Part II — Visual Identity · Chapter 13
SDARM Brand Book · 2026
13
Patterns &
Textures
Patterns derived from the symbol of the Church — the curves and geometries of the logo repeated at low intensity. Visual support carrying institutional DNA.
Part II · Ch. 13
Upload of custom patterns
Interactive applicator
In this chapter
13.1
Principles
The DNA of the symbol as the origin of the patterns
→ 13.2
Pattern library
6 slots — upload your Illustrator files
→ 13.3
Interactive applicator
Pattern + background + opacity in real time
→ 13.4
Opacity scale
5% to 20% — approved values
→ 13.5
Contexts of application
When and where to use each pattern
→ 13.6
Correct and incorrect use
What never to do with patterns
→ 13.7
Export
SVG tile · PNG 400dpi · Figma
→
13.1 — Principles of patterns & textures

The DNA of the symbol —
the right origin for a pattern

Generic patterns belong to no brand. SDARM patterns are derived from the visual elements of the Church's own symbol — curves, arcs, shapes and geometries that already exist in the logo. That is what gives a pattern real institutional DNA.

Origin in the symbol
The curves, arcs and shapes of the logo — extracted, repeated and applied at low opacity — create patterns that any member recognizes intuitively as belonging to the Church.
Support, never the focus
The pattern that works is the one nobody notices at first glance. It creates depth and visual richness without competing with the content. If the pattern draws attention, the opacity is too high.
A repeatable tile
Every pattern is built as a tile — a minimum unit that repeats seamlessly. That is what allows a pattern to work in any format, at any scale and in any proportion of material.
Why generic patterns failed
"Dot grids, parallel lines and checks could belong to any bank or NGO. They have nothing to do with the SDARM."
Generic patterns are decoration. Patterns derived from the symbol are identity. The difference lies in the origin — not in the visual result.
The right direction
1
Extract the curves and arcs of the symbol in Illustrator
2
Create variations — more open, denser, isolated elements
3
Export as SVG or PNG with a transparent background
4
Upload them here — the system applies the opacity and the background automatically
When to use no pattern at all
Official documents (minutes, formal certificates, pastoral letters, financial reports) — the background stays clean, with no pattern at all. Signage — a solid background with no pattern, so that it can be read quickly. Patterns belong to editorial and digital communication, not to institutional documents of a legal or pastoral nature.
Section 13.1 · Principles of patterns
"Cinematic close-up of textured cream paper with a subtle embossed geometric pattern, warm raking light revealing the relief, film grain, low saturation, no text, 4:3"
13.2 — Pattern library

Your Illustrator patterns
applied to the system

Six slots to receive the patterns you develop. Upload a PNG or SVG with a transparent background — the system applies the background color and the correct opacity automatically.

How to export from Illustrator into this system
Recommended format: PNG with a transparent background, at least 800×800px for a square tile. Stroke color: white (#FFFFFF) or blue (#0F3999) — the system controls the opacity. SVG: also accepted, with fill="none" and the stroke in currentColor or #FFFFFF.
Section 13.2 · Pattern library
"Documentary photo of printed pattern sheets in navy and gold tones fanned on a wooden desk, warm window light, shallow depth of field, film grain, low saturation, no text, 16:9"
13.3 — Interactive applicator

Pattern + background + opacity
in real time

Select a loaded pattern, choose the background and adjust the opacity. The preview updates instantly — exactly as it will look in the final material.

SDARM · 2026
You are welcome here.
Pattern
Background
Opacity 10%
The preview uses the first pattern loaded. Upload patterns in section 13.2 above to see them here.
13.4 — Opacity scale

Approved values —
5% to 20%

Opacity is the most critical variable in the use of patterns. Above 20%, any pattern begins to compete with the content. Below 5%, it loses all visual purpose.

5%
Overlaid on a photograph. Almost imperceptible.
8%
Subtle. A blue background with a photograph or dense content.
10% ★
The recommended standard. Visible but discreet.
15%
White background. Check the contrast with the text.
22% ✕
The absolute maximum. Approval mandatory.
A rule of thumb
If you can read the pattern easily, the opacity is too high. The pattern should exist as background texture — not as a legible element. Always test it with text over the top before approving any combination.
13.5 — Contexts of application

When and where
to use each pattern

The table below is the definitive reference. Contexts in the green column take a pattern. Contexts in red — the background stays clean.

