BRAND STANDARDS
Logos & Marks
Updated Fall 2025: To strengthen CU Anschutz’s identity as a leader in transformative education, science, medicine and healthcare, we are retiring all individual school, department and unit logos. Moving forward, only the official, updated campus logo may be used, with limited exceptions approved by the Office of Communications. This unified approach will enhance name recognition locally and nationally, reinforce our collaborative mission, and support the life-changing discoveries of tomorrow. This will be a phased change, and you will be notified by campus leadership when your school/department is expected to implement. We have updated our guidelines with new resources to show you how to effectively market and identify your school/unit without needing a logo. |
As the primary visual identifier for CU Anschutz, the campus logo must be used on all forms of communication, whenever and wherever the university is being represented. Every communication we create is an opportunity to tell our internal and external audiences who we are, both as part of the larger CU System and as a university with a unique and vital mission.
Thoughtful and consistent application of the campus logo strengthens recognition for CU Anschutz, helps build a more unified brand and connects us to the University of Colorado system.
The development or use of custom-designed logos, school or unit logos, or graphic symbols for identification are expressly prohibited for all CU academic, administrative, research and clinical units and groups. More information can be found in CU System Administrative Policy Statement 2025.
Logo Anatomy
The campus logo unites two elements in an intentional and fixed arrangement:
- The CU icon is comprised of the gold, stylized letters “C” and “U” over a field of black. This graphic is shared across the entire University of Colorado system and used by all CU campuses.
- The wordmark is a custom letterform used in conjunction with the CU icon. Together, these elements appear as a single graphic element and may not be altered, replaced or retyped in any way.
Configurations
The primary logo should be used in almost all communication and marketing applications except for formal uses where spelling out the full university name would be useful. Examples include legal documents, website headers, and other official documents. Please contact [email protected] if unsure which logo to use.
Color Options
The full-color campus logo is the preferred format and should be used whenever possible. In cases where a full-color logo may not be applicable – for example, black-and-white collateral, single-color embroidery, etc. – a single-color (white or black) version may be used. Recoloring or altering the colors of our logos in any way is prohibited. Color combinations other than those listed below are unacceptable and not permitted for use.
Minimum Size
In order to ensure legibility, the campus signature must not appear smaller than the sizes below:
- 0.5" tall for print or physical media
- 40 pixels tall for online or digital media
Clear Space Guidelines
Clear space must always surround the campus logo, to improve visual impact and ensure legibility.
The minimum acceptable clear space is equal to the height of the "U" in the interlocking CU icon as it appears in the campus logo.
Common Misuses
The campus logo is a registered trademark and cannot be altered. Always use official artwork and observe standards for color, clear space and minimum size. Do not:
- Stretch, condense or distort
- Recolor or redesign
- Add text or graphics
- Place multiple CU logos in the same design area
- Use an old school, dept or unit logo - existing center and institute logos excepted
