Color

UC San Diego will always stand recognizable with our core blues and gold, which should always be prominently featured on all university materials. Our expanded accent and neutral palettes bring the UC San Diego brand to new dimensions of life while providing flexibility to represent our campus’s vibrancy and audaciousness.

While combinations of these colors are acceptable in print designs and other collateral, the campus logo must always appear in one of the approved color variations shown on the Primary Campus Logo page.

Color Palette

Ensuring the accuracy of UC San Diego’s brand colors in both print and digital is essential for consistent university communications and representation. For print materials, use the CMYK breakdown or PMS number, and for digital materials, use RGB or HEX. Use only the color codes listed here or download the approved color swatches below.

Download the swatches

Core Colors

Our core colors are the official colors of UC San Diego. Consistent use of these colors in all branding is essential to establishing our identity.

Accents

Our palette of accent colors have been developed to add energy and amplify the UC San Diego brand. Inspired by our vibrant natural surroundings, accent colors can be used in conjunction with our core colors to create materials that push boundaries while still recognizable as UC San Diego.

Neutrals

Including neutrals into our color palette is essential for long-term adaptability. While these neutral colors may not play a major role in branded materials, they provide options for contrast and flexibility.

Color Combinations

For the UC San Diego brand to remain recognizable in any work produced, it is necessary to use color combinations that put emphasis on our core colors, specifically our blues. On all external-facing materials, these core colors should be a primary focus with blue being a required color, while any accent colors come secondary and should not be dominant.

CLASSIC

FORMAL

MONOCHROMATIC

VIBRANT MAGENTA

VIBRANT TURQUOISE

Color Accessibility

Color accessibility should always be considered when designing for web or digital mediums. For more information on accessibility for web and digital materials, as well as a handy color contrast chart, check out the Web and Digital page of the brand guidelines.