• Upcoming Deadlines
• Upcoming Events
• Spotlight: Beyond breaking the barriers
• Communications from across the RSC
• Latest updates on our policy work

Updated member group logos
We’re pleased to be rolling out the updated logos to our member groups, and you should have received these by email from the Networks team last week, along with some guidance on how to use them.

You’ll notice that the format of the logos is slightly different from the previous versions. This is because through our extensive research with members, they told us that our logo is recognisable and that many people refer to the Royal Society of Chemistry as ‘the RSC’.

In response to this feedback and to avoid making the new logos large and unwieldy, we’ve introduced a descriptor plus the group name. This is a neater way of presenting the logo and avoids them being too large, especially when used digitally.

Each logo includes the new marque shape, which is designed to be much more like a ‘C’ in response to feedback from our community, and is recognisable as the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The type of group is on the top line, e.g. RSC LOCAL SECTION:


The name of the group is on the bottom line, e.g. ENERGY SECTOR:



Logo formats
Your new logo is available in .jpg, .png, and .ai file formats for different uses. Please use the .ai file if working with a supplier for printed materials as this is a print file type. You can use either the png or jpg logos for digital use.

In response to your feedback, the logos have been supplied with the correct exclusion zone already included, to make it easier for you to use (this is the white space around the logo). Please don’t trim this exclusion zone any further.


RSC logo and brand guidelines
You can download the brand guidelines and main RSC logo in various sizes and formats from our brand microsite: brand.rsc.org. The brand guidelines are also available here: rsc.org/FormsDocuments


Brand fonts
If you’re producing materials and want to use the brand fonts, you can download Bree Serif for free form Google fonts (see details in the brand guidelines). Bree Serif should only be used for headlines and large formats.

You can use Arial for all other copy and text uses, which is a standard font available on all computers.


New PowerPoint template
We have also created a new PowerPoint template in the new brand, which is available for you to download from rsc.org/FormsDocuments here in both widescreen (16:9) and standard (4:3) format.


Brand centre
Materials available to order on the brand centre are being updated into the new brand. Everything should be updated by the end of September 2019.


About our brand refresh
You can read more about the brand refresh in this news article from April 2019 or in the brand refresh Spotlight article in the March 2019 Networks Newsletter.

Any questions, please contact networks@rsc.org.

• Upcoming Administration Deadlines
• Upcoming Events
• Spotlight: New logos for member networks
• Communications from across the RSC
• Latest updates on our policy work

• Upcoming Administration Deadlines
• Upcoming Events
• Spotlight: New Process for Awarding 40-year Gold Badges
• Communications from across the RSC

• Upcoming Administration Deadlines
• Upcoming Events
• Spotlight: Chemists’ Community Fund Volunteer Network
• Communications from across the RSC
• Latest updates on our policy work

• the needs of our beneficiaries,
• the priorities for the Fund (including the main need to raise awareness on the breadth of support and services available),
• the practices of other benevolent funds, and
• general good practice in recruiting, supporting and training volunteers (including managing risks and meeting our legal requirements).

• The deadline for the next round of applications for IYPT Member and Member Networks grants is fast approaching! Applications close at noon GMT on Monday 15 April 2019.
• Have you seen the IYPT branded material on the Brand Centre? There are pencils, pens, material bags, lanyards and more! Released in March is a book entitled “Elements of Popular Science: A Selection of Chapters”, this is a special IYPT resource that is available to order free of charge.
• If you are working with schools for IYPT, there are some excellent education resources designed by the RSC Education Coordinators especially for IYPT. There are also a wealth of other education resources for all ages available through Learn Chemistry.
• We’ve partnered with the brilliant Compound Interest to make fantastic new element infographics from H to Og. We’ve been releasing these on Twitter, but you can see and download all of the element infographics we’ve published so far here.
• Chemistry World has been publishing a variety of special IYPT-themed articles, including opinion pieces and a series of graphic novels depicting key moments in periodic table history. Read them here.
• The RSC journals have been busy putting together some special IYPT themed collections relating to specific elements and areas of the periodic table, take a look here.

• Upcoming Administration Deadlines
• Upcoming Events
• Spotlight: International Year of the Periodic Table activities
• Communications from across the RSC
• Latest updates on our policy work

We’re very excited to announce that you will soon be seeing the results of our recent work to update our brand and logo.

About a year ago, we began the process of refreshing our brand to better support the delivery of our aims and mission, and to ensure our logo is fit for purpose in an increasingly digital world.

Our brand is our external personality and represents how we present ourselves. It encompasses who we are as an organisation and how we want to be perceived and positioned in the minds of our community.

Our member networks are one of the central ways we connect with chemical scientists across different disciplines, careers and countries. Because all of our activities work to support each other, we want our community around the world to easily recognise our activities,  services and products whenever and wherever you interact with us.

This doesn’t just apply to our logo. It’s our whole visual identity, including the colours and imagery we use, and importantly, how we tell our story. All of this together demonstrates our mission and purpose, and shows our community how we can support you.


Evolution not revolution
We conducted research with all of the different sections of our community and membership around the world to understand your perceptions of the Royal Society of Chemistry and inform our brand refresh.

Through this, we learnt that there is a lot of recognition in our current logo but it feels a bit dated and can be complicated to use. We won’t be changing it too much, but will be updating it so that it works better digitally and looks more modern.

We’ve also updated our positioning to more accurately reflect our role in the chemical sciences community and to better represent the breadth of our activities, the diverse nature of our organisation and the people we’re here to support.

Our refreshed brand will help us to communicate the impact of all of our activities more consistently and will ensure we remain modern and relevant to the needs of our community.


What do I need to do?
We’ll be rolling out the new logo and visual identity gradually, from the beginning of April, and will be in touch with updated logos for all of our divisions, interest groups and local sections to use on your materials and social media channels.

Because this is an update of our current brand, we’re not attempting to refresh everything at once. The rollout will be a gradual process, so there is no need to reprint any materials until they run out. This is more sustainable and cost effective, so you don’t need to worry about wastage.

Keep an eye out for further information on how to use our new logo and visuals in the next few weeks.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Networks team at networks@rsc.org.