LCP Style Guide - Logo System
Logo System — Working Draft
LC/EDH
Logo Family — Five Marks
LC Monogram
Primary Mark
LC Circle
Contained Mark
LC + EDH
Extended Mark
Five Dots
Secondary Mark
Glitch Variant
Motion / Special Use
Mark 01 — LC Monogram · Primary
LC Monogram
Primary mark · simplicity-first · default choice across all contexts
Primary
What It Is
The two-letter monogram is the brand's primary mark and its simplest expression. L in Signal Purple, C in Signal Teal, with a gradient transition between them. Horizontal scan lines are integrated directly into the letterforms — baked into the mark's structure, not applied as an overlay. This integration is the defining characteristic of the mark.
The Scan Line Integration
The scan lines within the letterforms are intentional and load-bearing — they connect the logo to the brand's CRT/broadcast visual language and distinguish it from a flat wordmark. The current execution achieves the intent; a future Illustrator rebuild (see Scan Line Refinement note) will tighten the line spacing and edge treatment without changing the design concept.
Primary Use Cases
Podcast app icon
Thumbnail watermark
Social media avatar
Video watermark
Merch badge (dark garment)
Email signature
Anywhere simplicity is king
Avoid
Light / white backgrounds
Contexts needing full brand name
Very small sizes (<32px)
Mark 02 — LC Circle · Contained
LC Circle
Contained mark · versatile placement · preferred for circular profile contexts
What It Is
The LC monogram contained within a black circle, with the scan-line treatment extending to the circle itself. The containment solves the placement problem on complex or light backgrounds — the black field provides the dark field the mark needs regardless of what's behind it. The scan lines on the circle edge reinforce that this is the same visual system as the broader brand.
When to Use Over the Bare Monogram
Default to the circle version for any context where background control is limited — social profile pictures, platform avatars, overlaying the logo on art with variable tones. The bare monogram is appropriate where the designer controls the background (always a dark field). The circle version is the safer universal choice.
Primary Use Cases
Social profile pictures
Platform avatars (Spotify, Apple, etc.)
Forum / Discord icon
Favicon
Overlaid on variable art
Embroidery / merch patch
Mark 03 — LC + EDH · Extended
LC + EDH Extended Mark
Extended mark · format signal · contexts with horizontal space and new audience
Extended
Refinement Pending
What It Is
The horizontal extended mark pairs the LC monogram with the "EDH" identifier, establishing the full brand name signal in a single asset. This is the mark that communicates Legendary Creature EDH to an audience encountering the brand for the first time — the LC mark alone rewards insiders, the extended mark orients newcomers.
Current State Note
The existing asset has a visual weight disparity between the LC and EDH halves — the LC portion carries full brand color and treatment while EDH renders at lower visual weight in a more muted treatment. The result reads as the brand mark plus a label rather than a unified extended mark. This is noted for future refinement: EDH should be brought into the same visual language at a considered relative scale — not necessarily equal weight, but a deliberate hierarchy rather than an apparent afterthought.
EDH Hierarchy Principle
In the extended mark, LC carries the identity; EDH carries the context. LC should read larger and dominant. EDH can be smaller and secondary in weight — but it must feel designed at that scale, not simply undersized. Think of it as a band name and subtitle, both set with intention.
Primary Use Cases
Channel / page headers
Podcast cover art
Press / media kit
Website header
YouTube banner
Square / circular formats
Small sizes
Mark 04 — Five Dots · Secondary / Easter Egg
Five-Dot Pentagon Mark
Secondary mark · community signal · MTG five-color reference
Easter Egg
Secondary
What It Is
Five circles arranged in a pentagon arrangement — five points, one for each color of Magic: the Gathering (White, Blue, Black, Red, Green). Each circle carries the brand's scan-line treatment in Signal Purple and Signal Teal. To the uninitiated it reads as an abstract geometric pattern; to any Magic player it's an immediate and intentional community signal. No verbal explanation required — the format knows.
Background Note
The current asset exists on a white/transparent background, which underserves it — the mark loses visual impact and the circles appear tentative rather than confident. All deployment of this mark should be on a dark field. A dark-background version of the asset should be created for production use.
Relationship to the LC Mark
The five-dot mark never replaces the LC monogram — it operates alongside it as a secondary identifier. It is best deployed in contexts where the brand identity is already established and the community signal is the primary job: merchandise, subtle watermarks, pattern repeats, apparel. It should never be the first thing a new listener sees.
Use Cases
Apparel (chest / sleeve mark)
Stickers
Subtle watermark
Pattern / texture element
Alternate merch mark
Enamel pin
Primary brand identifier
Light backgrounds
Replacing LC in any primary context
Mark 05 — Glitch Variant · Motion / Special Use
Glitch Variant
Heavy treatment mark · motion contexts · earned use only
What It Is
The LC mark with a heavy glitch treatment applied — elevated RGB split, intensified scan-line structure, distortion effects. Exists as both a static transparent asset and an animated GIF (Legendary Creature Glitch_GIF.gif). The animated version is the primary deployment asset for this mark.
When It Earns Its Use
The glitch variant is not an alternative to the standard LC mark — it is a specific mode the mark enters for specific contexts: video intros and outros, trailer content, high-energy episode openers, any motion-graphics context. The impact of the glitch depends on not seeing it everywhere. Overuse removes its charge.
