Plain English Campaign

Fighting for crystal-clear communication since 1979

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Crystal Mark

The Crystal Mark logo

This section of the site tells you how to apply for the Crystal Mark and gives guidelines on what we look for. There is also information about  the Honesty Mark, the Internet Crystal Mark, and the 'Approved by' logo. For information about the corporate membership logo and benefits, please visit the corporate membership section.

The Crystal Mark is our seal of approval for the clarity of a document. It now appears on over 19,000 different documents in the UK, the USA, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand and South Africa. It is the only internationally-recognised mark of its kind.

Launched in 1990, the Crystal Mark has now become firmly established as the standard organisations aim for if they want to provide the clearest possible public information.

There is a fee for the Crystal Mark unless you are a corporate member. The fee for the Crystal Mark is normally £500 + VAT. However, we may be able to group a number of documents together so you only pay the fee once. Or, if you only have one small document, we will reduce this fee to £200 + VAT.

The Crystal Mark fee allows us to edit any subsequent minor changes to any Crystal Marked document, free of charge. This way you don't have to worry about any ongoing editing charges as you make minor alterations.

We provide a separate Crystal Mark for each document we approve. Each Crystal Mark has its own identification number. This helps us to identify your document if we are contacted by a member of the public.

You can view a list of organisations who currently have a Crystal Mark on one or more of their documents.

For information about our editing and testing services please go to the Editing services section.

Other links in this section:
  • About the Crystal Mark
  • Approved by Plain English Campaign logo

    Approved by logo

    This is our seal of approval for communications where the Crystal Mark process is not practical. These include constantly-changing documents such as magazines, newsletters or long instruction manuals.

    When we assess these materials, we carry out checks which are similar to those we do with the Crystal Mark. We are looking for clear layout and design, and language appropriate for the intended audience. There is a charge of £150 + VAT for this assessment, which is refundable on your first year's subscription if your material reaches our standards.

    With magazines we ask to see three issues before we can approve them, and we then see each issue as it is published. We discuss any problems with the editorial staff.

    Other links in this section:

  • Crystal Mark holders

    Below are links to lists of organisations who have published Crystal Mark documents.

    We have used the following symbols on the holder lists to show where an organisation has made a special achievement with the Crystal Mark.

    Corporate Member The organisation is a corporate member
    Platinum certificate
    		 The organisation has at least 100 documents with the Crystal Mark.
    Gold certificate
    		 The organisation has at least 50 documents with the Crystal Mark.
    Silver certificate
    		 The organisation has at least 25 documents with the Crystal Mark.
    Honesty Mark
    		 The organisation holds at least one Honesty Mark.

    Other links in this category:

  • Internet Crystal Mark

    Internet Crystal Mark


    Our Internet Crystal Mark logo is the ideal way to show that you are committed to plain English throughout your site. By joining the scheme, you will prove to the public that you are willing to do everything practical to make your site crystal clear.

    Here is what the scheme offers you and your site visitors.

    • We will examine the content, design and layout of your site.
    • You will be able to use our logo on your site, and you will be listed on Plain English Campaign's site, showing the world that you are committed to plain English.
    • If you join the scheme, you will pay £1,500 + VAT for the first year and £750 + VAT for each year after that. There are reduced rates for medium sized and small websites - please contact us for further details.
    • If you are one of our corporate members, there is no charge for the first year, and we will only charge you £300 + VAT for each year after that.

    If you would like to join the scheme, please e-mail us at info@plainenglish.co.uk with the address of your site, and your contact details. There is a non-refundable fee of £200 + VAT for us assessing your site and providing a report.

    You can also call Barry Soames on 01663 744409 if you have any questions.

    We have Tips for clear websites, an Adobe Acrobat document (34KB) that may help if you are considering the Internet Crystal Mark

    Other links in this category:

  • Honesty Mark

    Every customer survey shows that one of the most important things to buyers is trust. Plain English can help give consumers an informed choice, but we need all the facts at our fingertips.

    The Honesty Mark logo

    Our solution is the Honesty Mark. This is a free logo available to any document displaying a Crystal Mark, so long as the organisation is prepared to sign our declaration. This declaration guarantees that everything in the document is true. In other words, what you see is what you get

    Other links in this category:
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