ContextRecommended patternOpacityNote
Social post 1:1Derived from the symbol · dense8–10%Over a blue or deep blue background. Beneath the text.
Story 9:16Derived from the symbol · open5–8%The element at large scale, cropped by the vertical format.
A4 coverCurves of the logo · large scale10–12%One or two repetitions of the element, not a dense tile.
A3 posterDerived from the symbol · dense10%Over institutional blue. A regular tile covering the whole area.
Printed bannerDerived from the symbol · open8%Over deep blue. Wider spacing between elements.
InvitationAn isolated element of the symbol6–8%A single element centered at large scale. Over cream.
Email marketingDerived from the symbol · fine5–8%Header and footer. Never in the body of the email over text.
SignageNone0%A solid background. A pattern compromises quick reading at a distance.
Official documentsNone0%Minutes, pastoral letters, reports — the background always stays clean.
CertificatesNone0%Exception: the official watermark printed at 3% in pre-press.
Section 13.5 · Contexts of application
"Close-up of a fabric banner with a subtle repeating pattern beside printed church stationery, warm ambient light, film grain, low saturation, no text visible, 4:5"
13.6 — Correct and incorrect use

What never to do
with patterns

The most common errors come from excess opacity, use in the wrong contexts and attempts at local customization outside the system.

Sabbath · 2026
You are welcome here.
Correct
A pattern derived from the symbol at 10% over institutional blue. The text is entirely legible — the pattern is there but does not compete.
Sabbath · 2026
You are welcome here.
Forbidden
The same pattern at 45%. It competes with the text, damages legibility and destroys the visual hierarchy of the piece.
Invitation
Week of Prayer
Correct
An isolated element of the symbol at large scale, centered, at 10%. Over cream — elegant and institutional.
✝ ☩ ✡ ☪
A pattern with religious symbols foreign to the system
Forbidden
Patterns using religious symbols from other traditions are forbidden. The Church is present in 127 countries with different cultural settings.
A pattern created locally without approval
Any pattern created by an association or a local field requires the approval of the General Conference before use. The system is closed. If a field needs a specific pattern, the request enters the formal brand approval process — it is not created and published directly.
13.7 — Export

SVG tile · PNG 400dpi
and Figma setup

Every approved pattern is distributed in three formats, to cover all the contexts of use — digital, print and design.

SVG tile
.svg
A vector tile with the pattern defined — infinitely scalable. In CSS: background-image: url(pattern.svg)
→Web · interfaces · HTML
→Figma fill → Image → tile
→Opacity through CSS or the layer
PNG tile 4× · 400dpi
.png
A raster tile at high resolution for offset printing. Transparent background. Tile mode in InDesign or Affinity Publisher.
→Offset printing · printers
→InDesign · Affinity Publisher
→Opacity on the layer, not in the file
Figma
Library
Pattern components in the SDARM library in Figma. Fill → Image → tile mode. Opacity adjusted on the frame layer, never on the component.
→Digital design · Social media
→SDARM Brand Hub library
→Never alter the component
The pattern that works best
is the one nobody notices.
Identity, not decoration
Patterns derived from the symbol carry institutional DNA. Any member of the Church, in any country, senses the origin intuitively — even without consciously identifying the symbol.
Discipline of opacity
The temptation is always to raise the opacity until the pattern "shows". Resisting that impulse is the difference between a refined piece and an overloaded one. 10% is a great deal.
A closed system
Unapproved patterns do not go into the materials. This is not rigidity — it is what makes a flyer produced in Lagos and a poster made in Brazil look like the same Church.
Brand Manager's Note
"The right patterns do not exist yet — and that is an honest position. The decision to derive them from the symbol is the right decision. When you bring the patterns across from Illustrator, this system will be ready to receive them, apply the correct opacities and place them in every format at once."
Hugo Cibalde
Brand Manager
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
General Conference · 2026
← Ch. 12 — Iconography
Next chapter
14 — Social Media →
SDARM Brand Book · Ch. 13 · Part II — Visual Identity · 2026