logocene

Tracewright brand guidelines

Tracewright
TypeAI pick
Unbounded / Inter
ColourAI pick
graphite.
Abstract colorful bokeh lights on white background
Brand guidelinesVersion 1.0
Tracewright

Debugging for AI agents

Tech
TracewrightChapter 01

Brand

The name, the line, and how to use this guide.

01.1 Overview

About Tracewright

This guide sets out how the Tracewright identity works: the logo, colour, typography and how they come together.

Follow it and everything, from a business card to a website, looks like it came from the same place.

Debugging for AI agents

Name
Tracewright
Category
Tech
Typefaces
Unbounded and Inter
Palette
Graphite
TracewrightChapter 03

Colour

The palette, the values, and which combinations to set type in.

03.1 Colour

Palette

Five colours, used in roughly these proportions. Surface sets the page, primary carries the brand, ink is for text, and secondary and accent support and highlight.

Surface
#FAFAFA
38%
Primary
#1F2937
24%
Ink
#111827
14%
Secondary
#D1D5DB
13%
Accent
#EF4444
11%
03.2 Colour

Colour values

Use HEX or RGB on screen. CMYK values are approximate conversions: print colour depends on the press and the paper, so ask your printer for a proof.
  • Primary
    HEX
    #1F2937
    RGB
    31, 41, 55
    HSL
    215, 28%, 17%
    CMYK
    44, 25, 0, 78
    On surface 14.1:1 · AAA
  • Secondary
    HEX
    #D1D5DB
    RGB
    209, 213, 219
    HSL
    216, 12%, 84%
    CMYK
    5, 3, 0, 14
    On surface 1.4:1 · shapes only
  • Accent
    HEX
    #EF4444
    RGB
    239, 68, 68
    HSL
    0, 84%, 60%
    CMYK
    0, 72, 72, 6
    On surface 3.6:1 · large text only
  • Surface
    HEX
    #FAFAFA
    RGB
    250, 250, 250
    HSL
    0, 0%, 98%
    CMYK
    0, 0, 0, 2
    Ink on it 17.0:1 · AAA
  • Ink
    HEX
    #111827
    RGB
    17, 24, 39
    HSL
    221, 39%, 11%
    CMYK
    56, 38, 0, 85
    On surface 17.0:1 · AAA

03.3 Colour

Tints

Lighter steps are for backgrounds, borders and charts. Keep text on the 100 step of ink, or on whichever step passes contrast.
Primary
100#1F2937
80#464E5B
60#707781
40#9DA2A9
20#CDD0D3
10#E6E7E9
Secondary
100#D1D5DB
80#DADDE2
60#E3E6E9
40#ECEEF0
20#F6F6F8
10#FAFBFB
Accent
100#EF4444
80#F8716A
60#FE978F
40#FFBBB4
20#FFDDD9
10#FFEEEC
Surface
100#FAFAFA
80#C5C7CC
60#93979F
40#636974
20#383E4C
10#242B39
Ink
100#111827
80#383E4C
60#636974
40#93979F
20#C5C7CC
10#DFE0E3
03.4 Colour

Colour pairings

Body text needs a contrast of at least 4.5:1 (AA). Large headings, 24 px and up, can go down to 3:1.

Pairs marked ✕ are for shapes and decoration only, never for text.

Contrast of each palette colour as text (columns) on each palette colour as background (rows)
BackgroundPrimarySecondaryAccentSurfaceInk
on PrimarySame colour
Secondary on primary: 10.0
Accent on primary: 3.9
Surface on primary: 14.1
Ink on primary: 1.2 , fails
on Secondary
Primary on secondary: 10.0
Same colour
Accent on secondary: 2.6 , fails
Surface on secondary: 1.4 , fails
Ink on secondary: 12.0
on Accent
Primary on accent: 3.9
Secondary on accent: 2.6 , fails
Same colour
Surface on accent: 3.6
Ink on accent: 4.7
on Surface
Primary on surface: 14.1
Secondary on surface: 1.4 , fails
Accent on surface: 3.6
Same colour
Ink on surface: 17.0
on Ink
Primary on ink: 1.2 , fails
Secondary on ink: 12.0
Accent on ink: 4.7
Surface on ink: 17.0
Same colour
TracewrightChapter 04

Typography

The two typefaces and the sizes they are set at.

04.1 Headings

Unbounded

Unbounded sets the name, headlines and short display lines. Use it at Semibold with tight line spacing.

Unbounded on Google Fonts (opens in a new tab)

SIL Open Font License 1.1. Free for commercial use, including in logos, apps and print.
Semibold 600
04.2 Text

Inter

Inter is for paragraphs, captions, buttons and anything people read at length. Use it at Regular, with generous line spacing.

Inter on Google Fonts (opens in a new tab)

SIL Open Font License 1.1. Free for commercial use, including in logos, apps and print.
Regular 400

Debugging for AI agents. Tracewright writes in Inter: clear, even and easy to read, from the first line of a website to the small print on a receipt.

04.3 Typography

Type scale

Five sizes cover almost everything. Each step is roughly 1.4 times the one below it; do not add sizes in between.
Display
Unbounded 600 · 56/59
Debugging for AI agents
Heading
Unbounded 600 · 40/44
Welcome to Tracewright
Subheading
Unbounded 600 · 28/32
A short section heading
Body
Inter 400 · 16/24
Body text at 16 px with 1.5 line spacing keeps long reads comfortable on any screen.
Caption
Inter 400 · 12/17
Captions, labels and small print
TracewrightChapter 05

Graphic elements

Icons, a pattern, and the photography to aim for.

05.1 Graphic elements

App icon and avatar

Where space is small and square, use the symbol alone. On app icons it sits on primary at a little over half the icon width; on avatars and profile pictures, on surface.

iOS · 1024 px
Android · adaptive
Avatar · 400 px
Tracewright
tracewright.com
Favicon · 32 and 16 px

05.2 Pattern

Symbol at 0° and 180° on an offset grid. For packaging, backgrounds and merchandise, never behind text.

05.3 Graphic elements

Imagery

Natural light, real places and real people. Keep rooms neutral and let brand colour appear on one object or a single overlay.

Photos here are samples from Unsplash, to show the direction.

TracewrightChapter 06

Applications

The identity on a screen, on paper, and in a place.

Campaign

white and blue light on dark room
Tracewright
Campaign · photography
06.2 Applications

Digital

On screen the logo sits in the corner, small, and the brand colour is reserved for one action.
Website · 1440 desktop
Instagram post · 1080 × 1350
06.3 Applications

Print

In print, keep the clear space and stay above the minimum size. The card is 85 × 55 mm; the letterhead is A4.
Business card · 85 × 55 mm
Letterhead · A4
06.4 Applications

In the world

Outdoors and on a product, the logo is one element among the photograph. The room stays neutral.
Poster · in situ
Label · packaging
Your turn

Make one like this

This is an example kit. Describe your business and get nine logos, each with a guide like this one, in about a minute.

  • Logo symbolSVG in colour, black and white
  • Logo symbolPNG at 512, 1024 and 2048 px
  • palette.json, palette.cssThe five colours as code
  • FONTS.txtBoth typefaces, with links
  • LICENSE.txtCommercial use for your brand
Make mine like this

Sample photos by Ben Wicks, Denny Müller, Conny Schneider, Aedrian Salazar, Max Petrunin, Vasilis Chatzopoulos, Ryunosuke Kikuno, Filip Kania on Unsplash. Not included in the download.