Midwestern States Environmental

Consultants Associations
Style Guide
November 1, 2017

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Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to provide consistency in written, printed and electronic
materials developed by and for the Midwestern States Environmental Consultants
Association (MSECA). This style guide is designed to provide consistency in the text of
publications, website and general information about proofreading to improve accuracy.
These guidelines should be applied to all publications, correspondence, signage and
other printed and electronic material.

Table of Contents
Brand Identity and Design Guidelines3-4
General Style for Communications.....................................4-5
Mission Statement.....5
General Proofreading Rules.5-6

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Brand Identity & Design Guidelines
These standards are general, basic rules to provide a consistent visual identity for
printed and electronic materials.

Follow these simple guidelines:

Logo
MSECs visual identity centers on the use of the logo and includes typography and
visual illustrations. The following logos may only be used by MSEC. The logo should be
kept proportional. Three complete logos are seen from left to right; the primary logo, the
transparent logo and then the black and white logo.

Color Swatches
The following exact color swatches should be used on all MSECA branded materials.

C: 91 M: 67 Y: 1 K: 0 R: 30 G: 95 B: 170 Hex: 1E5FAA

C: 58 M: 20 Y: 79 K: 3 R: 120 G: 160 B: 95 Hex: 78A05F

C: 91 M: 67 Y: 1 K: 0 R: 30 G: 95 B: 170 Hex: FDB159

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Typeface
The standard typeface is Arial. It should be used for all correspondence and printed and
electronic materials. These typefaces should be used in their proper form; do not
condense or extend the typefaces.

The typeface used in the MSECA logo is Copperplate and Aken Bold.

Design Guidelines
Always follow a period by a single space (not double). This is true for any printed or
electronic materials.

It is not necessary to include a comma before the final item in a series.

The most important basic design rule is to be consistent. Consistency in spacing

between elements, fonts, typefaces and the use and place of elements on a page is
critical.

General Style for Communications

Generally, MSECA uses Associated Press (AP) Style for all communications.

Design Guidelines
Always follow a period by a single space (not double). This is true for any printed or
electronic materials.

It is not necessary to include a comma before the final item in a series.

Any general communication needs to include the following (formatted in this way):

Midwestern States Environmental Consultants Association

9100 Purdue Rd., Ste. 200

Indianapolis, IN 46268

317.328.4631 ext. ###

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Fax: 317.280.8527

www.mseca.org

When submitting official documents to board members, committee members, media and
others outside of MSECA staff, make sure the documents are sent as a PDF to maintain
the fonts and formatting.

Mission Statement
The mission statement is important in maintaining consistency in the basic description
of MSECAs general purpose and activities. Its use is essential to help build awareness
among various publics about what MSECA does.

Mission Statement
To advance the profession of environmental consulting in the Midwest primarily through
education and the dissemination of information related to technical developments,
regulations, training, and codes, all pertaining to environmental protection.

General Proofreading Rules

Proofreading is an essential way to ensure the quality of written, printed and electronic
material. Every piece communicates, through the accuracy of its copy, the consistency
of its elements and its general quality. Following are tips to improve proofreading
effectiveness.

Have someone you trust proofread the document.

If you must proofread your own work, if possible, put the document aside for a
day before you proofread it.

When possible, read the documents aloud.

Proof a hard copy of all documents as well as documents on the computer

screen.

Make edit marks with a colored pen: red, green or blue, but not black.

Proof for a variety of errors, some obvious, others not - grammatical, spelling
consistency (indentions, dates, style, typeface), typographical, format (memos,
letters forms), number (correct numbers, dates, prices, times, page numbers,

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 addition errors) and content errors (usage, word choice, outdates or incorrect
information).

Proof against the last version of the document, checking that all marked
changes, deletions and additions were made.

Do not rely on spellchecker to ensure an error-proof document. Always read it.

Typos tend to clump together; where you find one check for others.

Call telephone numbers to be sure they are right and check all hyperlinks to
ensure they are directing to the correct pages

Check headlines, captions, cutlines and pulled quotes carefully. Errors in them
are obvious since they are often the first items read. They are also easy to miss
as you concentrate on reading and proofing larger blocks of text.

Before you print or send the document, do a final check: Is the date correct? Are
signatures included, if applicable? Are the names spelled correctly?