Rank Xerox Copy Department was the UK-based copying arm of Rank Xerox Limited, the joint venture formed in 1956 between the Xerox Corporation (then Haloid Photographic) and The Rank Organisation to manufacture and market Xerox equipment in Europe and beyond. [1]
Design and History
The Rank Xerox Copy Department identity dates to the early 1960s, a period when the company was expanding its photocopying business across the UK. The wordmark presented “Rank Xerox” in a straightforward, bold typographic lockup, with “Copy Department” appearing as a secondary line beneath the main name. The design was registered as a trademark in 1965, with the application filed by Rank Xerox Limited in the UK. [2]
The identity was created during a formative era for corporate design in Britain. Brian Tattersfield, a Yorkshire-born graphic designer who studied under Bob Gill at the Royal College of Art, met Marcello Minale while both worked at the advertising agency Young & Rubicam. In 1964, the two founded Minale, Tattersfield & Partners in London, which quickly built a reputation as one of the most avant-garde design agencies in the city. [3] Their early work included the Harrods visual identity, and their client list grew to include Thames TV, Kodak, London Transport, Nestle and British Airports Authority. [4]
The Rank Xerox Copy Department mark reflects the functional, no-nonsense approach of the era’s corporate identity work. The wordmark was set in a clean, modern sans-serif style, with the “Rank Xerox” name given visual weight and the “Copy Department” descriptor set beneath in smaller type. The design was registered in black (“墨色”, meaning ink black in the Taiwanese trademark record), indicating a monochrome lockup intended for straightforward business applications. [2]
The identity was part of a broader period of design activity around the Xerox brand. In 1965, the American design firm Chermayeff & Geismar created a corporate identity scheme for Rank Xerox, joining their earlier work for Chase Manhattan Bank (1959) and Mobil Oil (1964). [5] The design consultancy Unimark International also counted Rank Xerox among its corporate clients during the 1960s, a firm known for its systematic use of the Helvetica typeface in corporate identity programs. [6]
Rank Xerox Limited continued under that name until 1997, when the Xerox Corporation bought out the remaining 20% stake held by The Rank Organisation for £940 million. The company was renamed Xerox Limited soon after, and the Rank Xerox name was discontinued. [1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Rank Xerox Copy Department logo carried no pictorial symbol or abstract mark. Its meaning derived from the clarity of its typographic presentation: the bold “Rank Xerox” wordmark asserted the corporate parent, while the smaller “Copy Department” line identified the specific service unit. This hierarchical typographic structure was typical of mid-1960s corporate identity practice, where legibility and systemization were valued over decorative elements. The monochrome registration suggests a practical, print-oriented identity designed for business stationery and documentation rather than consumer-facing branding. [2]
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