Fourth District PTA, California State PTA

The key to building a recognized name brand and identity is consistency. While the name PTA is recognized widely, many people still think it is a generic term that can be used to describe any parent group or school association. Over the course of our long history, the strength of our PTA brand has been diluted because we have 54 different state-level logos and 26,000 different local PTA logos! We do not have a single brand identity that identifies us all as part of the same, great organization! The time has come for a single, recognizable and standard logo to be used by all PTAs everywhere to identify and brand all PTAs as one national organization. Establishing and maintaining a strong brand identity is critical to increasing recognition and setting PTA apart from the competition. A brand identity program establishes criteria and guidelines for logo applications in various media and situations, as well as providing detailed specifications for type treatment, color usage, and reproducing the PTA logo. The following guidelines are provided to establish a uniform, effective system for PTAs to use when presenting the name, logo and tagline of the PTA. It will help PTAs maintain a consistent visual style and brand identity for all PTA-produced materials.

Consistency is key.Think about how corporations, national chains, or other grassroots organizations use their logos—they are always shown in the same typeface and usually the same color, no matter where you see it displayed. Because of consistent use and standards, companies and organizations can count on being recognized by their logo alone or by a catchy, repeated slogan. What if Coca-Cola® allowed its logo to be shown in blue and white instead of red and white? What if McDonald's® allowed franchises to have green arches instead of "golden" ones? What if Nike® used variations on their popular "Just Do It" slogan? As you can imagine, without consistency, these companies would not enjoy the immediate recognition they have today. The success of our PTA brand identity system depends on all PTAs adherence to the established guidelines. If we continue to allow our PTA name or logo to be used in any way, shape or form, we lose the ability to to build recognition and be identified as a single, strong organization. That's why National PTA has established these guidelines to help PTAs stay consistent and build equity in the PTA name and logo. We recognize there will be a transition from using existing symbols and logos to this new logo system, but it's worth it. By insisting that all PTAs use the same logo, it is the only way we will be able to maintain and position ourselves as the largest and oldest child advocacy organization in the country and a national leader in parent/family involvement. We're PTA—not a parent-teacher organization, not a parent association, not a home-school association. We're PTA, we're a national organization, and we're going to look like one!

Your PTA name is important—it identifies you as part of the national network of PTAs all working on behalf of children and youth. Always publish, print, or speak the name of your PTA in a consistent manner—be consistent in the typeface or font you use, how your logo appears, and the color you use. You need to be consistent in order to build an identity for your PTA—one that is recognizable and continues to build awareness of your PTA. As a member of your state and National PTA, you are entitled to use the PTA or PTSA name. The names "PTA" and "PTSA" are registered service marks of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. A service mark has the same legal status as a trademark. The distinction is that a service mark is used for services and trademarks are used for commercial products. The symbol ® designates that the PTA name has been registered with the federal government and may not be used by organizations not affiliated with the National Congress of Parents and Teachers.(PTA®, PTSA®)

The following names are all registered service marks of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers:

PTA PTSA (no periods)
PTAs PTSAs (plural, no apostrophe)
PTA's PTSA's (singular possessive, use an apostrophe)
PTAs' PTSAs' (plural possessive, apostrophe follows the "s")

The modern, slanted PTA logo is the single most important element that can be used to build a PTA's brand image and unify all PTAs as part of our national organization. The PTA logo should appear the same at all times on all correspondence, whether it is a memo, press release, newsletter, poster, or brochure.

Not only is the name "PTA," a registered servicemark, but the slanted design treatment of the logo also has been registered as an official servicemark of the organization. The PTA logo can be shown alone, with a signature (your PTA name), with both a signature and tagline, or with the tagline alone. When the logo is shown with other elements, such as with a signature or tagline, all the elements should be centered above or below the logo as shown and always appear in a single color-either the corporate dark blue or black. Do not print the signature in one color and the logo in another color.

Correct Use of Logo

The logo can be used alone. Always reproduce the logo with its registered trademark symbol.

The name of your PTA, or signature, should always be set in Arial Black/Helvetica Black type and may be centered or stacked above the logo. Do not repeat "PTA" in your signature above the PTA logo—your signature and logo should read as one, cohesive name. In order to establish consistency and build recognition for the PTA logo, it should always be shown in the same color—either black or corporate dark blue, or can be shown in white, reversed out of a solid field of color. Color consistency is key to building and maintaining a solid, recognizable brand identity for PTA (see "PTA Color Applications").

Incorrect Uses of Logo

Do not alter the spacing between the letters in the logo artwork provided.
Do not cut the letters apart and stack them vertically. This makes the PTA logo difficult to read and hard to recognize.
Do not make a pattern by repeating the logo or use as a decorative element .

PTA Corporate Typefaces

Consistency is a key element for an effective brand identification system, especially when using corporate typefaces. The corporate typefaces act as a visual bond for all PTAs and help provide a consistent, brand look in communications and marketing materials.

The corporate typeface Arial Black / Helvetica Black was selected for the PTA signature because of its modern appearance and legibility. Exclusive use of this typeface for PTA names reinforces the consistent style of the logo throughout the organization. The extra bold weight, referred to as "black" in the Helvetica and Arial typeface families was selected to help balance each PTA's signature with the bold design of the slanted PTA and PTSA letters of the logo. The font Times Roman or Times New Roman (same for PC and Macintosh users) was selected as the corporate typeface for the tagline, "everychild. onevoice." This font was chosen for the tagline because of how it contrasts nicely with the bold style of the logo. Times Roman is also used for all text and copy in advertising and promotional copy, brochures, in stationery items, and in all correspondence materials for the organization.

Supporting Typefaces

While it is not required, it is highly recommended that your PTA adopt and use Arial/Helvetica and Times Roman typeface families in regular, italic, bold, or other weights as your official supporting typefaces for your publishing needs. Using these two typefaces will help create a consistent, family look for your PTA and the materials it produces.

The simple, clean style of the Arial/Helvetica typeface family is best used for emphasis and not large blocks of text and copy. It can be used for headlines, subheads for newsletters, posters, and promotional copy. The legible and easy-to-read Times Roman typeface can be used for setting text and copy for brochures, newsletters, and as the typeface you use for your letters, press releases, and press statements.

While using just two typeface families for all of your PTA work may seem limiting or too redundant to you, limiting the design elements you use and keeping your materials simple is one way to maintain consistency and create a professional look and image for your PTA. The entire Annual Resources for PTAs manual is set using only two typeface families! The result is a clean and simple look that is easy to read.

PTA Color Applications

"PTA Blue" on the Web

PMS colors are "spot" colors for use in printed materials. The closest translation to a digital color would be hex #003F77. Use this color definition in your images for use on a web page or in an email.

PMS #541 / #003F77

The official corporate color of the PTA is a dark, slate blue. For professional printing purposes, the ink color is Pantone Matching System® color 541.
The PTA signature, logo and tagline should always appear together in the same color— either all in black or corporate blue.
Never print your PTA name in a different color when shown directly above the logo or tagline.
The logo may be reversed out of a background or color field strong enough to maintain a distinct impression of the logo. The background must completely surround the logo. Do not isolate or reverse individual elements, such as reverse your PTA signature, but not the PTA logo and tagline.

How to Make Your Own Custom PTA or PTSA logo

Customize your logo in your word processing, desktop publishing or image editing software application. Logos are available on the Summer Mailing CD sent by the California State PTA to all presidents, or contact us to assist you with the customization.

PTA logo usage

Correct Usage of the PTA/PTSA Logos