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ACIAR BRANDING GUIDELINES
1.1
Current ACIAR branding
ACIAR’s branding consists of:

the official Australian Government logo

ACIAR’s secondary design elements.
It is very important that ACIAR’s branding is used correctly, as it is an integral part of
ACIAR’s identity and recognition.
ACIAR branding should only be used with authorisation from ACIAR.
For queries, please contact the ACIAR Communications and Public Affairs team,
[email protected], +61 2 6217 0500. Key contact for branding matters is Georgina
Hickey, Publications Manager.
1.1.1
ACIAR’s official Australian Government logo
ACIAR’s official logo remains the Australian Government logo—either green (PMS 370C)
or black; stacked (vertical) or inline (horizontal). This is to be included on all corporate
material, such as scientific publications, newsletters, brochures, power point presentations
etc. It must be printed or reproduced:

in the same relative proportions with the coat of arms at least 2 cm wide

in a prominent uncrowded position (preferably top left-hand corner)

in a uniform colour that contrasts strongly with the background.
Inline: black or green
Stacked: black or green
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See <http://www.pmc.gov.au/guidelines> for the full version of the Australian Government
Design Guidelines.
Where there is room, and where you think it may be appropriate, ACIAR’s new secondary
design elements may also be used (see Section 1.2.2). But these must always take
second place to, and not compete with, the government logo.
1.1.2
ACIAR’s secondary design elements
The refreshed secondary design elements are made up of the following components:

the hexagon (revised version)

ACIAR acronym

byline (“Research that works for developing countries and Australia”)

website.
Choices for the secondary design elements include green (PMS 370C) or black; with or
without the byline; stacked or inline. In addition, you may use the hexagon, or part thereof,
as a watermark. These logos are available in different file formats (JPG, TIFF, EPS) and
for different systems (PC, MAC), from the ACIAR portal/website, or on request. Apart from
the hexagon, no other component should be used alone without first clearing it with the
Communications Unit.
The fonts used in the secondary design elements are Gothic Thirteen (for ACIAR), Rotis
Sans Serif Regular (for ACIAR's slogan or 'byline' "Research that works …") and Rotis
San Serif Extra Bold (for the website address).
Inline byline: black or green (cmyk or rgb)
Inline: black or green (cmyk or rgb)
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Stacked byline: black or green (cmyk or rgb)
Stacked: black or green (cmyk or rgb)
When to use the new secondary design elements
The new designs can be used in addition to the Australian Government ACIAR logo in
corporate situations, but must take a less prominent position. In some non-corporate
situations, such as certain items of merchandise, signage for field demonstration sites,
project workshop banners and vehicles, the new designs can be used instead of the
government logo. Please consult the ACIAR Communications and Secretariat Unit to be
sure.
They may be used at any size, without distorting the proportions of the individual
elements, provided the text is large enough to be read easily by the targeted audience.
Which file format to use
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files are vector graphics so they can be scaled limitlessly.
This is the file format preferred by most professional designers and printers, and the one
required for large banners and posters.
TIFFs (Tagged Image File Formats) are the default type when you are using a
professional editing package to produce a final image appropriate for publishing. Use
TIFFs when EPS files are not available.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a common file format for use in web and print
publishing. It is the format used primarily to compress photographic images, allowing them
to transfer original images more quickly across an internet connection. However, the
danger is that they can become over compressed and their quality subsequently reduced.
There is also the danger of distorting the proportions of the image. They should only be
used for Word or in-house documents.
CMYK is used to describe the four-colour printing process, using cyan blue (C), magenta
red (M), yellow (Y) and black (K) inks. The letter K is used for black to avoid potential
confusion with blue.
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PMS (Pantone Matching System) is an international standard system of ink formulas
(equating to percentages of C, M, Y and K) used to specify colour reproduction. It is the
most commonly used system in design and printing.
RGB refers to the three colours (red, green, blue) that can be mixed to produce any other
colour. RGB is used to describe colour for on-screen applications.
A note about the hexagon
The original ACIAR logo was made up of three interlocking hexagons. The individual
hexagons were derived from an ancient Persian architectural symbol depicting an optical
illusion of interacting rhomboids. Each hexagon, with its interactive design, was symbolic
of the collaborative research programs that ACIAR supports. The association of the three
hexagons that made up the logo represented the tripartite relationship between Australian
scientists, their overseas counterparts, and the catalytic role of ACIAR in bringing them
together.
The hexagon has come to symbolise ACIAR, especially for our stakeholders in developing
countries, and, for this reason, we have decided to continue to use it in a more modern
setting.
1.2
Obsolete design elements—do not use
ACIAR has refreshed its secondary design elements. From now on, please do not use the
old secondary logos or any of their permutations, such as the ones below:
DO NOT USE THESE OLD
SECONDARY DESIGN
ELEMENTS
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