No website is complete without social media icons. And present everything from email signatures and business cards to posters and video spots benefit from a lilliputian "iconography."

But earlier slapping icons on every asset your company owns, there are a few things to consider—including legalese. Despite the ubiquity of icons in all shapes, colors and sizes online, social media icons are registered trademarks. They are protected past copyright and enforceable make guidelines.

social media icons
Paradigm via Fancycrave under CC0

We've assembled download links for all the major social network icons, as well every bit all-time practice guidelines that will go along your icon use on the level. And we'll help y'all steer articulate of design blunders with tips on how to tailor icon use for each medium.

Bonus: Read the stride-past-stride social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to abound your social media presence.

Where to source social media icons

Facebook

Download the full suite of icons.

Key make guidelines:

  • But use the icon in Facebook bluish or reversed white and blue. Revert to black and white if facing color limitations. Blueish, grayness, white and blackness versions are available for download.
  • The Facebook icon should ever appear in a rounded square-shaped container.
  • Make sure the icon is reproduced in a legible size. Information technology should be at equal size to all other icons.
  • Practise not animate or correspond the logo in the course of physical objects.
  • Download icons according to your medium. Facebook variations of its icon spec'd for online, impress, and TV and flick.

Icons for online use (.png)

Twitter

Download the full suite of icons.

Fundamental make guidelines:

  • Only use the icon in Twitter blueish or white. When limitations with impress coloring employ, Twitter will allow the logo to be displayed in blackness.
  • Twitter prefers its icon to be represented gratuitous of container, but offers square, rounded square, and circular containers if they improve suit your needs.
  • If using the logo over an image, always utilise the white version.
  • Do not animate the logo, and exercise not embellish or accessorize it with word bubbles, or other creatures.
  • Clear space around the logo should be at least 150% of the width of the icon.
  • Icons should have a minimum width of 32 pixels.

Icons for online use (.png)

Instagram

Download the full suite of icons.

Key make guidelines:

  • Only the icons found in the Assets section of Instagram's brand resources site may be used to represent Instagram. These icons are available in colour and black and white.
  • Instagram icons should be represented without container. Square, circle, rounded-square, and other container shapes are not available.
  • Don't comprise the icon with your company name, trademark, or other linguistic communication or symbol.
  • When using the icon for broadcast, radio, out-of-dwelling house advertising or print larger than 8.5 x 11 inches, you need to request permission and include a mock-upwards of how y'all your intended use.
  • Instagram content shouldn't contain more than 50% of your design, or more than 50% of the total duration of your content.

Icons for online use (.png)

LinkedIn

Download the full suite of icons.

Cardinal make guidelines:

  • LinkedIn prefers its blue and white icon to be displayed on a white background. The icon should always be displayed in color online. When not possible, use the reverse white and blue or black and white icon.
  • Use the solid white icon on dark-colored backgrounds or photos, and the solid black icon light-colored backgrounds or photos, or in 1-color print applications. Make sure the "in" is transparent.
  • The LinkedIn icon should never be a circle, a square, a triangle, trapezoid, or any shape other than a rounded square.
  • LinkedIn icons are typically used at two sizes online: 24 pixels and 36 pixels. The minimum size is 21 pixels online, or 0.25 inches (6.35mm) in print. Icons sized for impress or larger use should reference the 36-unit grid establish hither.
  • Icon bounds should exist approximately fifty% of the size of the container. The minimum clear space requirement specifies that padding the size of ii LinkedIn "i'southward" be used around the icon.
  • Utilize in television, film, or other video productions requires a request for permission.
  • If using call-to-actions such as "Follow us," "Join our group," or "View my LinkedIn Profile," in conjunction with the icon, use a different font and color—preferably black.

Icons for online apply (.png)

Pinterest

Download the icons.

Cardinal brand guidelines:

  • Pinterest's "P" icon should always be displayed in Pinterest Red, in print or on screen and unaltered in whatever way.
  • To use Pinterest in video, television or flick, companies need to submit a written request to their partner manager at Pinterest.
  • Always include a call-to-activity after showing the Pinterest icon. Brand certain the icon size is proportionate to the call-to-action text.
  • Adequate call-to-activeness phrases include: Pop on Pinterest, Find us on Pinterest, Follow united states on Pinterest, Visit u.s., Find more ideas on Pinterest, Get inspired on Pinterest. Do non apply the phrases Trending on Pinterest or Trending Pins.
  • E'er display or hyperlink your Pinterest URL when using the icon.

