Wear the mark you earned
The Badge is the part of our coat of arms that belongs to our members. Here is what you may display, how to reproduce it properly, and the official files for your grade.
#MarkOfTheMakerOnly current Members, Fellows and Masters
with their subscription paid in full are licensed to use the Badge, member seals and maker’s stamp. The coat of arms and crest are reserved for the Institute. Nobody else may use any of them without our written permission.
Three symbols. One for our members.
The Institute’s Letters Patent of 2 April 1991 grant three separate symbols. On the advice of the College of Arms, the arms and crest are used by the Institute itself, and the Badge is the symbol we grant to our members so they can show they belong.
The arms
The green shield with the gold chevron, two red carpenter’s planes and three oak trees.
Vert on a Chevron Or between two Cottices dovetailed on the outer edge Argent two Carpenters Planes in chevron Gules all between three Oak Trees eradicated Gold
The crest
The red beaver holding silver compasses, set on the helm above the shield.
A Beaver sejant erect Gules tailed Or supporting a Pair of Compasses Argent
The Badge
A gold disc carrying a green disc with a dovetailed edge, and on it a gold oak shown with its roots.
On a Roundel Or a Roundel dovetailed Vert thereon an Oak Tree eradicated Gold
Why the coat of arms is not in your pack
The full coat of arms speaks for the Institute as a body. It appears on certificates, awards and our formal publications. If members used it, nobody could tell the Institute’s own statements apart from a member’s. The Badge does the job members need, and it was granted for that purpose.
Permissions at a glance
| Who | Member seal and maker’s stamp | Arms, crest, full coat of arms |
|---|---|---|
| Members, Fellows and Masters, subscription paid | Yes, the seal for your own grade only | No |
| Student and Apprentice members | Not yet. These grades don’t pay a subscription, so they are not included in the licence for now | No |
| Members who are sole traders | Yes, beside your own name and business name | No |
| Employers of IOC members | No. You may say your team includes IOC members, but the seal stays with the person who earned it | No |
| Colleges, Corporates, Partners and Sponsors | Only with written permission from the Institute | Only with written permission |
| Lapsed or former members | No. Remove from digital use within 30 days | No |
| Anyone else | No | No |
One seal for each grade
Seals are available to the paying grades: Member, Fellow and Master. Every grade uses the same design; only the words at the foot change.
Member
MIOC
- Full colour, green and black
- SVG for printers and sign-makers
- Large PNG and email-signature PNG
- Maker’s stamp template
Fellow
FIOC
- Full colour, green and black
- SVG for printers and sign-makers
- Large PNG and email-signature PNG
- Maker’s stamp template
Master
MstIOC
By downloading a pack you confirm you are a current, paid-up member at that grade and accept the licence terms below. When you move up a grade, download your new seal and stop using the old one.
Make your maker’s stamp ↓Sign your work
A maker’s mark is what a craftsman puts on finished work to stand behind it. Your stamp carries the Badge, your grade and your membership number, so a client can check your membership with the IOC office. It is one solid colour, so it can be burnt, routed, engraved or cut in vinyl.
Space, size and background
- Clear spaceKeep empty space equal to half the badge’s diameter on every side. No text, logos or edges inside it.
- On screenSeal at least 120 px wide. Maker’s stamp at least 80 px.
- In printSeal at least 30 mm wide. Below that the lettering and the oak’s detail fill in, so use the maker’s stamp.
- Burnt, engravedMaker’s stamp at least 25 mm (20 mm by laser; 40 mm with a 1 mm router cutter).
- EmbroideryAt least 40 mm; seal lettering only from 60 mm wide.
White or light colours. Use full colour or green.
Deep green. Use the full-colour seal.
Photos and other colours. Use the black or green seal, which sits on its own white disc.
| Making | Use this file |
|---|---|
| Email signature | Seal, full colour, 240 px PNG |
| Website or social profile | Seal, full colour, 1200 px PNG (or the SVG if your site accepts it) |
| Business cards, letterheads, quotes | Seal SVG, full colour or green |
| Office printer, forms, black-only | Seal, black, PNG |
| Van livery, workshop signs | Seal SVG in one colour, 60 mm or larger, for clean vinyl cutting |
| Workwear | Seal SVG, two threads (green and gold) or one |
| Branding iron, ink stamp, laser, CNC | Your maker’s stamp SVG, black |
Keep the Badge as granted
Almost every misuse comes from changing the Badge. Always start from the official files, and never redraw it, trace it from a screenshot or rebuild it in Word or Canva.
Don’t stretch or squash it
Don’t change the colours
Don’t add shadows, bevels or textures
Don’t crop it or fit it into another shape
Don’t place it on busy grain or photos
J.SMITHDon’t merge it into your own logo
Also: don’t use a seal for a grade you don’t hold, add the beaver or the planes from the arms, or put your own text inside the dovetailed ring.
Terms of use
These terms apply to everyone who uses the Institute’s Badge, member seals or maker’s stamp. They replace any informal permission or advice given in the past.
What the Institute owns
The arms, crest and Badge of the Institute of Carpenters were granted by Letters Patent dated 2 April 1991. The Institute owns the artwork on this page, including the member seals and the maker’s stamp, and decides who may use them.
Who is licensed
Individual Members, Fellows and Masters of the Institute whose subscription for the current year is paid in full. Student and Apprentice members are not included at present. Your licence starts when your subscription is paid and lasts while it remains paid. It covers the seal and stamp for the grade you hold, and nothing else.
The licence is personal
It is free of charge, non-exclusive and personal to you. You cannot transfer it, lend it or grant it to anyone else, including your employer, colleagues or your business partners.
What you may do
Display your seal and use your maker’s stamp to show that you are a member, at your grade:
- in your email signature, on your website and social media profiles;
- on business cards, letterheads, quotations and invoices;
- on your vehicle, workwear and workshop signs;
- on work you have personally made.
What you may not do
- Use the arms, the crest or the full coat of arms in any form.
- Use the seal of a grade you do not hold.
- Alter, redraw or recolour any of the files, or combine them with another logo.
- Include them in a logo, trade mark, company name or domain name, or try to register them.
- Make goods or merchandise carrying them to sell or give away.
- Suggest the Institute approves your firm, your products, or staff who are not members.
Firms, Colleges, Corporates, Partners and Sponsors
An employer may say that its team includes IOC members, but may not display a member’s seal as the firm’s own mark. Colleges, Corporates, Partners and Sponsors may use the Institute’s marks only with our written permission, and only on the terms we set.
When your licence ends
Your licence ends automatically if your membership lapses, you resign or your membership is withdrawn. When you change grade, the licence for your old seal ends and a new one begins for your new grade. When your licence ends you must:
- stop any new use straight away;
- remove the seal and stamp from websites, profiles and email signatures within 30 days;
- not reorder anything printed, signwritten or embroidered with them.
Work you made and marked while you were a member may stay as it is.
Misuse
The Institute may withdraw permission from anyone who uses its marks in breach of these terms. Misuse by a member, especially claiming a grade not held, may be dealt with under the Code of Conduct. We will ask anyone using our marks without permission to stop, and may take further action to protect them.
Changes
The Institute may update these terms. The current version is always the one on this page.
Planning signs, workwear or a branding iron?
If you’re unsure which file to use, ask us first. Tell us too if you see the Badge or our arms used by someone who isn’t a member.
Sign your work. Show your grade.
Download the seal for your grade, make your maker’s stamp, and put your letters to work.
Members, Fellows and Masters · #MarkOfTheMaker