Two colors are at the very core of our existence. Maize and blue play a vital role in establishing a clear and powerful image and in defining the University of Michigan identity. Using this palette appropriately and consistently creates an additional layer of distinction.
Blue and maize are University of Michigan's main colors, and the colors that should be used most of the time in communication materials. For a nice visual color balance, we recommend designs use the proportion of 80 percent blue to 20 percent maize.
MICHIGAN BLUE
PANTONE 282
CMYK 100 / 65 / 0 / 55
RGB 0 / 39 / 76
HEX #00274C
MICHIGAN MAIZE
PANTONE 7406
CMYK 0 / 18 / 100 / 0
RGB 255 / 203 / 5
HEX #FFCB05
Colors are used in many different ways, depending on the intended use. Use the definitions below to help choose the correct color formulas for your materials.
An acronym for Pantone Matching System®. This color system is also often referred to as "spot" colors for printing. Printers use a special mix of ink to find the color needed.
CMYK (or "process") refers to the 4 ink colors used in color printing. Those colors are cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K). Use this color system for any print materials.
RGB (red, green, blue) refers to colors used on screen only (web, phone, video, etc.). Photos and solid colors should be in RGB when intended for on-screen viewing.
Hex refers to the hexadecimal number assigned to solid colors for use on the web. Hex formulas will appear as #xxxxxx
Note: Colors will appear differently on each computer monitor, and will vary from monitor to printed piece. Use the CMYK color formulas for print and the RGB or HEX formula for all digital materials.
The colors in our supporting palette were chosen to complement our primary palette of maize and blue, providing additional range to the brand experience. The buildings and landmarks we see every day on our campus serve as the inspiration for the hues of our secondary color palette. Tints of the colors can be used when needed - examples are shown below.
UMMA TAN
PANTONE 7501 C
CMYK 14 / 20 / 44 / 0
RGB 220 / 197 / 152
HEX #DDC497
SOFT YELLOW
PANTONE 7403 C
CMYK 5 / 15 / 57 / 0
RGB 242 / 211 / 132
HEX #F2D384
BURTON BEIGE
PANTONE 451 C
CMYK 42 / 33 / 68 / 6
RGB 151 / 148 / 103
HEX #979467
BROWN
PANTONE 7531 C
CMYK 46 / 51 / 65 / 21
RGB 125 / 106 / 86
HEX #7D6A56
LSA ORANGE
PANTONE 7584 C
CMYK 21 / 76 / 100 / 9
RGB 186 / 88 / 39
HEX #BA5827
CRANBERRY
PANTONE 506 C
CMYK 41 / 87 / 47 / 23
RGB 133 / 55 / 84
HEX #853754
MATTHAEI VIOLET
PANTONE 7673 C
CMYK 80 / 78 / 20 / 5
RGB 81 / 78 / 134
HEX #514E86
SOUTH U BLUE
PANTONE 7686 C
CMYK 100 / 83 / 10 / 1
RGB 255 / 203 / 5
HEX #174992
THE ROCK GRAY
PANTONE Cool Gray 8
CMYK 50 / 40 / 37 / 3
RGB 136 / 138 / 143
HEX #878A8F
TEAL
PANTONE 7700 C
CMYK 88 / 52 / 36 / 12
RGB 32 / 101 / 126
HEX #20657E
WAVE FIELD GREEN
PANTONE 7766 C
CMYK 34 / 22 / 100 / 1
RGB 179 / 172 / 23
HEX #B3AC17
TAUBMAN TEAL
PANTONE 326 C
CMYK 81 / 0 / 39 / 0
RGB 0 / 181 / 175
HEX #00B5AF
RACKHAM ROOF GREEN
PANTONE 624 C
CMYK 58 / 28 / 45 / 3
RGB 117 / 152 / 141
HEX #75988D
ARBORETUM BLUE
PANTONE 7461 C
CMYK 87 / 50 / 0 / 0
RGB 1 / 116 / 187
HEX #0174BB
DUSTY BLUE
PANTONE 7542 C
CMYK 39 / 19 / 22 / 0
RGB 159 / 182 / 188
HEX #9FB6BC
GRAY BLUE
PANTONE 7699 C
CMYK 81 / 64 / 27 / 8
RGB 70 / 94 / 133
HEX #465E85