What a brand compliance check looks at
| Category | Typical rules |
|---|---|
| Logo | Correct version, approved background, clear space, not stretched or recoloured |
| Colour | Only palette colours, minimum share of brand colours |
| Typography | Brand typefaces, approved weights |
| Photography | Lighting, setting, how products and people are shown |
| Copy | Product names spelled correctly, required wording next to prices |
| Legal | Disclaimers, trademark symbols, mandatory notices |
| Format | Minimum dimensions, aspect ratio, file type, file size |
| Record | Credit line, usage rights and other required metadata filled in |
Some of these need judgement (is the logo on a light background?). Others can be measured exactly (is the image at least 1,200 pixels wide?). A good process measures what can be measured and keeps judgement for the rest. The guide to brand compliance checks explains how to write rules for each kind.
When and by whom
| Moment | Who checks | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before publication | Brand team or approver | Catches problems before anyone sees them | A bottleneck when volume grows |
| When files enter the library | Software, with a reviewer | Every file is checked once, and the result stays on the file | Needs written rules that software can apply |
| After publication | Brand team, by sampling | Shows what partners and regions actually publish | Problems are already public |
Most companies combine them: an automated first reading of every new file, a human decision on the result, and a periodic sample of published material during a brand audit.
What happens to a non-compliant file
A failed check should lead to one of three outcomes, each recorded:
- Fix and resubmit. The designer or agency corrects the file, and the corrected version is checked again.
- Approve an exception. A co-branded event may allow a monochrome logo. The reviewer accepts the file with a note explaining why.
- Restrict use. The file stays in the library for reference, but is hidden from partners or blocked from publication.
Brand compliance is not the same as legal or regulatory compliance. For regulated content such as financial promotions, health claims or alcohol advertising, a brand check is a first pass and the existing legal review stays.
Brand compliance in Freedam
In Freedam, brand compliance is part of Quality, where metadata rules are checked too. See governance.
- Rule sets. Rules are written in plain language, each with a category (Logo, Colour, Typography, Photography, Copy, Legal or Format) and a weight: a failed Must rule makes the asset Non-compliant, failed Should rules make it Partially compliant. A set holds up to 50 rules and 10,000 characters, and applies to the assets its conditions select, with the same filters as the gallery.
- What the AI reads. For rules checked by AI, it sees the image at 1,024 pixels, the text read from it, its dominant colours, its size and file type, the brand guide colours, and an optional reference image such as the approved logo.
- Exact checks. Colours from a palette, minimum dimensions, aspect ratio, file format, maximum file size and a filled-in metadata field are measured from the file and its record, without the AI.
- When checks run. When an upload finishes and when an asset gets a new file, for sets with automatic checks on, and whenever someone selects Check again. Images, EPS files and single-page PDFs with a preview are checked; other files are skipped with a reason.
- Findings. Each rule gets Pass, Fail, Not applicable or Could not be checked, with an explanation of what was seen, and the check proposes a status: Compliant, Partially compliant, Non-compliant or Not applicable.
- Who reviews. People with the Review quality results permission approve the proposal or set another status, which requires a note. A proposed status is never applied on its own; the asset has no status until a reviewer decides, and the AI findings stay visible next to the decision.
- What a non-compliant status does. The asset stays in the library, with a red pill on its gallery card. The status works in gallery filters, saved searches and access rules, for example to hide non-compliant assets from partners. Uploading a corrected file as a new version clears the approved status and checks the asset again.
- History. Every save of a rule set is a version, and each check records the version it used.
The Brand Rules documentation covers setup, and Brand compliance on assets covers the review.
Frequently asked questions
What is brand compliance software?
Software that checks marketing material against an organisation's brand guidelines and records whether each file complies. In a DAM, it runs on files as they are uploaded and keeps the result on the file, where search, sharing and approvals can use it.
Can AI check brand compliance on its own?
It can propose a result for visual rules, such as logo placement, backgrounds and photography style, when each rule states one requirement. It should not measure exact values like hex colours or pixel sizes, and a person should approve the result, above all for legal rules.
Who is responsible for brand compliance?
The brand team owns the rules and decides exceptions. The people who produce material, including agencies and partners, are responsible for following them. Reviewers approve or correct each result.
Related terms
Read a brand check rule by rule
In Nordi's demo library, open a catalogue cover printed with an older logo and read its Brand compliance tab: each rule's result, what the check saw, and the status a reviewer approved.
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