Style Guidelines

Last updated December 2018

Contents
Style guidelines................................................................................................................................3
Procedures ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

Templates .........................................................................................................................................4

Logo usage .......................................................................................................................................5

Typography ......................................................................................................................................6

Signature block on documents ......................................................................................................6

Documents .......................................................................................................................................7
Letters ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Memos ............................................................................................................................................................ 9

Emails .............................................................................................................................................11
Create your signature in Outlook .................................................................................................................. 11

Colours ...........................................................................................................................................14

Writing.............................................................................................................................................15
Capitalisation ................................................................................................................................................ 15
Editorial style ................................................................................................................................................ 16
Government .................................................................................................................................................. 16
Number and dates ........................................................................................................................................ 17
Referencing links .......................................................................................................................................... 17
Phone numbers and email addresses .......................................................................................................... 18
Punctuation ................................................................................................................................................... 18

Contact............................................................................................................................................19

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Style guidelines
Staff must ensure DataTrust style guidelines are applied to all correspondence and documents.

Consistency is the rule, once a style has been adopted, it is essential that you maintain it throughout your
document.

Procedures
All staff will:

• use DataTrust letterhead on all outgoing correspondence

• use DataTrust memorandum forms for all internal memos

• use the standard format where appropriate (see sample layouts provided)

• use the closing notation of “Yours faithfully” in printed correspondence

• use the closing notation of "Kind regards" in email correspondence

• spell-check and proofread carefully each document before printing.

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Templates
For the following documents and templates have been created. The templates are located at our company
intranet.

The templates have editable and non-editable regions. The templates have been formatted using the style
guidelines set out in this manual. If you are not sure of any formatting, consult the Style guidelines section
when completing the editable regions.

• Document sample landscape

• Document sample portrait

• Email

• Letterhead *

• Memorandum

• Report template

* In most cases, documents which should be sent electronically only as pdfs.

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Logo usage
The DataTrust logo must be included on all documents. The logo must be kept clear of all elements including
text, symbols, logos, photographs and illustrations.

The DataTrust has only one version of their logo, plus, a black and white version as an alternate colour
treatment. A copy of all versions are located on the DataTrust intranet.

The DataTrust logo must be included on all documents.

• The primary DataTrust logo must be positioned top middle and used on the first page only. The logo
does not appear on the second and subsequent pages.

• The logo’s trademark icon must be positioned bottom left, inside the footer, on all subsequent pages.

• The logo must always be preferably placed on a white background.

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Typography
Arial is the chosen DataTrust typeface including all major headings in documents. See the following sections
for the most appropriate font style option for your document.

DataTrust typeface examples:

Heading 1 is Arial 28pt, spacing:

condensed 0.8pt
Heading 2 is Arial 20pt, spacing: condensed 0.3pt
Heading 3 is Arial Bold 16pt, condensed spacing 0.5pt
Heading 4 is Arial Bold 16pt
Paragraphs are Arial 10pt

Signature block on documents

Format as follows: For example:

First Name Last Name (Bold) Mark Thrift

Position or Role (Italics) Chief Information Officer
Location or Employer DataTrust
Email mark.thrift@dmail.com
Phone p: 09 6651 8725

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Documents
Letters
• DataTrust’s letterhead to be used for all business correspondence

• Align left, open punctuation

• Font – Arial

• Font size – 10pt

• Font colour – RGB (0, 0, 0)

• Multiple line spacing at 1.3

• Spacing Before is 10pt

• Spacing After is 10pt

• Use the closing notation of “Yours faithfully” in printed correspondence

• Header (Letterhead) – company address, font: Arial, size: 8pt, colour: RGB (0, 186, 241)

• Footer (Documents) – filename at left, font: Arial, size: 8pt, colour: RGB (128, 136, 152) and page
number at right, font: Arial Bold, size: 8pt, colour: RGB (0, 186, 241)

Note that:

• The letterhead has a different first page compared with the second and subsequent pages, it is to be
used on the first page only.

• There must be some text on the second page, not just the signature block, even if it means there is
quite a bit of white space at the end of the first page.

• Encl. is added only if there is an enclosure and then you should add a brief description of what the
enclosure or enclosures should be e.g. reproduced information attachments.

The following page contains a sample letter layout.