Icons for online use (.png)

YouTube

Download the full suite of icons.

Cardinal make guidelines:

  • The YouTube icon is available in YouTube ruby, monochromatic near-black, and white monochrome.
  • If a background does non piece of work with the YouTube ruby icon, or color tin can't exist used for technical reasons, go monochrome. The almost-black icon should exist used for light multi-colored images. The white icon should be used on dark multi-colored images with a transparent play-button triangle.
  • YouTube icons should be a minimum of 24 dp in tiptop online and 0.125 inches (3.1mm) in print.
  • The clear space requirement for the YouTube icon should be one-half of the icon'southward width.
  • The YouTube icon can simply be used when it links to a YouTube channel.

Icons for online use (.png)

Snapchat

Download the full suite of icons.

Central brand guidelines:

  • Only show the Snapchat icon in black, white and yellow.
  • Don't surround the logo with other characters or creatures.
  • The minimum size if the Ghost icon is 18 pixels online and .25 inches in print.
  • The icon is available without container in black in white, or with a yellow rounded square.
  • Articulate infinite around the logo should be at least 150% of the width of the logo. In other words, padding should exist the same size as one-half of the Ghost.

Icons for online utilise (.png)

WhatsApp

Download the full suite of icons.

Central brand guidelines:

  • Merely show the WhatsApp icon in green, white (on green backgrounds), and black and white (in materials that are primarily black and white).
  • Make certain to spell WhatsApp as a unmarried word with proper capitalization
  • But use the green square icon when referencing the iOS app.

Icons for online use (.png)

What are social media icons and why should you employ them?

Add social media icons to your website, concern cards, and other digital and physical marketing materials to grow your social media following and connect with customers on unlike channels.

Not to exist confused with share buttons or wordmarks, social media icons are shorthand symbols that link to your company profile on different networks (or, in the case of print materials, just permit people know that your business concern is on those networks).

Most oftentimes, social media icons use the first-letter or symbol logo of the social media company. Recollect Facebook F, Twitter bird, or Instagram camera.

Some logos are available in "containers." Containers are shapes enclosing the letter of the alphabet or symbol. Very oftentimes the icons are coloured with the company's official hues, but they are sometimes likewise bachelor in monochrome.

Thank you to their widespread utilize by businesses, near customers expect companies to have icon links on their websites and are savvy plenty to know where to look for them. Swell and uniform in fashion, icons are a tidy alternative to annoying "follow me" popular-ups.

How to employ social media icons in your marketing materials (legally)

Whether online or offline, social media icons can provide a link to your company's social channels. Here are a few tips and tricks for using them finer on unlike mediums.

Websites

Oft brands volition place social media icons in the header and/or footer of their website. Only they can too exist placed on a floating left or right sidebar for greater prominence.

As a full general rule, icons placed above the fold have a better chance of existence seen.

social media icons
Epitome via Lenny.com homepage

Emails and newsletters

Having social media icons in your email signature or newsletters offers additional means to connect with recipients. If networking is of import and your company permits, you can likewise add together a public profile LinkedIn badge.

Follow these steps to add together icons to your email signature:

Outlook signature

one. In Outlook, from the Home tab, select New Email.
2. On the Message tab, in the Include grouping, select Signature, then Signatures.
3. From the Due east-mail service Signature tab, in the Edit signature box, select the signature yous want to edit.
4. In the Edit signature text box, add a new line below the electric current signature.
v. Choose Picture, and so get to the binder where yous downloaded icons, and select the icon you lot'd like to include.
half dozen. Highlight the paradigm and select Insert so Hyperlink.
7. In the Address box, enter the web address for your corresponding company profile.
eight. Select OK to finish modifying the new signature.
9. On the Message tab, in the Include grouping, choose Signature, and and then choose your newly modified signature.

Gmail signature

ane. Open Gmail.
two. Click the settings glyph in the top right corner.
3. In the Signatures department click the Insert Image symbol to add your downloaded icon.
4. Highlight the image and click the Link symbol.
five. Add the web address for your company profile.
half dozen. Coil to the bottom and select Save Changes.

Newsletters

Most publishers place social media icons in the newsletter footer, because often the goal of newsletters is to promote website products, services, or content. .

