Colors

Our colors say a lot about who we are. They help identify us at a glance, and set the tone for our communications, from bold and powerful, to inspirational and passionate. They also must be selected carefully to meet accessibility standards.

Primary palette

  • #f8b300
  • #000000
  • #ffffff
  • #333333
  • #444444
  • #555555

Instantly recognizable as VCU, our core colors should dominate all digital communications, including:

  • Website pages
  • Digital advertisements
  • Email newsletters

Digital accent palette

  • #006894
  • #80225f
  • #007e00
  • #d43900
  • #b50000

Our accent palette adds balance and flexibility to our communications, while keeping the brand fresh for internal audiences. These colors should not dominate VCU's primary color palette.

Digital neutral palette

  • #E57200
  • #FFCE00
  • #00B3BE
  • #856822
  • #275E37
  • #B2E0D6
  • #E5CBB1
  • #CCDBAE

Our neutral palette is a perfect complement to our primary colors, and can also appear separate from the primary palette in specific instances.

These colors are only to be used with black text for accessibility reasons, except for #856822 and #275E37.

Color Proportion

Brand color wheel

To consistently achieve the right balance of color throughout our communications, refer to the color wheel above for proper proportions. It’s not a precise mathematical system, but this chart should provide an idea of relative use.