Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC)
Virtual Exhibits Investment Program

Include the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) logo in all of the promotional materials for your exhibit. This will ensure that people remember where to find your exhibit. It will also help to promote the online content created by fellow Canadian museums.

Use the VMC Logo

Guidelines and Specifications

The following guidelines for the application and use of the VMC/MVC logotypes include reproduction quality logo designs that can be used in publications, advertisements, kiosks or other publications.

The reproducible logo versions contained in this guide are for one and two-colour applications. This document provides distinct guidelines and artwork for print and reflective promotional vehicles, and the Web and multimedia applications.

Used primarily on material that is public facing, the virtualmuseum.ca logo incorporates three graphic elements, the virtualmuseum.ca symbol, the words "virtualmuseum.ca" and the maple leaf.

The three elements have a relationship that helps reinforce the brand character. The virtualmuseum.ca logo must appear prominently on all materials published by the virtualmuseum.ca in print, web and video formats.

In particular, the logo must appear on all materials used for advertising, marketing or promotion online and offline and on all displays created for CHIN/virtualmuseum.ca.

When the virtualmuseum.ca logo is used on a web page, it should serve as the link to the virtualmuseum.ca web page:

Note that the words "virtualmuseum.ca" are a graphic element, inseparable from the symbol.

The words may not be recreated with any font, nor resized, nor rearranged for any reason.

Exception: The logo may only be separated when used as a watermark for video use. The VMC symbol and maple leaf may be used in conjunction with each other without the "virtual.museum.ca" text.

Safe Area Around Logo

A safe area around the virtualmuseum.ca logo is preserved to allow for maximum legibility of the logo. No elements such as typography, other logos, graphics or photos may intrude upon this safe area. In addition, placing the logo too close to a cut or folded edge also violates the safe area.

Unacceptable executions

Shown are examples of unacceptable executions of the CHIN logo.

The following executions apply to the CHIN, virtualmuseum.ca and CHIN’s Professional Exchange logos respectively.

Do not alter or change the logo colour:

Do not skew, rotate or outline the logo:

Do not alter, change or add other elements to the logo. Do not change the typeface:

Do not place the logo over photos, textures or colours that make the logo difficult to read:

Do not use the logo or symbol as part of a phrase:

*This manual is instructional. The logo and symbol appear more than once per page for demonstration purposes only.

Bilingual usage

From time to time both the French and English logos will be required to be used in conjunction with each other. The French and English logos may be stacked on top of their respective equivalent, or can be side-by-side as shown below. This is the preferred selection.

Size restrictions

In order to maximize legibility on printed materials, the CHIN family of logos may not appear smaller than the sizes illustrated below. Exceptions may be sought by contacting marketing@chin.gc.ca.

In general, while the CHIN family of logos must be prominently displayed on all communication vehicles, it should not be the dominant graphic element on a page. Common sense should prevail.

Web: For web applications, the CHIN family of logos identity may not appear any smaller than the sizes illustrated below. The sizes listed below are for a default monitor setting of 800 x 600 pixels.

For Print Usage

For Web Usage

Primary colour palette for print and web

The primary colour palette for the CHIN family of logos is shown below. The logo can only appear in these colours. Prominent use of these colours further reinforces the CHIN family of logos brand.

Colours	PMS	CMYK	RGB	HEX(web)
	PMS-185	C=0, M=91, Y=76, K=0	R=239, G=62, B=66	FF0033
	black	C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=100	R=0, G=0, B=0	000000
	grey	C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=36	R=175, G=177, B=180	AFB1B4

Do not screen the CHIN red (PMS-185). Screening red turns the colour to pink. Exceptions would be if the screen were part of a blend. In this case the minimum screen is 85%. The blend must end with 100% of the red.

Colour options for print and web

virtualmuseum.ca logo may appear only in the following colour options.

These representations illustrate reversing the logo out of large fields of colour. Do not "frame" the logo within a box, circle, rectangle or square.

Background options

The preferred background colours for the CHIN family of logos are white and black.

However, when a design features a dominant colour other than red or black, the logo maybe "reversed out" of that colour if the paper colour is white or almost white. This option is acceptable only for low-budget, low-priority uses that are not integral to the CHIN’s central branding efforts.

The logo may be imprinted on or reversed out of a photograph if the logo is clearly legible, its primary colours are used and the safe area is preserved. This option works only when the photo includes a suitable area for the logo that is simple and without detail.

Sample video executions

The virtualmuseum.ca logo can be positioned 1/4 x from the left and bottom edges of the video safe area. Based on a 640x480 screen size, the reversed logo size would be 75 pixels x 18 pixels.

Exception: The logo may only be separated when used as a watermark for video use. The virtualmuseum.ca symbol and maple leaf may be used in conjunction with each other without the "virtualmuseum.ca" text.

Working with others

The virtualmuseum.ca logo should have a safe area around the logo in all sponsorship occasions. This includes logos positioned in a banner as detailed below. As well as when positioned with other logos in an opportunity of sponsorship. The virtualmuseum.ca shall be preserved to allow for maximum legibility of the logo. No elements such as typography, other logos, or graphics may intrude upon this safe area.

Approval process

All use of the CHIN family of logos must be submitted for approval by CHIN Marketing. For all printed materials, electronic design, web design and content please send your requests to:

Business Development & Marketing Manager
Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN)
Canadian Heritage
15 Eddy, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0M5
Telephone 819-994-1200 (1-800-520-2446)
Facsimile 819-994-9555
Email : marketing@chin.gc.ca