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ELCA Graphic Standards

Emblem, Logotype and Tagline Styleguide

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has established guidelines for how to treat the ELCA brand mark. Consistency is the key to our effectiveness. All of us need to follow these guidelines to present a consistent appearance and message to both members and non-members throughout the world. Variations to the brand mark, even slight, can cause confusion, and give the impression of disorganization.

Brand mark usage

The combination of these three elements is what brings the ELCA’s whole identity to life. That’s why it’s important to use all three elements together whenever possible. There are four preferred representations of the brand mark:

Four color emblem with black type
Colors for the full-color brand mark (in any signature format) are black cross and outline with red (PMS 485) in the interior upper left quadrant, purple (PMS 2587) in the interior upper right quadrant, yellow (PMS 116) in the interior lower right quadrant, and green (PMS 376) in the interior lower left quadrant.

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Two color emblem with black type
Colors for the two-color brand mark are black cross and outline with red (PMS 485) fill.

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Black on light background
Black and white application on a light background and used only with a black and white reproduction process.

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White on dark background
Reverse of the black and white for darker backgrounds and used with a black and white reproduction process.

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Primary brand mark

The ELCA brand mark consists of the ELCA symbol or emblem, the ELCA name and the ELCA tagline. The following is a brief explanation of the thinking behind the design and creation of each.

The Emblem
The emblem is a graphic representation of the ELCA mission statement: marked by the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world. This context reflects both the good news of Christ’s incarnation and the church as the body of Christ in the world. The visual motion within the cross and the surrounding orb reminds us of the spreading light of the Gospel of Christ. Within the spheres of the orb are smaller crosses (a design sometimes known as the “Jerusalem Cross”), a traditional symbol for the commission to spread the Gospel to the whole world.

The Name
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the name derived from the union of three North American Lutheran church bodies: The American Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.

The Tagline
As Lutherans, we believe that when we serve our fellow human beings, we are doing God’s work—spreading God’s love and compassion—with our hands. The tagline comes from this idea with inspiration from a specific biblical passage in John 15:12: “Love one other as I have loved you.”

The Font
The typeface for the words “Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” is Century Gothic Bold and is always displayed in initial caps. The tagline “God’s work. Our hands.” must be displayed in initial caps in the typeface Century Gothic Regular.

These guidelines are available for download in PDF format.

• ELCA Graphic standards guidelines (entire manual)
  • General brand mark and font usage
  • Usage for each ELCA expression

  If you have any questions about these brand mark guidelines or their application, please contact Kristi Bangert at ext. 2960 or send e-mail to Kristi.Bangert@elca.org.
  
  Emblem colors are designated according to the Pantone Matching System (PMS) to ensure correct use of color ink. (PANTONE is a registered trademark of Pantone, Inc.)
  
  The ELCA emblem is a registered trademark ® of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (US Patent and Trademark Registration number 2,413,816 )