ETKM Brand Kit

QC is the final gate before every delivery — no exceptions. If you are about to call present_files without having run etkm-deliverable-qc — stop. Run QC first.

Why This Matters

Every time a font is wrong, a background is white when it should be black, or a heading uses the wrong typeface — it is because a companion skill was skipped. These are not judgment calls. They are the standard. The companion skills encode the standard so it doesn't have to be re-learned or re-corrected session after session.

1. Color Palette (Non-Negotiable)

Color Rules

• HTML deliverables: Body background is always #000000. Surfaces are #111111. Text is #FFFFFF (headlines) and #BBBBBB (body). This is non-negotiable and applies to every HTML file produced for ETKM — web pages, WordPress blocks, landing pages, email templates, and any other HTML deliverable.
• PDF deliverables: Cover page is black background. Interior pages are white background with black header bar and single red accent rule.
• DOCX deliverables: White background, black text, black header bar, red accent line.
• Backgrounds: Solid Black or Solid White only. Never gray backgrounds.
• Gradients: Prohibited. No exceptions.
• No other colors exist in the ETKM system.

2. Red Usage (Attention Only)

Red (#CC0000) is a weapon, not decoration. It draws the eye to exactly one thing.

• Use for: One word, one short phrase, one CTA button, one warning, one decision point.
• Do NOT use for: Paragraphs, full backgrounds, multiple elements per section, decorative borders.
• Maximum: One red element per visual section.
• When red appears, all other elements must be neutral (black, white, gray).

Proven Red Applications

3. Typography System (Non-Negotiable)

Primary Type Stack

Typography Rules

• HTML: Load via Google Fonts CDN. Never fall back to system fonts. @import from fonts.googleapis.com — both Montserrat and Inter required.
• PDF: Fonts MUST be base64-encoded into @font-face declarations. No CDN imports in headless Playwright. See etkm-pdf-pipeline for embedding script.
• DOCX: Use Arial as the closest system-available substitute. Montserrat is not a system font — Arial Bold approximates the weight.
• Never stretch, distort, or substitute decorative fonts.
• Uppercase with wide letter-spacing for labels and category headers.

4. Visual Style and Geometry

Layout Doctrine: Swiss International

• High contrast between elements
• Asymmetric grids — not centered, not symmetrical
• Aggressive use of negative space
• Massive typography as a design element, not just text
• Clean geometric shapes — no rounded corners unless functional (buttons only)
• Hard edges, sharp lines, defined boundaries
• One red element per section draws the eye — everything else is neutral

Layout Standards by Type

5. Logo and Identity — APPROVED FILES ONLY

RULE: Text logos are NEVER used. No "ETKM." No "ETKM" typed in any font. Always use approved PNG files.

Approved Logo Files

Logo Placement Rules

• Circle logo: nav (44–56px height), footer (48–64px height), PDF cover only — never interior pages
• Wordmark: alongside circle in footer and email header, or alone in wide-format contexts
• Always on black (#000) or transparent background — never on white or light backgrounds
• Never stretch, distort, apply filters, drop shadows, or additional effects
• Never recreate the logo in CSS, SVG, or typed text

Prohibited

• ❌ "ETKM." — not an approved logo
• ❌ "ETKM" typed in Montserrat or any font — not an approved logo
• ❌ Logo on white or light backgrounds
• ❌ Any logo not in the approved file list above

6. Image and Photography Direction

• Cinematic, not stock photo
• Desaturated or monochromatic base with red as single color accent
• Subjects positioned with intentional sightlines
• Back-turned or profile subjects preferred over direct-to-camera
• Environmental storytelling — setting communicates the message
• No martial arts action shots unless specifically requested
• Mood: quiet confidence, not aggression

7. What This Kit Prohibits

• Gradients of any kind
• Colors outside the 5-color palette
• Multiple red elements in a single section
• Rounded, playful, or whimsical design elements
• White or light backgrounds on HTML deliverables
• Centered-and-symmetrical layouts (Swiss style is asymmetric)
• Decorative fonts or script typography
• Drop shadows unless subtle and functional
• Borders on all four sides of an element (one or two sides maximum)
• Any font other than Montserrat (headlines) and Inter (body) on HTML/PDF deliverables

8. QC Before Delivery — Always

The production chain is:

Load Brand Kit → Load Type Skill → Build → Run etkm-deliverable-qc → Deliver

No deliverable reaches Nathan without a passing QC run. If you are about to call present_files — stop and run etkm-deliverable-qc first.

Version 4.0 — Updated 2026-03-25 Added: companion skill references, mandatory workflow chain, HTML black background rule locked Typography updated: Montserrat + Inter locked across all types. Arial for DOCX only. Maintained by: Nathan Lundstrom / East Texas Krav Maga

8. Outbound References

Skills that build outputs governed by this brand kit:

Any skill that produces a visual output for ETKM should reference this skill. This brand kit IS the standard — it has no QC gates because all other skills gate against it.