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Memos
• DataTrust’s memo form to be used for all internal correspondence

• Top part of memo – use the <Tab> key to move around the table

• Align left, open punctuation

• Font – Arial

• Font size – 10pt

• Font colour – RGB (0, 0, 0)

• Multiple line spacing at 1.3

• Spacing Before is 10pt

• Spacing After is 10pt

The following page contains a sample memo layout.

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Emails
• Align left, open punctuation

• Font – Arial

• Font size – 10pt

• Font colour – RGB (0, 0, 0)

• Multiple line spacing at 1.1

• Include a topic in the subject area

• Greetings should commence with a recognised greeting – e.g. Dear or Hello

• Message – keep simple and courteous

• Use the closing notation of "Kind regards" in email correspondence

• When using Reply, Reply All or Forward, ensure you have the original writer’s permission to on send
emails

• Ensure that the privacy and confidentiality message is on all outgoing emails

Create your signature in Outlook

1. Create a new email message.

2. On the Message tab, in the Include group, choose Signature > Signatures.

3. Under Select signature to edit, choose New then in the New Signature dialog box, type a name
for the signature (e.g. DataTrust).

4. Under Choose default signature, set the following options for your signature:

a. In the E-mail account list, choose an email account to associate with the signature. You can
have different signatures for each email account.

b. In the New messages list, choose the signature that you want to be added automatically to all
new email messages. If you don't want to auto sign your new email messages, accept the
default option of (none).

c. In the Replies/forwards list, choose the signature that you want to be added automatically
(auto sign) when you reply to or forward messages. Otherwise, accept the default option of
(none).

5. Under Edit signature, copy the DataTrust signature from the Signature block on emails (HTML
version) section below.

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 6. When pasting, right click and be sure to select Keep Source Formatting.

7. Make sure everything looks correct then click OK.

As an alternate to the HTML signature, you can include a plain-text only version. Follow the same
instructions from above but in step five, copy and paste from the Signature block on emails (plain-text only
version) instead.

Signature block on emails (HTML version)

Kind regards

Firstname Lastname
Your role
m: 0409 ### ###
firstname.lastname@dmail.com

127 Spring Road, North Tulitza 9460

p | 09 6651 8725
e | DataTrust@dmail.com

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain privileged information or confidential information or both. If you are
not the intended recipient, please delete it and notify the sender.

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Signature block on emails (plain-text only version)
Kind regards

Firstname Lastname
Your role
m: 0409 ### ###
firstname.lastname@dmail.com
____________________________

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain privileged information or confidential
information or both. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it and notify the sender.

The following is sample email layout.

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Colours
This is the DataTrust colour palette; no other colours should be used apart from these. Choose the right
colour reference for your design need; CMYK, RGB and Hex colour values are supplied below.

BLACK DARK GRAY PINK

CMYK 0, 0, 0, 100 CMYK 54, 42, 30, 2 CMYK 1, 99, 1, 0

RGB 0, 0, 0 RGB 128, 136, 152 RGB 235, 0, 139
HEX # 000000 HEX # 808898 HEX # EB008B

DARK BLUE MEDIUM BLUE LIGHT BLUE

CMYK 99, 84, 3, 0 CMYK 91, 58, 0, 0 CMYK 67, 5, 0, 0

RGB 26, 69, 156 RGB 0, 105, 180 RGB 0, 186, 241
HEX # 1A459C HEX # 0069B4 HEX # 00BAF

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Writing
Capitalisation
Capitalisation is governed by style rather than grammar. It is subject to fashion. At DataTrust we favour
minimalism.

Use a capital letter to start a sentence and for proper nouns, not to give emphasis to a word. This means
that, in general we should only use capitals for:

• Names of people, the deity, family relationships, countries, races and languages, educational
institutions, brand names, organisation or business names

• Months and special days – e.g. Australia Day or Anzac Day

• Acts of parliament – should also be italicised, e.g. Work Health and Safety Act 2011

• Major words in articles, songs, book titles

• File names should use full capitalisation and always indicate if a linked file is a pdf and include the
size of the file, e.g. WHS Hazard and Incident Reporting Procedure (pdf, 150KB)

Headings and subtitles

Major headings in reports and presentations may be presented using full capitalisation, i.e. Dispute
Resolution Policy. Then sentence case headings from then on, capitalising the first letter of the first word and
proper nouns. For example: The changing face of Australian culture.

Reference to a resource or document

When referring to a specific resource it should be written in sentence case when being referred to within
documents and italicised, e.g. WHS Hazard and Incident Reporting Procedure.

