUTLINE  MIX THE COLORS  CHANGE THE COLORS  USE OVER A COMPLEX BACKGROUND  APPLY PHOTOSHOP EFFECTS  CHANGE THE TYPE  APPEND .ORG OR OTHER TEXT
• As a graphic element, the mantra should always be typeset in the Cooper Hewitt Semibold, tracking set to 0, title case (as shown), and baseline set to 112.5% of the type size.
• Alternate lockup sizing is available for larger applications, such as posters, outdoor advertising, and vehicle graphics. Use your best discretion to determine which size relationship is optimal at a typical viewing distance and/or screen resolution. Legibility should remain a top priority.
• Other alignments are not permitted.
• Please refrain from using the alternate alignments as a stand-alone element and mixing different alignments within the same document.
• Special care should be taken when using this alignment to ensure legibility is maintained.
• The industry tagline should be typeset in Poppins Medium, uppercase, and tracking set to +75.
• The C-SPAN sub-brand logos continue our foundational design principles of modern clarity and simplicity. Each is built on a typographic framework, unifying the family, and presenting our brand with a consistent visual language.
• Because C-SPAN radio covers such a broad spectrum of our programming and has a mobile app of its own, it is the only sub-brand permitted to have an icon for its specialized promotional purposes as a distinctly separate element.
• Our Book TV logo is available in several color options. We recommend using the primary version whenever your design and production method allows. Please refrain from using the black & gray versions if your media allows for color.
• The American History TV logo is available in several color options. We recommend using the primary version whenever your design and production method allows. Please refrain from using the black & gray versions if your media allows for color.
• In rare instances when available space is severely limited in height, the logo may need to be used in a single line. In such cases, always use the logo in one color to maximize legibility.
• In extremely rare cases, the channel logo can be removed, however this will require approval from your marketing or design contact at C-SPAN.
• Our C-SPAN Radio logo is available in several color options. We recommend using the primary version whenever your design and production method allows. Please refrain from using the black & gray versions if your media allows for color.
• The “Bug” logo is strictly available in RGB, and may only be used for social media avatars and specialized digital applications, such as an HD radio logo, where size is highly limited.
• The Radio icon is available for use in a variety of colors, as shown above. It may only be used clearly in the context of C-SPAN Radio, such as an app icon or as a supporting graphic.
• In application, our sub-brand logos should be separated from text and other graphic elements to maintain clarity and ensure distinction. The safety zone is defined by [x] and should be preserved whenever possible.
• All efforts should be taken to present our sub-brand logos clearly, avoiding the common mistakes as shown below.
• These usage guidelines apply to Book TV, American History TV, and C-SPAN Radio.
•  DISTORT THE LOGO  MIX THE COLORS  APPLY PHOTOSHOP EFFECTS  ROTATE  CHANGE THE COLORS  CHANGE THE TYPE  APPLY AN OUTLINE  USE OVER A COMPLEX BACKGROUND  APPEND .ORG OR OTHER TEXT
• Our typographic system consists of three typefaces. Each has been carefully selected to work together, yet have their own unique characteristics and primary functional roles.
• To ensure that our typographic system is as accessible as possible, two of our typefaces are freely available under an Open Font License (OFL), while the third is a standard system font on both Mac and PC platforms.
• The Cooper Hewitt typeface is a condensed sans-serif that we use for large headlines, on-screen chyrons, and our sub-brand logos. Available in a variety of weights, it is highly legible with a unique and friendly style.
• Available under the Open Font License, Cooper Hewitt is free to download and use on all printed materials, broadcast, websites, or apps.
