Logos & Marks / University Marks

Unit Signatures

Visual identification for all university entities—including schools, colleges, administrative units, departments, divisions, programs, centers, and institutes—is accomplished through the use of unit signatures.

When to Use

General uses include academic materials, building signage, events happening on campus, campus life, and internal content.

School & College Signatures can be used for higher-level communications such as campaigns, recruitment, social events, and promotional materials.

Available Configurations

Standard horizontal and centered unit signature options are available. For units with longer names, a stacked version of the mark is also available.

Left Aligned (Default)

Stacked

Center Aligned

Download Marks

For subunits, departments, or programs, signature marks can have an added “parent unit” affiliation line added to the signature to provide additional information.

All signatures come in full color, reverse color, black, and white.


*Full Color (default)*	*Reversed Color*

*Black*	*White*

Clear space must always surround university marks to improve visual impact and ensure legibility. The minimum acceptable clear space is equal to the height of the CU icon as it appears in the mark.

Clearance space for all marks is defined by campus. Other campuses and the CU System office may have different clearance requirements. When unsure which standards to follow, default to the standard that defines the larger clearance space therefore both standards are met.

In order to ensure legibility, signature marks must never appear smaller than the sizes below:

Do not stretch, condense, or distort the mark.
Do not replace or retype any part of the name.
Do not alter, reposition, or rescale the mark elements.
Do not use the CU icon or mark as a watermark, background graphic, or repeating pattern.
Do not add text or graphics to the mark.
Do not change the colors of the mark.
Do not add strokes, drop shadows, gradients, additional styling, or visual effects.
Do not pair the mark with other graphics or logos

How to Apply These Marks

The size and placement of signature marks is determined based on the information you want to convey.

When the mark is larger, it takes on the most prominent role in the piece. When the mark is smaller, it becomes secondary information that recedes into the background. Placing the mark in the top or right side of the piece also adds prominence because users typically read from the top left to the bottom right.

When pairing signature marks with other marks, use proper clear space to ensure audiences don't interpret multiple marks as a larger whole. Make sure there is an obvious hierarchy, and never pair CU Denver campus signatures with other campus or unit signatures.

Proper Use

Hierarchy:

Create a clear hierarchy by enlarging the mark that should receive prominence on the piece.

Placement: By placing the marks apart from one another, each mark has its own space to clearly represent itself.

Improper Use

Hierarchy: When pairing signature marks with other marks, use proper clear space to ensure audiences don't interpret multiple marks as a larger whole. Make sure there is an obvious hierarchy, and never pair CU Denver campus signatures with other campus or unit signatures.

Placement: By placing the marks near each other, they appear to belong together rather than as separate marks.

Campus and Unit Signatures: Because unit signatures include a designated campus, there is no need to add an additional campus signature.

Pairing multiple signature marks is against brand standards because this adds clutter and confusion to the piece.

The one exception is if there are two schools/units/departments working together. When that is the case, two unit signatures can be used side by side but must accommodate proper clearance space and must be the same size to indicate partnership. For groups of three or more units working together, please use the campus signature and highlight the group participants elsewhere in text.

CU Denver's affiliation with the University of Colorado and its partner campuses is key to the strength of our brand. Any logos, wordmarks, typefaces, and other design elements that are not approved standards outlined in this website are strictly prohibited. The brand standards are carefully developed and applied in order to project a strong, consistent identity for CU Denver.

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Logos & Marks / University Marks

Unit Signatures

Visual identification for all university entities—including schools, colleges, administrative units, departments, divisions, programs, centers, and institutes—is accomplished through the use of unit signatures.

When to Use

General uses include academic materials, building signage, events happening on campus, campus life, and internal content.

School & College Signatures can be used for higher-level communications such as campaigns, recruitment, social events, and promotional materials.

Available Configurations

Left Aligned (Default)

Stacked

Center Aligned

Download Marks

How to Apply These Marks

Proper Use

Improper Use

Logos & Marks / University Marks

Unit Signatures

Visual identification for all university entities—including schools, colleges, administrative units, departments, divisions, programs, centers, and institutes—is accomplished through the use of unit signatures.

When to Use

General uses include academic materials, building signage, events happening on campus, campus life, and internal content.

School & College Signatures can be used for higher-level communications such as campaigns, recruitment, social events, and promotional materials.

Available Configurations

Left Aligned (Default)

Stacked

Center Aligned

Download Marks

How to Apply These Marks

Using Unit Signatures

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