How to Create Brand Guidelines in Illustrator

A complete guide to creating professional brand guidelines with Guideit - Brand Guidelines Generator (Adobe Illustrator.

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Creating brand guidelines can be extremely tedious expecailly for large projects.

Akrivi Guideit replaces the manual copy-paste work of creating brand guidelines with a smart, automated workflow.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact process, to creating professional brand guidelines in Adobe Illustrator, using Brand Guidelines Generator.

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Step 1: The Basics (Grouping Your Logos)

Before you even open the tool, you need to prepare your canvas. The most important step is grouping.

Guideit needs to distinguish between your symbol (Logomark) and your text (Logotype) to place them correctly in the templates.

• Group the Icon: Select all the vector paths of your icon and group them (Cmd/Ctrl + G).
• Group the Text: Select the outlines of your brand name and group them separately.
• Group the Lockup: Finally, select both groups and group them together to create your Full Logo.

Note: If you skip this, the tool might treat individual letters or shapes as separate logos.

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Step 2: Uploading Brand Assets

Once your logos are grouped, open the Guideit panel (Window > Extensions > Akrivi Guideit).

Go to the Brand Assets tab. This is your control center.

1. Set Logos: Select your grouped logo on the canvas, then click the corresponding button in the panel (e.g., "Set Logomark").
2. Input Data: Type in your brand name and select your primary fonts from the dropdowns.
3. Add Colors: Enter your HEX codes for the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary colors.

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Step 3: Choosing an Automated Template

Now for the magic part. Switch to the Templates tab.

Browse through the library of styles (Corporate, Tech, Urban, etc.). When you find one that fits your client's vibe, simply click Generate.

In seconds, Guideit will build a multi-page document, populating every artboard with the assets you uploaded in Step 2. It handles the layout, the color swatches, and the typography hierarchy automatically.

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Step 4: Sharing via Google Drive

We designed Guideit to work seamlessly with cloud storage for a "live" delivery experience.

Instead of emailing a static PDF that instantly becomes outdated, follow this workflow:

1. Install Google Drive for Desktop.
2. Save your generated Illustrator file (.ai) directly into your synced Google Drive folder.
3. Right-click the file in Finder/Explorer and grab the Share Link.

Send this link to your client. They can now view the latest version of the guidelines anytime.

Check out this video to learn how to share your brand guidelines to clients.

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Step 5: Applying Changes Instantly

The real power of this workflow happens when the client asks for a revision.

Let's say the client wants to tweak the Primary Color.

1. Open your file and go back to the Brand Assets tab in Guideit.
2. Update the HEX code.
3. Click Apply Changes.

Guideit will instantly update that color across every single page of the document. Once you hit Save in Illustrator, the file in Google Drive updates automatically. Your client sees the changes immediately without you ever sending a new email.

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Ready to Automate Your Workflow?

Guideit turns a complex, multi-hour task into a simple, linear process. By following these steps, you can deliver professional guidelines faster and manage revisions effortlessly.

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Conclusion

Using an automated tool like Guideit doesn't just save time on the initial build; it simplifies the entire client delivery process. By combining smart templates with cloud syncing, you ensure your clients always have the correct assets while you stay focused on creative work.