I'm going crazy thinking about this - please help! The FDIC final rule on color variation states "signs must also use the same color for the text and symbols." Are they saying the color has to be the same as the official sign (black)? Or that the color has to be uniform throughout the sign (in any single color a bank chooses)?

Second question - am I reading correctly that you can post just the logo with two written lines above and below, and cut off the stars and verbage to the left, so long as you keep the minimum size requirement for the total sign?

Second question:
You can't change the layout or content of the official sign when you post it at required locations. The "symbol" of the FDIC -- the logo plus the text above and below -- can be used as the "official advertising statement" in your ads (in place of "Member FDIC").

First question: I agree that the regulation might have been a bit clearer. The same question has been asked several times by several of our readers. That may provoke the FDIC to clarify its meaning. However, I think a reasonable interpretation is that, if the FDIC wanted to say the graphics on the sign had to be black (the color used for the official version), it would have said so. Like Henry Ford, they could have said "any color, as long as it's black." Therefore, I believe you can use any color for the text and graphics on the sign, as long as you use the same color for both. So the sign could be black on gold (as in the official version), or gold on black, or red on green. It just can't be "Color X" text and "Color Y" graphics on a "Color Z" background.

It's also important to realize that the reason for the "same color for text and graphics" requirement is to ensure that the signs are legible. That suggests that you won't get by with text, graphics and background color combinations that create illegibility -- such as navy text and graphics on a black background (even though the wording of the regulation might permit it).

If someone from the FDIC is reading this, I invite an email to john@bankersonline.com if you'd like to clarify this issue.

Thanks John. If you receive opinion would you mind posting that? I'd like something official to use with my signage committee.