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Oxford University

Colour

Our colour system is built around Oxford blue and supported by a palette of complementary and neutral tones.

Colour system

Colour is a core element of the University’s visual identity, helping to create recognisability and coherence across all communications. Our colour system is built around Oxford blue and supported by a broader palette of complementary and neutral tones. Using the correct colours consistently strengthens the Oxford presence and supports effective communication.

Core colours

Oxford blue is the key colour for the University, which is recognised worldwide as our identifying colour.

Secondary palette

The secondary palette provides additional colours to support layouts and highlight content. These colours should be used selectively and always in combination with the core colours. 
(add colours).

Using our colours

You must:

  • always use some Oxford blue
  • use the correct colour references (RGB for digital and CMYK for print see FAQs)
  • The Pantone references specified are approximate matches for guidance. You should discuss any specific colour matching requirements with your printing supplier.

You should:

  • use no more than 3 complementary colours – if you need more than that, use one of our theme packs
  • use neutrals additionally to balance out the design as required
  • use accessible combinations – check with a colour contrast tool if you’re planning to use a combination not shown here

Accessible colour combinations

We’ve tested all of our colours with Oxford blue and white. Do not use secondary colour for text. Only use white (#ffffff), Oxford blue (#002147) or black text over secondary colour backgrounds.

These are the colour combinations that are accessible to AA standard with Oxford blue. These are reversible – eg yellow will be accessible on top of Oxford blue.

These are the colour combinations that are accessible to AA standard with white.

FAQs

Which colour values should I use?

  • PMS for spot-colour printing
  • CMYK for process-colour printing
  • RGB or HEX code for screen viewing 

Choosing colours

If you plan to use more than 2 secondary colours with Oxford blue you should explore our theme packs for existing colour combinations.