Brand guidelines

The primary University logo is the square version with a white keyline. This should be used in most applications. Placement in the top left corner is preferred, but this may be adjusted where the design requires an alternative position for clarity or visual balance.  
 
The logo should never appear without a white keyline. 

Using the logo on backgrounds

The logos can be used on either a light or dark background. The keyline is now built into the logo file, so the same version can be used across different backgrounds. The logo may also be placed over images, provided there is sufficient contrast to ensure it remains clear and legible. 

Rectangle version (for restricted vertical space) with white keyline:

You must only use the horizontal rectangle version of the logo with a white keyline if height (vertical space) is restricted. Always use the correct logo artwork without any modifications or additions:

• Pantone version (for spot-colour printing)
• One-colour version (for etching or specialist use – contact Brand and Design)
• Favicon (digital use only)
• Historic versions (see Historic logos)

Size and positioning

You must always retain the original proportions when resizing the logo to avoid distorting the image. 

You must use a minimum width of 65 pixels for the square version and 123 pixels for the rectangular version.  

Leaving clear space around the logo

You must leave some empty space between the logo and other design elements to make sure the logo stands out clearly.  

The exclusion zone should be a minimum of 30% of the height of the logo for both the square and rectangular versions.

Incorrect use of the University logo weakens brand recognition and can damage the clarity and authority of Oxford communications. Alterations deface our registered logos and are not permitted. This includes altering the logo’s proportions, colours or typography, or using it in unapproved contexts. The examples shown illustrate errors and are not permitted.

• Do not alter the logos elements  
• Do not replace the fonts in the logo
• Do not alter the proportions of the logo
• Do not recolour the logo
• Do not rotate the logo
• Do not tint or use any transparency on the logo  
• Do not expand or use without the keyline   
• Do not re-purpose the logo for other use
• Do not extract elements for other use 

Logo downloads are available for University staff (SSO required).

If you are external to the University, use of the logo will need to be sanctioned by the relevant department in accordance with the restrictions detailed on the 'Protecting the University logo' page.

Which logo should I use?

• CMYK for print
• RGB for digital
• Please contact us if you require a one colour version
• Use the rectangle logo when space is limited
• Use the favicon ONLY for social media 

The University of Oxford name, logo and associated marks are legally protected and may only be used in accordance with these guidelines. They are registered trademarks, use is subject to trademark and intellectual property law. Any proposed use outside the brand guidance, or use by external parties, must first be approved by the University. 

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

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

Oxford blue 
RGB 0, 33, 71 
CMYK 100, 87, 42, 51 
#002147 
Pantone 282 

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.

Colour	Swatch	Colour values
Oxford mauve		RGB 119, 104, 133 CMYK 58, 60, 27, 10 #776885 Pantone: 667C
Oxford peach		RGB 224, 141, 121 CMYK 2, 58, 51, 0 #E08D79 Pantone: 4051C
Oxford potters pink		RGB 237, 147, 144 CMYK 0, 57, 34, 0 #ED9390 Pantone: 2339C
Oxford dusk		RGB 196, 162, 158 CMYK 20, 40, 31, 5 #C4A29E Pantone: 6030C
Oxford lilac		RGB 209, 189, 213 CMYK 18, 30, 4, 0 #D1BDD5 Pantone: 524C
Oxford sienna		RGB 153, 70, 54 CMYK 25, 82, 80, 19 #994636 Pantone: 4036C
Oxford Red		RGB 190, 15, 52 CMYK 18, 100, 74, 8 #AA1A2D Pantone: 187C
Oxford plum		RGB 127, 5, 95 CMYK 48, 100, 19, 15 #7F055F Pantone: 2425C
Oxford coral		RGB 254, 97, 90 CMYK 0, 79, 56, 0 #FE615A Pantone: 178C
Oxford lavender		RGB 212, 205, 244 CMYK 19, 22, 0, 0 #D4CDF4 Pantone: 2635C
Oxford orange		RGB 251, 86, 7 CMYK 0, 76, 95, 0 #FB5607 Pantone: 1655C
Oxford pink		RGB 230, 0, 126 CMYK 0, 100, 0, 0 #E6007E Pantone: 2385C
Oxford green		RGB 66, 106, 90 CMYK 79, 35, 64, 26 #426A5A Pantone: 5545C
Oxford ocean grey		RGB 120, 158, 158 CMYK 61, 22, 37, 4 #789E9E Pantone: 2211C
Oxford yellow ochre		RGB 226, 192, 68 CMYK 10, 23, 93, 1 #E2C044 Pantone: 4016C
Oxford cool grey		RGB 228, 240, 239 CMYK 15, 0, 8, 0 #E4F0EF Pantone: 7541C
Oxford sky blue		RGB 185, 214, 242 CMYK 34, 6, 0, 0 #B9D6F2 Pantone: 277C
Oxford viridian		RGB 21, 97, 109 CMYK 92, 36, 43, 27 #15616D Pantone: 5473C
Oxford royal blue		RGB 29, 66, 166 CMYK 96, 75, 0, 0 #1D42A6 Pantone: 2126C
Oxford aqua		RGB 0, 170, 180 CMYK 84, 0, 33, 0 #00AAB4 Pantone: 7710C
Oxford vivid green		RGB 101, 229, 174 CMYK 56, 0, 46, 0 #65E5AE Pantone: 3385C
Oxford lime green		RGB 149, 193, 31 CMYK 54, 0, 100, 0 #95C11F Pantone: 2292C
Oxford cerulean blue		RGB 73, 182, 255 CMYK 68, 11, 0, 0 #49B6FF Pantone: 292C
Oxford lemon yellow		RGB 247, 239, 102 CMYK 8, 0, 69, 0 #F7EF66 Pantone: 3935C

