Colours
On This Page:
Primary Colour Palette
Colour is an integral component of any brand. Our colour palette embodies our personality and breathes life into all our branded materials.
Red, gold, and black have represented the U of G community for over 60 years. White is included here as an element of our primary logos, and the default backdrop for countless print and digital materials.
Our primary colour palette should be an integral component of all branded materials. Much of our brand equity is invested in these colours, and we cannot effectively communicate our brand without them.
Reynolds Red
HEX: E51937
RGB: 229, 25, 55
CMYK: 0, 100, 81, 4
PANTONE: 185 C
Gryphon Gold
HEX: FFC429
RGB: 255, 196, 41
CMYK: 0, 23, 84, 0
PANTONE: 123 C
Cannon Black
HEX: 000000
RGB: 0, 0, 0
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 100
PANTONE: Black 6 C
Wellington White
HEX: FFFFFF
RGB: 255, 255, 255
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0
PANTONE: N/A
Secondary Colour Palette
Our secondary colour palette is intended to build versatility and flexibility into our brand. These colours can be used to accent our primary palette, but should never overshadow red, gold, and black.
Using any colour not within our primary and secondary palettes will be considered a brand violation.
Lang Blue
HEX: 187BB4
RGB: 24, 123, 180
CMYK: 87, 32, 0, 29
PANTONE: 7461 C
Johnston Green
HEX: 318738
RGB: 49, 135, 56
CMYK: 64, 0, 59, 47
PANTONE: 7740 C
Lennox Light Gray
HEX: D8D8D8
RGB: 212, 212, 212
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 17
PANTONE: 427 C
Gordon Dark Gray
HEX: 747676
RGB: 116, 118, 118
CMYK: 2, 0, 0, 54
PANTONE: 424 C
Accessible Colour
All colour usage must meet contrast ratio standards as outlined by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). All brand colours have been tested for accessible colour contrast. The following colour combinations meet these accessibility standards and are acceptable to be used in any context.*
*Most of our brand colours work in combination with black and white. Unless used with black or white, our brand colours should not be used against one another for elements critical to a user’s experience (i.e. text, buttons, etc). However, these colours can be used against one another for non-critical graphic elements that do not impact a viewer’s comprehension (i.e. background graphics).
If utilizing our brand colours on photographic or non-brand-colour backgrounds, they must meet colour contrast standards. This can be done by utilizing an online colour contrast checker.
Light and Dark Backgrounds
Some brand asset files can be used on “light” or “dark” backgrounds, as indicated within the background colour section of the file name (i.e. Emblem_SingleWhite_DarkBG).
Light Backgrounds: White, Light Gray, Gold
Dark Backgrounds: Black, Dark Green, Red, Blue, Green
Accessible Colour/Type Combinations
* Preferred colour combination for this colour background, ensuring optimal colour contrast and accessibility.
Inaccessible Colour/Type Combinations (not an exhaustive list)
Colour Usage
Things to Consider
While our colour palette is designed to be versatile and easy to use, please take the following into consideration when utilizing colour:
- Use the appropriate colour code for the medium. Pantones and CMYK values are for print, HEX and RGB are for digital. Note that brand assets are provided in RGB format, as colours can convert from RGB to CMYK with reasonable accuracy. However, converting CMYK values to RGB will almost always lead to inaccurate results.
- Consider accessibility when choosing colours to ensure enough contrast between design elements. Just because a colour combination meets AODA standards, that does not mean it is the best option. For example, red and black technically meet AODA standards, but white and red is preferred as it offers a greater contrast ratio and improves legibility.
- Our primary colour palette should be at the forefront of all branded materials. When utilizing our secondary colour palette, be sure to avoid highlighting colour combinations that could be associated with other brands, organizations or events.
- Never alter the transparency of our colour palette. This creates completely different colours that do not possess the brand equity established by our palette. The only acceptable occasion to alter the transparency of colour is with black, overtop of photographic backgrounds, utilizing the “multiply” blending mode. This helps create adequate contrast for text and graphics while allowing the photography to shine through.
- Avoid using the “eye dropper” tool when selecting colours. Utilizing the provided colour codes is the only way to ensure that you are utilizing the proper colours.
- Request a proof or sample of printed materials before approving full print production. This helps ensure colour quality and consistency.