Titles and positions

Use initial capitals for senior executive positions and above (when referring to a specific person):

• Chief Information Officer Mark Thrift is on leave.

Use lower case for other job titles and in more generic instances:

• Leanne Paynter is a cyber trainer at DataTrust.

• Contact the cyber trainer for further information.

All departments within the library should be capitalised, e.g. Help Desk.

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Editorial style

ABCD MNOP UVWXY

• App • mark-up (n) • upload

• DataTrust • mark up (v) • WiFi

• database • multimedia • web-based (adj)

• multiple-choice • webinar
EFGH • practice (n & adj) • webpage
e.g. time to practise your
• e-commerce • website
practice activity
• e.g. • WHS
• practise (v)
• email • work sheet
• program (not programme)
• etc. • workbook

• flow chart QRST • workplace

• workshop
• self-assessment
IJKL • World Wide Web
• self-evaluation
• internet • YouTube
• sign off (v)
• intranet
• sign-off (n & adj)
• log in
• timeline
• log on (v)
• timetable
• logon (n)
• toolbar

Government
Lowercase when used generically; uppercase when referring to a specific government.

• The government of the day ruled that…

• The Federal Government has announced an inquiry into safe injecting rooms.

Government departments
Lowercase when used generically; uppercase when referring to a specific department.

• All education departments have been asked to meet new funding deadlines.

• The NSW Education Department sought legal advice on the student's claims. The department is
satisfied the incident did not happen.

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Parliament
Uppercase when using the full title; lowercase when using generically.

• Federal Parliament

• New South Wales Parliament

• parliaments of the South Pacific region

Number and dates

• Only abbreviate the word ‘number’ to ‘no.’ in tables.

• Spell out numbers from one to nine. Use figures for numbers 10 and above, e.g. We had nine
clients, but that soon became 15.

• Spell out numbers at the start of a sentence, e.g. Ninety-five people attended the convention.

• Do not place a space between the currency indicator and the dollar sign, e.g. AUD$100.

• Spell out the month in full in prose, use numerals for the date and year. Short months are acceptable
in tables. Dates should be formatted using open punctuation as follows:

− Date: 8 July 2016

− Day and date: Monday, 25 August 2016

• Use a full stop rather than a colon to separate the minutes from the hours, e.g. 10.30am.

Referencing links
When inserting links directly into communication:

• begin a new line for the description of the link

• plus another new line for the link.

Include the date you have accessed the information. For example:

• Internet of Things (IoT) botnets attacks

https://theconversation.com/could-your-kettle-bring-down-the-internet-67650 (Accessed 20/04/2018)

When referring to a linked file on the DataTrust website, use lowercase. Always indicate if a linked file is a
pdf and include the size of the file.

• WHS Risk Assessment Procedure (dotx, 145KB)

When referring to PDFs in text, use capitals.

• PDFs are useful, but you need to check their accessibility for visually impaired users.

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Phone numbers and email addresses
Don’t capitalise people’s names when they form part of an email address, e.g. mark.thrift@dmail.com.

Phone numbers should be written without brackets, for example: 09 6651 8725 or 0409 ### ###

Punctuation
Ampersands
Do not use ampersands ‘&’ unless they are part of an official title. Please use ‘and’ instead.

Bulleted list (unordered list)

End the introductory phrase in a colon.

If the bullet points are sentence fragments, don’t use a full stop, comma or semi-colon; leave it bare until the
last bullet point, and then use a full stop. Don’t use capitals (unless titles), e.g. Today’s agenda includes:

• annual review of capital gains issues

• outstanding inheritance tax issues.

Use full stops and capitals if each bullet point is a complete sentence, for example:

• Breathe deeply and don't panic.

• Get there on time.

Full stops
Only insert one space following a full stop at the end of a sentence.

Do not use full stops:

• at the end of headlines or headings

• with contractions such as Mr, Dr, Mrs, or with terms such as Pty Ltd

• at the end of index entries, dates, signatures, symbols for units of measurement or currency

• between or after capital letters which make up an abbreviation.

Quotations marks
Enclose direct speech in quotation marks, e.g. “This has been a tough year,” said Jones.

Use single quotes if not speech or code related.

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Contact
For more information, please contact:

DataTrust
127 Spring Road, North Tulitza 9460
09 6651 8725
DataTrust@dmail.com

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