• The Poppins typeface is our “workhorse” font. A geometric sans-serif, we use Poppins for headlines (smaller than those used for Cooper Hewitt), subheads, and short amounts of text. Designed for geometric precision, Poppins has a clean, modern appeal.
• Available under the Open Font License, Poppins is free to download and use on all printed materials, broadcast, websites, or apps. Poppins is also available as a free Google web font, however, we recommend downloading the files from the type foundry for access to the most up-to-date version and the cross-platform Open Type font format.
• As our primary serif typeface, Georgia is best suited for long-form text or to provide an occasional contrasting headline style. Recommended primarily for on-screen use, Georgia is designed to maintain a high level of legibility, even at smaller sizes.
• As a standard system font on Mac and PCs, Georgia may already be installed on your machine.
• The C-SPAN identity is anchored in a dynamic system of colors, with a vibrant blue as our signature hue.
• Our audience views the C-SPAN identity primarily on screen. As a result, our master colors are RGB-based values. While all print-based color values strive to meet that on-screen standard, there will be differences due to the inherent limitations of ink.
• Primary colors Navy RGB: 0, 26, 114 HEX: #001A72 PMS: 2747 CMYK: 100, 80, 5, 35 CMYK Newsprint 100, 80, 0, 0 Cobalt RGB: 60, 80, 255 HEX: #3C50FF PMS: 285 CMYK: 95, 40, 0, 0 CMYK Newsprint 100, 10, 0, 0
• Secondary colors Red RGB: 186, 12, 47 HEX: #BA0C2F PMS: 200 CMYK: 5, 100, 48, 25 CMYK Newsprint 10, 100, 100, 0 Midnight RGB: 4, 30, 66 HEX: #041E42 PMS: 282 CMYK: 100, 85, 13, 68 CMYK Newsprint 100, 100, 0, 30 Dark Gray RGB: 65, 85, 99 HEX: #415563 PMS: 7545 CMYK: 58, 32, 18, 54 CMYK Newsprint 50, 30, 20, 40 Light Gray RGB: 208, 211, 212 HEX: #D0D3D4 PMS: 427 CMYK: 7, 3, 5, 8 CMYK Newsprint 0, 0, 0, 20
• Accent colors Amber RGB: 241, 179, 0 HEX: #F1B300 PMS: 3514 CMYK: 0, 27, 100, 0 CMYK Newsprint 0, 30, 100, 0 Dark Amber RGB: 207, 69, 32 HEX: #CF4520 PMS: 173 CMYK: 0, 80, 95, 15 CMYK Newsprint 10, 80, 100, 0 Maroon RGB: 111, 38, 61 HEX: #6F263D PMS: 209 CMYK: 20, 97, 40, 58 CMYK Newsprint 30, 100, 50, 30 Teal RGB: 0, 167, 181 HEX: #00A7B5 PMS: 7710 CMYK: 81, 0, 23, 0 CMYK Newsprint 80, 0, 30, 0 Dark Viridian RGB: 0, 81, 81 HEX: #005151 PMS: 7722 CMYK: 89, 0, 45, 72 CMYK Newsprint 100, 10, 60, 50 Purple RGB: 150, 60, 189 HEX: #963CBD PMS: 7442 CMYK: 60, 85, 0, 0 CMYK Newsprint 50, 100, 0, 0
• The C-SPAN frame, derived from our hyphen, is a distinctive graphic device used to highlight portions of imagery, video, or headlines. The frame can remain a square or transform to reflect various TV and mobile screen aspect ratios.
• The exact thickness of the frame edge can be at your discretion, but should always have a bold weighted appearance within the design (i.e., please avoid a thin frame).
• Note: These frames can be used horizontally or vertically.

Iconography

• Because C-SPAN radio covers such a broad spectrum of our programming and has a mobile app of its own, it is the only sub-brand permitted to have an icon for its specialized promotional purposes as a distinctly separate element.
• The Radio icon is available for use in a variety of colors, as shown above. It may only be used clearly in the context of C-SPAN Radio, such as an app icon or as a supporting graphic.

Layout And Composition

• In application, our logos should be separated from text* and other graphic elements to maintain clarity and ensure distinction. The safety zone is defined by [x] and should be preserved whenever possible.
• • Note: The C-SPAN mantra and tagline lockups are an exception to this rule. They can be locked up with half the amount of our safety zone.
• The C-SPAN frame, derived from our hyphen, is a distinctive graphic device used to highlight portions of imagery, video, or headlines. The frame can remain a square or transform to reflect various TV and mobile screen aspect ratios.
• The exact thickness of the frame edge can be at your discretion, but should always have a bold weighted appearance within the design (i.e., please avoid a thin frame).
• Note: These frames can be used horizontally or vertically.

Additional Properties