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Photo Style

The consistent KSB photo style makes the KSB brand highly recognisable and helps KSB stand out from the

competition. It draws heavily on KSB’s brand promise of “Technology that generates success.” This clear,

confident statement must also be recognisable in the photo style. The images reflect the company’s high

technical standards not only through the image type (quality, precision) but also through the motifs.

High quality Amateurish

Technical Human

Bright Dark

Cool Warm

Clean/ well-structured

Playful/ flamboyant

Colourful Monochromatic

Professional Extravagant

Modern Old-fashioned

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Photo Style,

Key Aspects

1 Motif selection

In accordance with KSB’s brand promise of “Technology that

generates success”, the choice of motifs must be technology-ori-

ented, modern and authentic. Montages may be used to illustrate

particular aspects. They should not, however, appear extravagant

and ridiculous.

2 Quality

The images are sharp and brilliant, with depth and details that

are even recognisable at a distance.

4 Colour scheme

The colour scheme reinforces the technical aspects and is cool

and clean. The colours are slightly desaturated. White plays an

important role alongside blue and black/grey. It makes the imag-

es appear light and introduces contrast and tension.

4 Image layout

The image layout should be clean and well-structured, and the

image should not appear cluttered, overloaded or fl amboyant.

The choice of perspective, depth and (if possible) asymmetry

should create tension in the image.

5 Isolated photo objects

Only pure product shots are available as isolated photo objects

(without background). These are placed without shadow or

refl ection.

Please note:

These photo style guidelines should be taken into account to convey

a consistent impression. It is important that the images do not appear

artifi cial after processing, i.e., the colours should not be garish and

the coloured-in areas should still seem realistic (no duplex appear-

ance).

The photos used in the KSB communication media cover

a wide range of product, industrial, architectural and

landscape images. The visual link between them is a con-

sistent photo style that is applied to all motifs to ensure

the recognisability of all KSB images.

Isolated photo object

Outside

Indoors

Landscape

People

Montage

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Photo Style,

Blue – Recommended Values for Outdoor Shots

Recommended values (outdoor shots)

Compared with the blue (cyan) value the red component is reduced and a

little yellow added. In the lighter shades, the amount of red decreases to a

greater extent than the amount of yellow. It is optimal when a slight red and

yellow component is still present especially in the bright areas and the grada-

tions of blue do not just consist of cyan.

Please note:

The blue gradations in the image should neither be purplish (-> too much

red) nor turquoise ( -> too much yellow).

All values are indicative and not absolute values.

The blue and the desaturated area dominate the image. With outdoor shots it appears stronger and more

intense depending on the light conditions than with indoor shots. The colour appears richer.

The blue essentially derives from KSB Blue (100c/60m/0y/10k). For use in images, the red component is some-

what reduced, as its gradations would appear too purplish.

90c / 34m / 10y / 25k

80c / 25m / 10y / 20k

65c / 13m / 10y / 6k

50c / 10m / 10y / 2k

30c / 6m / 9y / 0k

14c / 4m / 7y / 0k

90c / 35m / 10y / 25k

80c / 20m / 7y / 10k

67c / 1m / 7y / 0k

30c / 1m / 2y / 0k

Colour

The main colours for the new visual concept

are part of the KSB colour scheme: blue,

black/grey and white. In addition, one or

more optional accent colours can be used.

These three components ( 1 blue area, 2

area with reduced colour saturation (black/

grey), 3 accent colours) determine the

image style.

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Photo Style,

Blue – Recommended Values for Indoor Shots

Recommended values (indoor shots)

Compared with the blue (cyan) value, the red component is reduced and a

little yellow added. In the lighter shades, the amount of red decreases to a

greater extent than the amount of yellow. It is optimal when a slight red and

yellow component is still present especially in the light areas. Attention needs

to be paid to the surface structures/texture here, even more so than when

shooting outdoors, with care taken to ensure that areas are not just coloured

in cyan.

