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Two companies offer something together. Both logos are equal.
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Co-branding guidelines: how to put two logos together.
When two brands share one page, both should look good. A few clear rules make that easy.
Co-branding guidelines are the rules for showing your brand next to a partner brand. They say how the two logos sit together, how big each is, what goes between them, who leads and who approves.
The short version: give both logos the same visual weight, put a thin line or clear space between them, keep each logo in its own colours, and get a yes from both sides before anything goes out.
By Vedran Obradović · Updated 5 November 2026
Common types of co-branding.
The type decides who leads on the page.
Technology or ingredient
Your product is "powered by" or "built on" another. Your brand leads, theirs is smaller.
Reseller or channel partner
A partner sells your product. Their brand leads, yours is marked as the product.
Sponsor or event
A sponsor supports an event. The event leads, sponsors sit in a row.
Write down the type first. Most co-branding fights are really about who leads. For how brands sit inside one company, see brand architecture for B2B.
Co-branding logo lockup rules.
A lockup is the fixed way two logos sit together. Make it once and save it as one file.
Rule 1
Same visual weight
Match how big the logos look, not their width. A wide wordmark and a square symbol need different sizes to look equal.
Rule 2
Something between them
A thin vertical line, a plus sign, or "x". Or just clear space. Pick one and keep it.
Rule 3
Clear space for both
Each logo keeps its own clear space. The line sits outside both.
Rule 4
Same height line
Align the logos on the centre line, or on the base of the letters. Not the top edge.
Rule 5
Own colours, or both one colour
Each logo in its own colours. On photos, both in white or both in black.
Rule 6
Leader on the left
The brand that leads sits left or on top. For equal partners, agree on the order once.
Free tool
Start with your own clear space rule.
A lockup only works if each logo keeps its space. Add your logo, pick a rule and download the guide. Your file stays on your device.
Who leads where: a placement table.
Agree on this table before the first design.
| Situation | Who leads | Lockup |
|---|---|---|
| Joint webinar or report | Equal | Side by side, same weight, line between |
| Your product inside their offer | Partner | Their logo first, yours smaller with "powered by" |
| Their tech inside your product | You | Your logo first, theirs smaller with "built on" |
| Partner website listing | Partner | Your logo alone, from your partner kit |
| Event with sponsors | Event | Event logo big, sponsor logos in one row, same height |
| Joint case study | Equal | Side by side on the cover, one brand for the inside layout |
Inside layout tip: pick one brand's fonts and grid for the whole piece. Mixing two type systems on one page almost never works.
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Copy this co-branding guidelines template.
One page. Send it to the partner with your logo files.
Co-branding guidelines, one page
CO-BRANDING GUIDELINES - [YOUR COMPANY] x [PARTNER] Owner on our side: [name, email] Owner on their side: [name, email] TYPE: [partnership / powered by / reseller / sponsor] WHO LEADS: [us / partner / equal] LOCKUP - Order: [leader] left, [other] right - Between: [thin line in grey / plus sign / clear space only] - Size: logos look the same size (match visual weight, not width) - Clear space: each logo keeps its own clear space - Colour: each in its own colours; on photos both white or both black - Files: [link to lockup in SVG and PNG, light and dark] DO NOT - Stretch, recolour or redraw either logo - Put the lockup on busy photos - Merge the logos into one new mark - Use the lockup after the partnership ends WORDS - How to name us: [exact name] How to name them: [exact name] - Approved line about the partnership: [one sentence] APPROVAL - Both owners approve every new piece before it goes out - Reply time: [e.g. 2 working days]
The last DO NOT line is the one people forget. Put an end date in the partner kit too. More on sending files in how to share brand guidelines with agencies and partners.
What to send a partner with the guidelines.
Partners need less than your team, but they need it right.
- Logo files in colour, white and black, SVG and PNG
- The lockup files, ready made, so nobody builds their own
- One page of rules, like the template above
- Approved words: your name, one line about you, one about the partnership
- One contact for questions and approvals
For Deepsea Networks I made 88-page guidelines and a separate 17-page partner kit. Partners get what they need, not the whole book. See the Deepsea Networks project, and check your files against which logo files you need.
Co-branding checklist before anything ships.
Tick what is true. Your ticks stay on this device.
0 of 8 done
Partners asking for your logo every month? A brand portal gives them one link with the right files and rules. See how I set that up in Brand OS Portal, and keep your own rules sharp with logo usage guidelines.
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Straight answers.
What is co-branding?
Co-branding is when two brands appear together on one product, campaign, event or document, so each brand gains from the other.
How do you place two logos together?
Give them the same visual weight, align them on the centre line, put a thin line or clear space between them and keep each in its own colours.
Which logo goes first in co-branding?
The brand that leads goes left or on top. For equal partners, agree on the order once and write it down.
What is a co-branding logo lockup?
A fixed, saved layout of both logos together, so nobody has to build it again and it always looks the same.
Should the partner logo be the same size as mine?
For equal partners, it should look the same size. Match visual weight, not width.
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