You are here: American University Communications & Marketing Creative Style Guide

Institutional Identity

Clear and consistent use of American University's institutional identity allows us to reach our objectives of supporting an engaged community, informing our audiences, and attracting support for our initiatives.

Use the American University Washington DC Stylized logo in these three configurations. Do not use the logo in any other configuration. Do not publish the images below.

 
American University Washington DC Stylized (primary)
AU icon above American University, red rule separator, Washington, D.C.
 
American University Washington DC Stylized (landscape)
Horizontal Logo, AU icon left of American University Washington, D.C.
 
American University Washington DC Stylized (stacked)
AU icon above stacked words American University Washington, D.C.
 

Official logo colors

 

Red Pantone 186

Example of RED
CMYK
0 100 80 0
RGB
224 38 60
HEX
#E0263c

Blue Pantone 072

Example of Blue
CMYK
100 79 0 0
RGB
0 79 163
HEX
#004FA2

*Tru Match: 36-A2 CMYK: 100 70 0 12 *for large blocks of print coverage

Clear Space

Keep the AU logo a minimum distance away from surrounding artwork or text. The clear space is half the height of the primary mark horizontally and vertically. Addresses are an exception as they may fall within the minimum encroachment area.

au icon with spacing squares around it
 
au logo with spacing squares around it
 
au logo horizontal with spacing squares around it
 

AU Stylized

Determine the logo colors by background and medium.

On background
On white
One color
Black
Engraved
Engraved white
proper usage of the au icon and logo, au icon on tan background, au icon on white, two tone blue icon on white, teo tone greyscale icon on white, au engraved icon in black on white, au engraved iocn white on red
 

Follow these rules:

  • Do not use two-color version on a red background.
  • Do not change the logo color or any of its components.
  • Do not stretch or apply effects to the logo.
  • Do not break the logo apart or use any of its pieces.
all improper usage of the au icon and logo, colored icon on red, AU letters outside of icon, stretched icon, drop shadow applied to icon, icon turned into outlines, a border on the au icon.
 

Downloadable Files

Pngs for the standard, horizontal, and vertical American University logos are available for download. The included engraved marks are reserved for use when the primary logo versions cannot be applied.
Logo Files (Internal Only)

Consistent use of the university's logos and marks by members of the community, as well as approved use by those who wish to associate with the university, is essential. Logos may not be altered or modified in any way. Proper use of the logo should conform with the guide to Trademarks of American University. All use of the marks for commercial resale or noncommercial promotional distribution must be contracted through a licensee registered with Learfield Licensing Partners.

For more information and additional logo formats please contact brand@american.edu.

Challenge Accepted

The visual and textual guidelines here are the foundation of all Challenge Accepted communications. They celebrate AU as a place where purpose is nurtured, honed, and activated—sparking positive change and empowering us to bring Challenge Accepted to life.

We are living in a time of unprecedented challenges. Across American University, we leverage the power and purpose of community to make an impact in this changing world. There is no issue too complex, no challenge too great. From social justice to sustainability—we step up, we show up, and we say, “challenge accepted.”

CA wordmark

In all communications, the AU logo or school/institute wordmark should come first; the brand wordmark follows. Adequate space should separate the two marks. Use diagonal space, horizontal space, and front and back placement to separate the two. The logo and wordmark should not sit directly on top or beside one another.   

CA wordmark CA wordmark CA wordmark

Our color palette is inspired by AU’s institutional colors: red, white, and blue. The Challenge Accepted Gradient is inspired by the juxtaposition of AU’s institutional red and blue; it is a feature element that should be applied to the brand campaign’s hero photography and used judiciously in other applications. Use the highlight colors sparingly where needed.

Brand Gradient

Example of AU Gradient

(Always first, left)
AU Red
C0 M100 Y80 K0
R224 G38 B60

Gradient Midpoint: 45%
Angle: -45°

(Always second, right)
Suffragist Purple
C94 M100 Y5 K2
R60 G32 B140

Institutional Colors

Logo

Example of AU Blue

AU Blue

CMYK
100 79 0 0
RGB
0 79 163
HEX
#004FA2
Example of AU Red

AU Red

CMYK
0 100 80 0
RGB
224 38 60
HEX
#E0263c
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Highlight Colors

Blue

Example of Intern Blue

Intern

CMYK
100 66 0 76
RGB
24 36 73
HEX
#182449
Example of Embassy Blue

Embassy

CMYK
99 77 9 0
RGB
8 82 153
HEX
#005099
Example of Botany Blue

Botany

CMYK
63 34 0 0
RGB
105 149 221
HEX
#6995DD

Red

Example of Tenleytown

Tenleytown

CMYK
1 100 80 20
RGB
196 18 47
HEX
#C4122E
Example of Row House

Row House

CMYK
26 99 89 25
RGB
150 30 40
HEX
#961e28
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Purple

Example of Indigo

Indigo

CMYK
82 85 0 0
RGB
73 24 205
HEX
#4918CD
Example of Suffragist

Suffragist

CMYK
94 100 5 2
RGB
60 32 140
HEX
#3C208C
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Green

Example of McKinley

McKinley

CMYK
93 0 57 0
RGB
0 179 152
HEX
#00A38D
Example of Arboretum

Arboretum

CMYK
100 0 66 30
RGB
29 127 102
HEX
#1c7f66
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Silver/Gray

Example of District Gray

District Gray

CMYK
2 1 0 13
RGB
217 220 227
HEX
#D9DCE3
Example of Metro Silver

Metro Silver

CMYK
49 36 27 1
RGB
138 149 165
HEX
#8A95A5
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Black

Example of Talon

Talon

CMYK
70 60 57 43
RGB
65 69 71
HEX
#414547
Example of Beltway

Beltway

CMYK
0 0 0 100
RGB
0 0 0
HEX
#000000
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Two typefaces comprise our typographic system—GT Walsheim and Adobe Garamond. The main brand typeface is GT Walsheim.

Substitute standard Microsoft or MacOS system fonts—Arial and Garamond—if GT Walsheim or Adobe Garamond are not available for applications such as email, presentations, invitations, etc.

Primary Fonts:

example of the gt walsheim font letters and numbers

Use this sans serif font for headlines, subheads, and web copy.

example of the adobe garamond font letters and numbers

Use this serif font primarily for body copy in print materials.

See the Challenge Accepted brand guidelines for design examples that illustrate optimal use of the brand visual identity guidelines.
Brand Guide (internal only)