Gmail can sometimes prune long letters, so if gaining social followers is one of your newsletter goals, put the icons in the header or above the fold and consider using a phone call-to-activity. Alternately, if the goal of your newsletter is to promote content, you may want to consider including share icons, and placing follow icons in the footer.

social media icons
Image via Sephora e-newsletter

Impress

Social media icons are space savers in print collateral such as brochures, print ads, or business concern cards. But don't forget that you can't hyperlink on paper.

A skillful workaround for offline icons is to use just the domain name and the directly link to your company'due south folio. Or, skip the domain name altogether.

Option ane: (F) facebook.com/Hootsuite
(T) twitter.com/Hootsuite
Choice 2: (F) Hootsuite
(T) @Hootsuite
Selection 3: (F) (T) @Hootsuite

On business cards, if you don't plan to include a URL or handle , then you may not want to include the icon—peculiarly if the handle is non obvious. Just if your company has a loftier profile and is piece of cake to discover on social media, standalone iconscan be an elegant way to indicate your make's presence on social media in impress ads and brochures.

social media icons
David's Tea print ad, via Escapism magazine
social media icons
1 More Bake by Elizabeth Novianti Susanto on Behance.
social media icons
The Cado by Cristie Stevens on Behance.

TV and video

Similar print, if yous're using video on a medium that doesn't let viewers to click on an icon, so you lot should include the URL. On YouTube, yous tin include clickable icons using the annotations feature. Most often "follow" call-to-actions come at the end of a brand video. Brand sure to allot enough time for viewers to read the URL.

Many social media brands crave permission requests and sometimes mock-ups before allowing companies to use their icons.

Best practices for using social media icons

Thanks to widespread use of reshaped and revised icons and third-party sites similar Iconmonstr or Iconfinder, many brands and social media managers don't realize that utilize of altered icons is strictly forbidden.

Here are some common guidelines you should be familiar with before adding social media icons to your marketing materials.

Download from the source

When in search of social media icons, try getting them from the social network websites offset. We've also assembled the download links for the most popular social media icons below.

No alterations

All social media logos and icons are trademarked. That means rotating, outlining, recolouring, animating, or edits of whatsoever kind are not permitted.

Size uniformly

Display all social media icons at equal size, height, and resolution if possible. Don't display social media icons larger than your own logo or wordmark. And don't display whatsoever of the network icons larger than another network icon (e.thou., making the Facebook icon larger than the Instagram icon).

Space evenly

Brand certain icons are spaced in a way that meets the "clear space" requirements of each social media company.

Choose 3 to five

Very often icons are used equally call-to-actions, and if y'all utilise too many, you adventure overwhelming visitors with decision fatigue. Not to mention the clutter that as well many icons create on business organisation cards or assets with limited space. Determine the height three to five channels that are most of import for your brand and audience. A full list can be included in the contact section of a website or in the website footer.

Order by priority

If LinkedIn is a more strategic network for your brand than Instagram, for example, make sure LinkedIn appears first in your icon list.

Use the latest version

Social media companies require that brands using their icons ensure they go on them up to date. Simply also, using former logos will stick out and could bespeak that your company is "behind the times."

Don't use the wordmark

Well-nigh social media companies explicitly land that y'all should never use the wordmark in place of the icon. Wordmarks are typically for corporate employ but, and represent the company, as opposed to your visitor's presence on the network.

Make your brand the focus

Featuring icons too prominently could wrongly imply sponsorship, partnership, or endorsement, and potentially land your company in legal trouble. Plus, your brand should be the focus of your marketing materials anyhow.

Link to your company contour

This may seem obvious, but don't link to a production page, personal contour, or the generic homepage of the site. It's normally understood, expected, and in some cases required, that these icons link to your company profile folio on the specified network.

Request permission

As a general rule, if you plan to use the icons in a fashion not specified in the brand guidelines, information technology'due south best to double bank check. Some brands may foreclose use of icons on manufactured products, such as T-shirts or other memorabilia. In other cases, you may exist required to send a mock-up of intended utilise.

Now that you know how to legally advertise your brand'southward presence on all the major social networks, easily manage all your social channels from one dashboard using Hootsuite. Schedule and publish posts, respond to followers, track your functioning, and more. Try information technology costless today.

Go Started