Neutrals

Colour	Swatch	Colour values
Oxford charcoal		RGB 33, 29, 28 CMYK 70, 67, 61, 81 #211D1C Pantone 419 C
Oxford ash grey		RGB 97, 97, 95 CMYK 57, 46, 48, 36 #61615F Pantone 6215 C
Oxford umber		RGB 137, 130, 122 CMYK 43, 39, 43, 22 #89827A Pantone 403 C
Oxford stone grey		RGB 217, 216, 214 CMYK 17, 13, 15, 0 #D9D8D6 Pantone Cool Gray 1 C
Oxford shell grey		RGB 241, 238, 233 CMYK 6, 6, 9, 0 #F1EEE9 Pantone Warm Gray 1 C
Oxford off white		RGB 242, 240, 240 CMYK 6, 6, 6, 0 #F2F0F0 Pantone 663 C

Metallics

Colour	Swatch	Colour values
Gold		Pantone 10122C
Silver		Pantone 10103C

You must:

• always use some Oxford blue
• use the correct colour references (RGB for digital and CMYK for print)

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

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

These colour combinations are accessible to AA standard with white.

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

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

Roboto and Noto Serif

The core University fonts, Roboto and Noto Serif, are pre-installed on managed staff machines. They are also available from Google fonts: Roboto and  Noto Serif.

A small set of alternative complementary display fonts are available in our theme packs including Marcellus, Montserrat, Bebas Neue and Phudu. Display fonts can be used sparingly alongside Roboto and Noto Serif and are pre-installed on managed staff machines. Alternatively, they are freely available to download from Google.

Oxford’s approved typefaces should be used in a clear and consistent way across all communications. Headings, subheadings and body text should be distinct and used in the same order throughout, so readers can easily navigate content. Applying the Oxford brand fonts consistently helps ensure communications are clear, professional and recognisably Oxford.

When using a partner brand with the University of Oxford logo the exclusion zone between the logos can be reduced to up to 0.1x. This is the only exception to the 0.3x exclusion rule, and only applies to University partner brands.

You should leave plenty of space between the logo and other design elements to make sure the logo stands out clearly.  

The exclusion zone is a minimum of 30% of the height of the logo for both the square and the rectangle logo.

If you need to create a sub-identity for your part of the University, we recommend you use the University standard system (SSO required). 

Using multiple identifiers with the Oxford logo

There will be times when you’re working with other parts of the University to create materials and you need a way to badge all the parts without repeating the Oxford logo. In these instances, you should aim to recreate the following layout as closely as possible.  

Ideally, position the University logo to the left followed by the separator graphic.

If you are using professional design software you can download the separator graphic using the links below. 

The separator and logo downloads are available for staff to download (SSO required). 

You should use this simplified University logo as the profile picture on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter/X, or as the favicon on University websites.

This version is for social media accounts or websites representing Oxford University groups or departments, and not personal profiles. It is only to be used as a profile image/favicon and it must not be used as a substitute logo or for any other purpose.

Showcase examples

Download the favicon

Members of the University may download the favicon (SSO required).

Oxford video outro

If Oxford University is the main or only institution that needs crediting at the end of your video, you may: 

• cut to the logo on a white background
• fade to the logo on a white background. Timing should be determined by the specific end of the video, but something between 0.4 and 1.0 seconds is usually appropriate
• use an animated rapid scale-up with bounce provided below for more light-hearted videos. The white background may fade in behind the scaling effect if desired.

You must not animate any elements of the Oxford logo. 

You must follow the instructions under the logo guidance above.

If there is more than one logo to display, work upwards in scale within the organisation, showing each logo in turn. You can cut or fade between the logos.

Alternatively, multiple logos can be shown simultaneously, ensuring that respective brand guidelines are followed (see logo guidance above).

Size and positioning

If the Oxford University logo appears alone, it must be one-third of the size of the smallest dimension of the frame. For example, in a 1920 x 1080 frame, the logo should be a square of (1080/3=) 360 pixels. In a 2160 x 3840 vertical frame, the logo should be a square of (2160/3=) 720 pixels. 

The logo must be centred horizontally and vertically.

Assets for download

Animations of the logo in the appropriate dimensions on a white background in common resolutions are available for staff members only (SSO required).

Photography, illustration, and iconography play a central role in how we communicate who we are. Used well, they can reflect our diversity, our place in the world, and our academic excellence. A consistent visual style helps unify communications across departments and platforms, strengthening recognition of the Oxford brand.

Where possible, use images from the University Image Library.

What we want our images to communicate

Diversity:

• Human diversity (gender, race, disability, age, belief etc)
• Intellectual diversity (research, ideas and approaches)
• Excellence
• Highlighting the extraordinary quality, impact and rigour of our people, our education and research, our work and our ideas 

Authenticity:

• Where possible, photography should be real, not stock imagery

Use photography that is: 

• relevant to the story
• natural
• in focus
• well cropped 

Avoid photography that is:

• clichéd: grip and grin, students pointing animatedly at a screen
• computer generated: composited, conceptual

Ensure the appropriate consent is obtained and records are kept.

There is a selection of background images for Teams or Zoom video calls (SSO required) which were created using photos from the University Image library.

Please see individual application guidance to find out how to add these backgrounds to your calls. Please note that the background will appear mirrored in your preview, but they will be the correct way to others.

For templates, including theme packs, please see:

• Applying the brand

The University logo is a legally protected asset and must be used correctly and consistently. For guidance, visit:

• Protecting the University logo