Using brands

Default account branding

Your ChurchSuite account includes a default brand, which can be managed and customised from the Brands section of the Administrator area. Click to View and customise the default brand for your ChurchSuite account.

From the brand "View" you can manage brand details relating to Email, Styles and Images. Begin by clicking Edit.

On the Edit pop-up, optionally update the default brand Name and choose your account brand Colour. This colour, and any logo and emblem you upload to ChurchSuite (explained next) are used to brand the public-facing and member-facing forms and pages across the entire ChurchSuite ecosystem, including My ChurchSuite, Embed, Connect, Donate, My Consent, and also branded emails. You can replace the suggested hexadecimal Colour code, perhaps choosing one from your organisation's colour palette or style guide, or choosing a colour that matches your website colour scheme. You can use tools like Adobe Kuler to find the correct hexadecimal code for your preferred colour. Finally, choose your preferred email-safe Branded Email Font and Footer. An email footer might typically include your organisation's contact details, address, website link, and company/charity number - use the HTML Editor tools to style your footer content. Once you're happy, click Save.

The brand "View" reflects all the changes made and shows a likeness example of the branded email footer you have set. Next, you can upload suitably-prepared Logo and Emblem Images. To add or change a Logo or Emblem, click the respective image placeholder to reveal the Edit action.

On the Edit image pop-up, drag or choose a file from your device into the dropzone. The file is updated immediately. The image should be in JPG/PNG format and, to avoid stretching or clipping, be precisely 1000x200 pixels for a Logo and 200x200 pixels for an Emblem. In the absence of a Logo image, your organisation's Name will be used for all branded pages, forms and branded header emails. The Emblem is used in the footer of branded emails.

Again, the brand "View" shows the uploaded Logo and Emblem images.

Returning to the Brands section, the Default brand is shown updated accordingly.

Adding custom brands

In addition to the default branding for your ChurchSuite account, you can add custom brands and then assign them to event categories, forms, Giving module funds, booking types and plans linked to events, so that the respective public-facing pages and forms sport the selected Brand logo, emblem, colour styling, and branded email font and footer. In this section, we see how to add a custom brand, and in the next sections, we'll see how custom brands are assigned.

To add a custom brand, head to the Brands section of the Administrator area and click Add brand. Your default account brand will already be listed - see the previous section for further information.

On the Add brand pop-up, give your Brand a suitable Name e.g., "Children's Ministry", "Church Events", or "Conferencing". Specify the brand Colour hexadecimal code of the colour that you wish to use. To find the correct hex code for your Brand colour, we recommend using a tool such as Adobe Kuler. The branded email Font and Footer are auto-populated with those used for your default account brand, but these can be optionally changed as desired. Click Save to complete the process.

The brand "View" reflects all the changes made and shows a likeness example of the branded email footer you have set. Next, you can upload suitably-prepared Logo and Emblem Images. To add or change a Logo or Emblem, click the respective image placeholder to reveal the Edit action.

On the Edit image pop-up, drag or choose a file from your device into the dropzone. The file is updated immediately. The image should be in JPG/PNG format and, to avoid stretching or clipping, be precisely 1000x200 pixels for a Logo and 200x200 pixels for an Emblem. In the absence of a Logo image, your organisation's Name will be used for all branded pages, forms and branded header emails. The Emblem is used in the footer of branded emails.

Again, the brand "View" shows the uploaded Logo and Emblem images.

Returning to the Brands section, the added brand is shown. Continue adding further custom brands as desired. Note the brand Actions to View, Edit and Delete a brand.

You can easily preview newly added Brands from any email composer pop-up. Compose a brief message, or select a Preset Email. Note that the Template drop-down list shows a Branded Slimline and Branded Header version for each brand. Select each one in turn and click Preview Email to see the results.

Branding events

By assigning a custom brand to event Categories in the Calendar module, all event pages, event check-in, event invitations, and sign-up confirmation emails sport the event category brand. In this way, for example, you can brand your Children's ministry events differently from your Youth ministry events.

Begin by following the instructions in the previous section to add your custom brands in the Brands section of the Administrator area. Next, navigate to the Categories section of the Calendar module and select Edit for the category you wish to assign a Brand.

On the Edit category pop-up, choose the appropriate custom Brand from the drop-down list.

Save the changes. Now, all events assigned to that Category will sport that Brand on the public-facing event page - you can use the Go to event page action on the event "View" page to preview a public-facing event page. Event check-in and branded event communications will also sport the event Category Brand.

Branding forms

By assigning a custom brand to an Address Book or Children module form, the public-facing form page, form invitations, and submission confirmation emails sport that brand. In this way, for example, you can brand your Children's ministry events differently from your Youth ministry events.

Begin by following the instructions earlier in this article to add your custom brands in the Brands section of the Administrator area. Next, navigate to the Forms section of the Address Book or Children module and select Edit for the form you wish to assign a Brand.

On the Edit form pop-up (or Add form pop-up), choose the appropriate custom Brand from the drop-down list.

Save the changes. You can use the Go to form action on the form "View" page to preview a public-facing form page. Form invitations and branded submissions confirmation emails will also sport the assigned form Brand.

Branding funds

By assigning a custom brand to Funds in the Giving module, the public-facing fund pages sport that brand. In this way, for example, you might brand your Food Bank fund with its distinct ministry branding. Similarly, a Building Project fund could be branded to match the branding used in your project promotional material and communications. Assigning a custom brand to a Fund has the effect of re-branding Donate for just that fund, overriding your organisation's default logo and colour style throughout the user experience, including the donation confirmation email when a donation is made through a fund page.

Begin by following the instructions earlier in this article to add your custom brands in the Brands section of the Administrator area. Next, navigate to the Funds section of the Giving module and select Edit for the fund you wish to assign a Brand.

On the Edit fund pop-up, select the appropriate Brand from the drop-down list and Save the changes.

To view the newly-branded fund page - and to obtain the fund page URL, perhaps to share in your communications or link to your website - navigate to the Fund "View" and click Go to fund page.

The custom-branded fund page is displayed...

Branding bookings

By assigning a custom brand to booking Types in the Bookings module, customer-facing booking pages and booking emails sport that brand. In this way, you could brand your external/commercial booking Types with different branding to your internal booking types.

Begin by following the instructions earlier in this article to add your custom brands in the Brands section of the Administrator area. Next, navigate to the Types section of the Bookings module and select Edit for the type you wish to assign a Brand.

On the Edit type pop-up, select the appropriate Brand from the drop-down list and Save your changes.

Now all bookings for that Type will sport that Brand on the customer-facing Booking Page.

Branding plan pages

Where a custom brand has been assigned to an event Category (Calendar module) or booking Type (Bookings module) - explained in the earlier sections of this article - the member-facing plan page and plan emails for any plans linked to an event in that Category, or linked to a booking of that Type, will sport that Brand. Similarly, all branded emails for the Plan will sport the Brand.

Begin by following the instructions above to add your custom brands in the Brands section of the Administrator area; then follow the instructions above to assign that Brand to the appropriate booking Type or event Category.

Next, navigate to the Plans section of the Planning module and select to View a plan that is linked to an event in a branded category or a plan linked to a booking with a branded type. Ensure the Plan is Published and click Go to plan page...

Now all plans linked to that booking Type or event Category will sport that Brand on the member-facing Plan Page.