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UC Davis Identity Standards

Official UC Davis colors for print and Web

Colors for print applications:

Colors for print are assigned numbers in the Pantone Matching System (PMS)*. For almost all full-color UC Davis print and Web publications, the dominant colors should be UC Davis blue (PMS 295), and UC Davis gold (PMS 132) as shown in the PMS coated-paper color swatch book.

Some tips for working with vendors to get the correct blue and gold for your project:

UC Davis Blue 295: This particular blue was chosen because it converts relatively well from a Pantone (PMS spot color) into CMYK format. However, it can have a tendency to appear greenish in CMYK, especially on some vinyls and fabrics. To avoid this, it’s OK to go a little darker, toward PMS 289 (navy). In fact, PMS 289 works very well for the epoxy in lapel pins (the filled-in colored area). It is NOT OK to go lighter, toward royal blue. Always make sure your vendor is aware of this and tries to match 295C in the Pantone coated-paper color swatch book.

UC Davis Gold 132: Our “old gold” can appear slightly brown, red or green in CMYK format. Again, always make sure the vendor is matching color to the Pantone color book. If the gold is slightly off, err in the direction of PMS 125C or PMS 1245C. For offset printing on uncoated paper, use PMS 117U, as it is a very close match for PMS 132C on a more porous, uncoated surface.

We do not recommend using screens (values less than 100 percent) of 295C. Screens of 132C produce consistent results and make elegant background colors. Results will vary between office printer, computer monitor and printing vendor. PMS 132C backgrounds behind black type should be 30 percent or less for good readability. For accurate samples of PMS132C and other colors at less than 100 percent, obtain a Pantone tint selector swatch book. These are available at most art supply stores.

*Pantone is a registered trademark of Pantone, Inc. Please note that computer monitors may not accurately display Pantone colors.

Branding colors
Color swatch: Blue 295
UC Davis blue 295
  • C = 100
  • M = 56
  • Y = 0
  • K = 34
 Color swatch: Gold 132
UC Davis gold 132
  • C = 0
  • M = 23.5
  • Y = 100
  • K = 30.5

Branding colors—special circumstances
Special blue for non-paper uses (e.g., enamel for lapel pins, vinyl banners):
Special gold for uncoated paper:
Color swatch: Blue 289
UC Davis blue 289
  • C = 100
  • M = 60
  • Y = 0
  • K = 56
 Color swatch: Gold 117U
UC Davis gold 117U
  • C = 0
  • M = 18.5
  • Y = 100
  • K = 15
Special colors for Microsoft applications** (PNG format):
Color swatch: Blue 289
UC Davis blue 295
  • R = 16
  • G = 50
  • B = 100
 Color swatch: Gold 117U
UC Davis gold 132
  • R = 161
  • G = 115
  • B = 31
**Create graphics with branding colors for Word and other Microsoft programs
  1. Create an Illustrator document in RGB mode, or convert an Illustrator document to RGB mode: File > Document Color Mode > RGB.
  2. Use the above RGB color mixes for UC Davis blue and gold.
  3. Export to PNG: File > Export > PNG > 600DPI; Transparent background.
  4. Place the graphic file into the Word document: Insert > Picture > From File.

For best results in multicolored publications, restrict secondary color choices to a maximum of two or three beyond UC Davis gold or blue. In fact, UC Davis blue, UC Davis gold and black for text are sufficient for effective publication design that unmistakably communicates UC Davis’ identity. (See Applying the standards for examples.)

The colors below offer great secondary color flexibility while providing a reasonably limited palette. Please do not introduce other secondary colors into UC Davis publications.

Secondary colors (use only as accents, never as dominant colors or backgrounds)
Traditional
Color swatch: Red 187
Red 187
  • C = 0
  • M = 91
  • Y = 72
  • K = 23.5
 Color swatch: Brick 188
Brick 188
  • C = 0
  • M = 79
  • Y = 65
  • K = 47
 Color swatch: Dark Green 3308
Dark Green 3308
  • C = 100
  • M = 0
  • Y = 60
  • K = 72
 Color swatch: Red-Purple 260
Red-Purple 260
  • C = 60
  • M = 100
  • Y = 0
  • K = 30.5
  
Contemporary
Color swatch: Spring Green 384
Spring Green 384
  • C = 15
  • M = 0
  • Y = 100
  • K = 30.5
 Color swatch: Spring Green Bright 382
Spring Green Bright 382
  • C = 30.5
  • M = 0
  • Y = 94
  • K = 0
 Color swatch: Turquoise 633
Turquoise 633
  • C = 91
  • M = 0
  • Y = 15
  • K = 27.5
 Color swatch: Turquoise Bright 641
Turquoise Bright 641
  • C = 100
  • M = 0
  • Y = 0
  • K = 27.5
  
Color swatch: Maroon 234
Maroon 234
  • C = 6
  • M = 100
  • Y = 0
  • K = 30.5
 Color swatch: Maroon Bright 233
Maroon Bright 233
  • C = 11.5
  • M = 100
  • Y = 0
  • K = 0
 Color swatch: Orange 173
Orange 173
  • C = 0
  • M = 69
  • Y = 100
  • K = 6
    
Earth
Color swatch: Lite Olive 620
Lite Olive 620
  • C = 0
  • M = 6
  • Y = 100
  • K = 56
 Color swatch: Red Clay 160
Red Clay 160
  • C = 0
  • M = 60
  • Y = 100
  • K = 34
 Color swatch: Dull Turquoise 5483
Dull Turquoise 5483
  • C = 65
  • M = 0
  • Y = 23.5
  • K = 34
 Color swatch: Dark Olive 147
Dark Olive 147
  • C = 0
  • M = 27.5
  • Y = 100
  • K = 69
 Color swatch: Beige 4665
Beige 4665
  • C = 0
  • M = 18.5
  • Y = 30.5
  • K = 11.5

Colors for Web use:

 

1

100%

2

20%

3

30%

4

40%

5

50%

6

60%

7

70%

8

80%

PMS

UC Davis (core Web)
A                 295
002666 CCD4E0 B2BED1 99A8C2 8092B2 667DA3 4C6794 335185  
B                 132
BF9900 F2EBCC ECE0B2 E5D699 DFCC80 D9C266 D2B84C CCAD33
C                 5405
2F4D6A D5DBE1 C1CAD2 ACB8C3 97A6B4 8294A6 6D8297 597188  
D                 Black
000000 CCCCCC B2B2B2 999999 808080 666666 4C4C4C 333333  
 

Traditional (chosen for their ubiquity in collegiate contexts)
E                 187
CA0015 F4CCD0 EFB2B9 EA99A1 E4808A DF6673 DA4C5B D53344  
F                 188
77160B E4D0CE D6B9B6 C9A29D BB8A85 AD736D A05C54 92453C  
G                 3308
004A3D CCDBD8 B2C9C5 99B7B1 80A49E 66928B 4C8077 336E64  
H                 260
5D005D DFCCDF CEB2CE BE99BE AE80AE 9E669E 8E4C8E 7D337D