Static vs. Animated
The animated GIF is the primary form — motion is the point of this mark. The static transparent version is available for contexts where animation isn't supported (print, static graphics) but should be used sparingly even there — at rest, the heavy treatment reads as a deliberately distressed version of the mark rather than something in motion.
Use Cases
Video intro / outro
Episode trailers
Animated social content
High-energy episode art
Standard thumbnails
Profile pictures
Print / merch (unless intentional)
Background Compatibility — LC Monogram
On mid-value or light backgrounds, always use the LC Circle (contained mark) rather than the bare monogram
EDH Integration Map — Which Mark, Where
| Context | Mark to Use | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Episode thumbnail | LC Monogram (watermark) | Subscribers already know the show. Simplicity in a busy frame. The monogram marks ownership without competing with the episode title. |
| Podcast app listing icon | LC Circle | Square/circular format. Platform constrains the shape. Circle version handles any platform background safely. |
| Podcast cover art (main) | LC + EDH Extended | Primary discovery surface. New listeners encounter this first. Full name signal earns its place here alongside the mark. |
| YouTube / social channel header | LC + EDH Extended | Horizontal format. Space for the full mark. This is the brand's "home base" surface — full identity appropriate. |
| Social profile picture | LC Circle | Small square/circle. The monogram is the only thing legible at avatar size. Circle handles platform backgrounds. |
| In-video watermark / lower third | LC Monogram | Needs to be unobtrusive. The clean monogram marks the content without pulling attention during viewing. |
| Merchandise — apparel primary | LC Monogram or LC Circle | The mark is what people are proud to wear. Insider identity. The five-dot pentagon is a strong alternative for apparel where the community signal is the point. |
| Merchandise — community signal piece | Five-Dot Pentagon | On dark garments where the audience is already established. The easter egg for the community — recognisable to players, abstract to outsiders. |
| Press / media kit | LC + EDH Extended | Journalists and press contacts need the full name signal. The extended mark alongside full text introduction. |
| Video intro / motion | Glitch Variant (animated) | The one context where the animated glitch mark is the right call. Motion context, high energy, earned use. |
Do / Don't
Do
+
Always place the bare monogram on a dark field. The mark was designed for void black or dark-art backgrounds.
+
Use the circle version any time background control is limited or the surface is circular/square by platform constraint.
+
Use the extended LC+EDH mark for primary discovery surfaces — cover art, channel headers, press — where the full name signal earns its space.
+
Deploy the five-dot mark on dark garments and community-signal contexts where the easter egg is the point.
+
Reserve the glitch variant for motion contexts — it earns its impact by appearing selectively.
Don't
–
Don't place the bare monogram on light or white backgrounds. The scan-line treatment and color gradients require a dark field to function. Use the circle version instead.
–
Don't use the five-dot mark as a primary brand identifier. It works only where the LC mark is already established. It should never be the first thing someone sees.
–
Don't add the scan-line overlay treatment on top of the logo when placing it over thumbnail art. The scan lines in the mark's letterforms are part of the logo — double-applying the effect makes the mark illegible.
–
Don't use the glitch variant as a thumbnail watermark or everyday mark. Overuse removes the impact it earns through scarcity.
–
Don't stretch, skew, recolor, or apply external color filters to any mark. The brand colors in the logo are fixed. If a context requires a different color treatment, choose a different mark from the family rather than altering the existing one.
Scan Line Refinement — Future Task Brief
Letterform Scan-Line Rebuild
Future Revision · Illustrator
Current State
The scan lines integrated into the LC letterforms are conceptually correct and visually functional at working sizes. The current execution was built in Photoshop and achieves the intent — horizontal scan-line structure baked into the letterform fill, creating the CRT/broadcast texture that distinguishes the mark from a flat wordmark.
At close inspection or large scale, the line spacing reads as slightly uneven in places, and the points where lines clip against the letterform edges lack the precision of a vector execution. The gradient transition between purple and teal across the two letters has a mildly abrupt quality at the inter-letter gap.
At close inspection or large scale, the line spacing reads as slightly uneven in places, and the points where lines clip against the letterform edges lack the precision of a vector execution. The gradient transition between purple and teal across the two letters has a mildly abrupt quality at the inter-letter gap.
Refinement Brief
Rebuild the LC letterforms in Adobe Illustrator using the following approach:
1. Create the L and C letterforms in Berlin Extra Bold (or closest vector equivalent) as outlined paths.
2. Create a precisely spaced horizontal line pattern — defined line weight, defined gap ratio. Apply through a clipping mask rather than as a raster texture.
3. Apply the purple-to-teal gradient as a vector gradient fill spanning both letters as a single continuous gradient — not two separate fills — so the transition flows uninterrupted across the mark.
4. Output as SVG and high-resolution PNG at multiple sizes. The vector source allows the mark to scale perfectly to any output size without quality loss.
The concept does not change. The mark does not change. Only the precision of execution improves.
1. Create the L and C letterforms in Berlin Extra Bold (or closest vector equivalent) as outlined paths.
2. Create a precisely spaced horizontal line pattern — defined line weight, defined gap ratio. Apply through a clipping mask rather than as a raster texture.
3. Apply the purple-to-teal gradient as a vector gradient fill spanning both letters as a single continuous gradient — not two separate fills — so the transition flows uninterrupted across the mark.
4. Output as SVG and high-resolution PNG at multiple sizes. The vector source allows the mark to scale perfectly to any output size without quality loss.
The concept does not change. The mark does not change. Only the precision of execution improves.