Brand Guidelines - University Colors

The current institutional colors are maroon and silver. Printing & Graphic Services uses maroon 209 (Pantone®Matching SystemPMS) and silver or gray. The silver color is achieved by using a 40 percent screen of black, Pantone 423 or Pantone 877 metallic silver. Maroon and black are used on official correspondence (letterhead, business cards, envelopes and memos), but different colors can be used on other publications. The use of copper and gold is prohibited for such uses.

In addition to the primary University colors, a secondary palette of colors is available. These colors, selected for their rich warmth, complement the official University colors and should be used for variety or to accent.

Examples of appropriate use of secondary colors include:

  • Headings, borders, asides and hover states on University websites;
  • Fills for charts and graphs;
  • Captions, footnotes and non-primary text;
  • Limited, visual interest and variety.

Examples of inappropriate use of secondary colors include:

  • Publications that dilute or weaken the University’s brand and visual identity through excessive use of the secondary palette.

Do not alter the secondary colors. In order to lighten the secondary colors for print backgrounds and watermarks, you may screen the colors at 80, 60, 40, 20, or 10 percent.

Color Print Screen
Pantone CMYK RGB Web
C M Y K R G B Hex
  Maroon 209 10 100 40 60 94 0 29 5e001d
  Dark Gray Cool Gray 8 0 0 0 54 140 142 144 8c8e90
  Light Gray Warm Gray 3 16 16 19 0 213 205 197 d5cdc5
  Web Cream n/a 0 0 2 1 251 251 245 fbfbf5
Secondary Palette
  Green 398 37 27 100 2 171 163 10 aba30a
  Orange 138 10 55 95 5 215 130 45 d7822d
  Teal 7721 90 42 55 22 0 102 102 006666
  Brown 419 55 71 78 75 49 28 15 311c0f

University of Montana Colors

UM has two sets of colors that identify it: our official school colors and what are known as our “spirit colors.” This document is to outline the difference between the two sets of colors. UM honors our history and remembers our traditional colors, and at the same time acknowledges that today UM is largely associated with maroon and silver.

Here’s the difference and an outline of when to use the two color schemes:

Spirit colors: maroon and silver, with optional gold highlights

In our recent history, these colors have been used in official business, marketing and athletic events since fall 1996.

  • Use: For most purposes on campus, we will use maroon and silver as UM’s colors. That includes business cards, stationery, colors for websites and digital communications, banners and backdrops, and UM clothing and other licensed items.
  • If licensing is interested in a promotion to market the original and historic school colors, permission must be granted by the Office of the President. Any such promotion will be for a limited time period. For example, UM launched a limited, one-year promotion in late 2014 of the traditional colors, intended to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the national football championship.

Official colors: copper, gold and silver

When UM was established in 1893, these colors were selected because they represent the minerals of Montana.

  • Use: UM uses these colors in a strictly limited fashion. At UM, we want to retain certain touches of historic relevance and we want people to know and honor our traditions.
  • Only the Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association have the ability to use the official copper, silver and gold – and on a limited basis. Those instances include the mention of the school colors in the Commencement booklet, and events specific to the alumni office. In such instances, the alumni office has the opportunity to explain the story behind our traditional school colors and our spirit colors. On a permission-only basis, the Alumni Association may produce a limited amount of approved logo wear using the official colors. The president must approve this usage.