Please note:

The blue gradations in the image should neither be purplish (-> too much

red) nor turquoise ( -> too much yellow).

All values are indicative and not absolute values.

55c / 10m / 3y / 25k

70c / 29m / 10y / 20k

40c / 2m / 2y / 0k

67c / 29m / 7y / 6k

24c / 2m / 0y / 0k

52c / 18m / 4y / 0k

The blue and the desaturated area dominate the image. In indoors shots, the blue is less intense

than in outdoor shots depending on the texture and light. The blue essentially derives from KSB Blue

(100c/60m/0y/10k). For use in images, the red component is somewhat reduced, as its gradations would

appear too purplish.

Colour

The main colours for the new visual concept

are part of the KSB colour scheme: blue,

black/grey and white. In addition, one or

more optional accent colours can be used.

These three components ( 1 blue area, 2

area with reduced colour saturation (black/

grey), 3 accent colours) determine the

image style.

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2

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2

3

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Photo Style,

Blue – Recommended Values for Product Shots

Recommended values (product shot)

The colour values below are approximate colour values for all prod-

uct shots (whether as isolated photo objects without background or

integrated into an environment).

These should be achieved if possible.

Wrong blue value

This product shot has too much red

in the blue.

Most KSB products are blue. To achieve a homogeneous overall image, all product images should have a

uniform shade of blue. The blue is derived from KSB Blue (100c/60m/0y/10k). This value is the basis for the

product shots.

45c / 12m / 5y / 0k

92c / 62m / 5y / 20k

100c / 70m / 7y / 35k

20c / 4m / 0y / 0k

100c / 65m / 3y / 10k

100c / 85m / 10y / 45k

65c / 30m / 5y / 0k

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Photo Style,

Product Shots

Products unsuitable for use as a motif:

Photographs of products must always show the products in good and clean condition. Sometimes, however,

the products available for photographing are not in flawless condition. Minor defects such as paint defects

can subsequently be removed with considerable effort during image processing. If a product, however,

has significant defects such as dirt, rust or damage, these must be removed or repaired before the shoot. If

this is not possible, the product is unsuitable for use as a photo motif and should be replaced by a flawless

product.

Product is dirty and smeared with oil

Product displays clear damage and paint defects

Product is rusty in places

Unsuitable

Unsuitable

Unsuitable

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Photo Style,

Editorial Images

Often the quality of images for editorial use is less than optimal.

They are sometimes too dark, too blurry or the colours are too

strong. The suitability of an image for a KSB publication can be

checked using a checklist:

Quick checklist:

1. Brightness: Is the image bright enough or can it be lightened?

2. Colour reduction: Are the colours in the image too bright, and can

they be reduced?

3. Shades of blue: Does the image contain enough shades of blue? Do

the blue gradations appear purplish or turquoise and can they be

reduced?

4. Accent colour: Are there one or more accent colours?

5. Sharpness: Is the image quality high and is it sharp?

Front cover of staff magazine Photos on inside pages

Images for editorial use (staff magazine, newsletter, etc.) cannot always be modified either in terms of con-

tent or time to match the KSB imagery. Nevertheless, it should be ensured that the images are visually not

out of line and reflect the photo style to the greatest extent possible.

Caboresed earchit Mus consed molest eaqui blaut

voluptas excepta

Dis nonsequos nos intus, velendi

Interview

Materials technology

The Magazine for KSB Group Employees

Issue 4/2012

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Photo Style,

Before / After Examples

Wrong: Right:

This selection of images shows images prior to process-

ing, and how after processing they match the KSB photo

style.

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Photo Style,

Unsuitable Images

These image types do not match the KSB photo style and must not be used.

Dirty and rusty Sharpness / blur

Too dark Duplex

Poor quality Playful

Softened and layered

Chaotic / disorganised

Colourful

Isolated photo objects (except for products)

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No