The “Nathan Parker Brand” is a personal brand created by me to label/identify my open-source software, applications, and experiences. As such, to protect this brand and identity, my logo is pending trademarking. This page will go over things like usage, logo meaning, colors, contrast, font, safe area, spacing, scaling, orientation, usage, and more.

Logo Meaning

You might be wondering why this logo is special or has any meaning to it. However, to me, this logo is like the final stamp/signature of my software. I’m an open-source developer, who likes streamlined and simple experiences for everyone to enjoy and modify. My software is also aimed at being inviting, easy to use, and bringing people together. However, I’m not much of a designer; thus, I had the logo created and commissioned by Softriver where I was able to explain who I am and what I do. From my explanations and other research, Softriver found these themes about me that are reflected in the logo:

Pictogram

From which the pictogram was created, with it containing the letter ‘N’ with the cleaver use of negative space and typographical design. It’s focused on being modern and minimalistic to evoke a sense of trust and openness for the users, as it’s shown to:

Wordmark

The word mark is simply my name, ‘Nathan Parker’, presented in the Gilroy™ font made by Radomir Tinkov. With the ‘t’ having its crossbar/cross stroke modified to reduce the spacing and increase flow between characters:

Colors

For the colors of my brand, they’re based on the colors I picked for this revision of my website. These colors are applied to my logo, websites, and likely any further applications that I make. More colors might be introduced soon, but as of now, these are my current personal brand colors:

Logo Colors

In terms of the logo’s colors, the only colors permitted are primary, accent, white, off-white, and black. All other colors don’t fit the brand (secondary is too dark), and thus aren’t available in the colorways or any application of my logo. Furthermore, don’t switch up colors from the provided colorways. For example, putting the accent on top and the primary on bottom for the pictogram. Modifying the logo with different colorways or layouts of colors makes the logo harder to recognize:

Logo Contrast

When using my logo for thumbnails, blog posters, and other pictorial media, make sure the contrast between the logo and its background is sufficient; if not, switch to a different colorway. For example, my site uses off-white due to the contrast issues of the primary color. Poor contrast makes the logo harder to see and distinguish, especially at long distances:

Font

The font for my logo and this website is Gilroy™ by Radomir Tinkov. I’ve bought specific licensing for his font (he’s a great designer), and thus you cannot use his font without purchasing a license. Gilroy™ is trademarked, and if you pirate his font, you’ll be infringing on his trademark. ncp.dev uses regular and bold along with their italic versions.

Moreover, don’t change the font of my logo. Other fonts don’t fit the design scheme of the pictogram. Gilroy™ was picked due to its roundness and flow of characters. The characters in the logo are vectors instead of text, and changing or removing these vectors would alter the logo in many ways, including shape, flow, and spacing. If you want to change the font, use the standalone pictogram instead — never change the font or vectors in the logo:

Safe Area and Spacing

My logo is meant to be visible and presentable to all, and not just sitting on the very edge of a document or picture. Thus, there is a defined safe area for my logo. In addition, don’t clip the word mark or pictogram when displaying my logo. Especially with the pictogram, the more clipped it is, the negative space ‘N’ becomes harder and harder to see or recognize.

The safe area of my logo is defined by the width of the ‘N’ or half of the pictogram (if standalone). To see this in action, please view the image below to see sufficient displacement of my logo:

I’m not too concerned if the logo is exactly pixel-perfect from each edge, but just be courteous in making my logo presentable. The design is meant to be seen, recognized, and felt. If it’s going off-screen or touching the very edge of the picture, video, or document, it makes the logo feel improper and unprofessional.

Spacing

Furthermore, don’t mess with any internal spacing or gaps in the word mark or pictogram. The logo is not designed to have any more gaps or spacing changes, as it would affect certain aspects and flow of the logo, making it appear off, or unpleasant:

Scaling and Orientation

When scaling the logo, make sure the logo is easily viewable. It’s advised not to use PNGs for this reason, as scaling them down often leads to lower resolution and blurring. I’ve provided SVGs instead to make it easy to scale down to your needs. The minimum size is 150 PXL, and generally, you wouldn’t need to go above 350 PXL.

Orientation / Rotation

In terms of the logo’s orientation, don’t modify how it’s shown. The logo is meant to be flat (0°) and not rotated. I want the logo in all presentations to be easily scanned, read, and understood — the best angle for that is 0°.

Logo or Pictogram Usage

Below is a basic checklist to reference when using my logo. It doesn’t cover all the bases, but these are generally the most common questions or concerns that people have about using logos, especially mine:

Still don’t know, da wae? Need clarification? If so, please don’t hesitate to email legal@ncp.dev to get further insight on how to use my logo properly to avoid any legal trouble. Speaking of which, any person(s) who are caught using my logo whilst not following these guidelines defined throughout the page, will be contacted privately via email from legal@ncp.dev or physically mailed a cease-and-desist letter (once the trademark is registered). If actions aren’t taken to eliminate the unauthorized use of my trademark (within the timeframe set within the notice), legal action will be pursued to protect and ensure my trademark.

I’ve spent thousands of hours making my software, building my brand, and trying to create an experience for everyone. When someone is trying to steal that from me, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure, protect, and solidify my brand. No matter if it’s a business or an individual, the act of stealing and passing off work as your own is wrong in every way. I’ll be actively tracking down such people, but if you find someone who is using my logo or has created anything that would confuse you because of their similarities, please contact legal@ncp.dev.

My Signature

Under no circumstances, should my signature be used to replace or represent my brand or logo. My signature is only used in special situations and is only to be used by myself. No one knows me by my signature anyway, so you’re required to use my logo.

Agreement and Files

Upon downloading the zip file below, you are making it clear that you’ve understood and will abide by the guidelines set forth in this document. If you choose not to follow these guidelines, you’ll be contacted via legal@ncp.dev or physically sent a cease-and-desist letter (once the trademark is registered). If you don’t comply or get back in contact, you’ll be sued for trademark infringement. To avoid legal trouble, again, please contact legal@ncp.dev to get guidance, permission, or to request any information.

File Downloads

In the below download link, you’ll receive only SVG versions of my logo and a standalone pictogram. If demand increases, I’ll add different versions or the animated versions if needed. If you require a specific format, contact legal@ncp.dev, and we can sort that out. Remember to follow the guidelines and to contact me for assistance.