Branded apparel and merchandise is a popular and fun way to connect with audiences. Choosing useful and meaningful promotional products helps keep ACC and its brand top-of-mind.
Follow these guidelines and licensing procedures when planning and ordering apparel and items.
Design Tips for Merchandise and Apparel
- Use official ACC fonts only.
- Select products that are printed or embroidered using colors from ACC’s primary color palette unless otherwise approved by the Office of College Relations & Marketing (OCRM). Previous ACC colors, including all secondary color palette colors, will be denied.
- Keep designs simple. Keep in mind that official ACC logos and graphics are more recognizable to our audiences than designs that are specific to a college unit.
- If you wish to have a design featuring a college unit, use the custom lockup for that the unit, OR, display the unit name in a second imprint area in plain text using the Gotham font.
- For embroidered applications, lockups should be limited to a primary unit, and licensed apparel vendors may switch the primary unit name to all caps.
- Consider including URLs or social media handles on merchandise to drive audiences to engage with online content.
Registered Symbols on Branded Merchandise
Wordmarks, trademarks, logos, symbols, and/or elements associated with ACC’s visual identity on merchandise and apparel must include the appropriate registration mark. This may be a ® or ™ symbol, depending on the trademark displayed. The symbol should be on the bottom right of the artwork if possible, and be small but visible. In most cases, the symbol should be no larger than .25 (1/4) inch; this may require adjustments depending on the item size.
ACC departmental and secondary marks are not required to have a ® or ™ symbol.
How to Order ACC Branded Merchandise
Follow these steps to order custom merchandise for your ACC division, department, office, or program. Learn more and see a list of licensed vendors at ACC Vendor Partners.
- Select items and obtain budget approval.
- Select an item from an ACC-approved/licensed vendor list.
- Obtain a price quote from the vendor, including proposed costs for setup and shipping.
- Obtain budget authority (cost center manager) approval for the quote.
- Create a Purchasing Requisition and submit a Merchandise/Trademark Approval Request.
- Create a Purchasing Requisition (PR) with your quote in Workday. Make note of the PR number, but do not submit the PR at this time. (In the requisition checkout window, select “Save for Later.”)
- Submit your Trademark and Licensing Authorization Request. Include the vendor name, item name and description, and PR number for the request.
- Use an official ACC logo on all merchandise. Choose either the ACC logo only, your ACC department/program/area of study, ACC office logo, or an official logo with text added.
- Confirm the vendor has the needed logo/artwork! If they don’t, direct them to request it at [email protected]. Note: Retractable banners, table drapes, and runners require custom instructions. Vendors should send print specifications and a template to [email protected] to get this artwork.
- Review vendor proofs and obtain OCRM approval.
- The vendor will email merchandise proofs to be reviewed/approved by you and OCRM. You will be included in all communications.
- You are responsible for inspecting the proofs and verifying the correct item is ordered.
- OCRM will reply to the vendor’s email with revisions (if required) and/or with final approval. This email confirmation will serve as the required supplemental documentation to attach to your PR.
- Once you have OCRM’s approval of the proofs, you are ready to submit your PR.
- Submit the Requisition & Purchase Order confirmation.
- Submit your PR and all required approvals to Procure to Pay (P2P) to issue a purchase order (PO).
- The vendor will not begin production until they receive your PO.
- Work directly with the vendor to complete your order:
- Make sure your vendor receives the PO and schedules your order for delivery.
- Notify the ACC mailroom about the delivery date so the order can be confirmed as received and the vendor will be paid. You can check your PO and payment status in Workday.
Unacceptable Products and Services
ACC will not approve the use of its name or marks with the following:
- Tobacco, controlled substances, sexually oriented products, alcohol, religious products, or games of chance.
- Products that do not meet minimum standards of quality and/or taste, are judged to be dangerous or carry high product liability risks.
- Text or graphics judged to be
- sexually suggestive
- denigrating to any group, including another college or university
- infringing on product or service trademarks owned by other entities
- an endorsement of a political candidate or a political affiliation
Frequently Asked Questions
Do departments need permission to print their own ACC merchandise, like mugs or t-shirts?
Yes. Trademark use must be approved in advance (see details above) to maintain quality standards and to protect the legal status of College trademarks. Faculty, staff and students need to request approval for all items that will represent ACC off-campus. This includes items that do not use logos.
An Administrative Rule for logo use and artwork approval has been in place since 1999.
Why do we have to get approval?
Individual departments may contact licensed vendors for project quotes and assistance, but the Office of College Relations & Marketing must approve printed images as outlined in the Administrative Rules. Purchases must be authorized by a purchase order; POs will not be released without approval.
ACC seeks to be a good steward of the operating funds entrusted to us by students and the public. College funds should not be used to purchase merchandise that doesn’t say “ACC.” Poor-quality items and bad designs are not a good use of funds. Good design reflects positively on the College, and on your department.
The Austin Community College District owns the rights to all ACC logos, official graphics, and other intellectual property. ACC-branded business activities should benefit the College and our constituents, and represent the College responsibly. Individuals and outside businesses can’t use ACC’s image, our students or public reputation for profit without a written contract outlining the terms of the partnership.
Monitoring and tracking the public use of College trademarks is part of protecting the College’s copyright and trademark rights, our reputation, and our stakeholders. Learn more at ACC Trademarks and Registration Symbols.
If I'm reordering merchandise, do I still need approval from OCRM?
Yes. The Office of College Relations & Marketing needs the new order for its records. The law requires manufacturers and vendors to get written permission to use the name, image, or marks of the College on any tangible item. In addition, we may need to update the artwork for any of these reasons:
- Trademark approval for the last order has expired or is more than two years old.
- You may want to order from a different vendor – they won’t have the print files on hand.
- A request wasn’t submitted the first time and the order was never recorded as approved.
- We may need to adjust the files or formatting so the items will print correctly.
- Old designs may be outdated and need “freshening up.”
What about trademarks or logos on classroom materials? Are they subject to these requirements?
Certain materials are exempted from rules governing trademarks. Review exemptions at ACC Trademarks and Registration Symbols and check with the Office of College Relations & Marketing when in doubt.