# Couwed — brand guide for AI assistants
> Paste this entire file into your AI tool (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, ChatGPT,
> or Claude) before generating anything Couwed-branded. It is the single source
> of truth — colors, logos (embedded inline, ready to use), type, and the rules.
> When this file conflicts with a default, **this file wins.**
## How to use this file
- You are producing **Couwed**-branded material. Follow these rules exactly.
- **The logos are embedded as SVG in Appendix A** — paste them straight into your
output. No download or web access needed. On dark backgrounds, set every `fill`
to `#FFFFFF`.
- **Public download URLs** for every asset are under *Downloads*. Fetch them if
your tool has web access; otherwise use the inline SVG.
- **If a choice isn't covered here, default to:** the wordmark on the off-white
page (`#EEEEEE`), ink text, generous space. Don't invent logo variants — ask.
## Brand voice
Couwed is an AI design & engineering studio. Write plain, specific, confident
copy. Banned hype words: "elevate", "seamless", "unleash", "next-gen",
"game-changer", "delve". In running text the name is lowercase **couwed**; the
wordmark itself is custom lettering — **never retype it** to recreate the logo.
No emoji in branded output — use words or the provided icons.
## Colors — use these hex values exactly
| Token | Hex | RGB | Use for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ink | `#0A0A0C` | 10 10 12 | Body + display text; the flat logo on light |
| Page | `#EEEEEE` | 238 238 238 | Primary background — build on this, not pure white |
| Brand Blue | `#00618E` | 0 97 142 | **Identity only**: the mark, business cards, print, OpenGraph. Not a link color. |
| Accent | `#3B82F6` | 59 130 246 | **Interface only**: links, hovers, focus, highlights. Never the logo or print. |
| Cyan Wash | `#98EEFF` | 152 238 255 | Inside gradient visuals/hero art only. Never type or a flat fill. |
```css
--ink: #0A0A0C; --page: #EEEEEE; --brand-blue: #00618E; --accent: #3B82F6; --cyan: #98EEFF;
```
Two blues, two jobs: `#00618E` is identity, `#3B82F6` is interface. They never swap.
## Typeface
**Inter**, weights **400 / 500 / 600** only (400 body, 500 UI labels, 600 display).
Tight negative letter-spacing on display sizes; default tracking for body. No
second or display face. The wordmark is not Inter — never retype "couwed".
## Logo — which file, when
| Surface | Use | File |
|---|---|---|
| Light background, primary logo | Wordmark, ink | `couwed-wordmark-black.svg` |
| Dark / photographic background, primary | Wordmark, white | `couwed-wordmark-white.svg` |
| Tight or square space on light | Mark, ink | `couwed-mark-black.svg` |
| Tight or square space on dark | Mark, white | `couwed-mark-white.svg` |
| Illustration, hero art, social — **never the functional logo** | Glow mark | `couwed-mark-glow.svg` |
- **Lead with the wordmark.** Use the mark alone only when "couwed" can't render legibly.
- **Clear space:** keep one cap-height of the "C" clear on every side — nothing enters it.
- **Minimum size:** wordmark ≥ 96px / 18mm wide; mark ≥ 24px / 8mm. Below that, switch to the mark.
## Do
- Match the file to the surface — ink on light, white on dark. Recolor the single `fill`, never invent a tint.
- Lead with the wordmark; drop to the mark only when the word can't render legibly.
- Keep `#00618E` for identity (mark, cards, print) and `#3B82F6` for on-screen interaction.
- Build layouts on the off-white page `#EEEEEE`, not pure white.
- Give the logo one cap-height of clear space on every side.
- Set all supporting type in Inter 400 / 500 / 600.
## Don't
- Don't recolor the flat mark to anything but ink (light) or white (dark) — the glow file is the only coloured mark.
- Don't use the glow mark as the functional logo, a button, or a favicon — it is illustration only.
- Don't put the ink mark on a dark or busy surface — use the white file.
- Don't swap the blues — `#3B82F6` never touches the logo or print; `#00618E` is never a link color.
- Don't stretch, squash, rotate, or add shadows/outlines/glows to the flat marks — scale uniformly.
- Don't retype "couwed" in Inter — the wordmark is custom lettering.
## Examples
Good — dark header, wordmark recolored to white, brand-correct:
```html
Get in touch
```
Avoid — these are the common mistakes:
```html
couwed
```
## Downloads (public URLs)
Logos — live SVG, fetch or link directly:
- https://couwed.us/assets/brand/couwed-wordmark-black.svg
- https://couwed.us/assets/brand/couwed-wordmark-white.svg
- https://couwed.us/assets/brand/couwed-mark-black.svg
- https://couwed.us/assets/brand/couwed-mark-white.svg
- https://couwed.us/assets/brand/couwed-mark-glow.svg (illustration only)
Editable templates — download and start from these:
- https://couwed.us/assets/brand/templates/couwed-presentation-template.pptx
- https://couwed.us/assets/brand/templates/couwed-document-template.docx
Full visual guide: https://couwed.us/brand-guidelines
## Appendix A — inline logo source (paste directly, no download)
**Wordmark** (mark + COUWED lockup) — the primary logo. On a dark background,
replace every `fill="#0a0a0c"` with `fill="#FFFFFF"`.
```svg
```
**Mark only** — use when the wordmark won't fit. On dark, replace `fill="#111111"` with `fill="#FFFFFF"`.
```svg
```
---
*Generated from the Couwed brand system. Canonical: https://couwed.us/couwed-brand.md · https://couwed.us/brand-guidelines*