At UMass Amherst, our color palette plays a strategic role in reinforcing identity, evoking emotion, and creating visual continuity across every platform. Carefully selected to reflect the university’s character and tradition, our brand colors help tell our story at a glance—whether in print, digital, or environmental design.
Main Color Palette
The official colors of UMass Amherst are maroon and black. These colors play a vital role in establishing a clear and powerful image and in defining the UMass brand.
Maroon conveys strength, tradition, and pride, anchoring our identity in a sense of history and purpose. Black adds clarity, authority, and sophistication, reinforcing our reputation as a respected institution.
Together, these colors create a visual expression that is bold yet grounded—mirroring a university that is diverse, inspiring, and deeply supportive.
Secondary Color Palette
Our secondary color palette is designed to support and enhance the primary UMass colors—maroon and black—by adding flexibility, energy, and dimension to our visual system.
These colors offer creative range while maintaining a unified brand presence. When used thoughtfully and sparingly, they help highlight content, organize information, and bring warmth or vibrancy to specific communications.
*For web accessibility reasons, it’s important that highly contrasting colors be used with text that overlaps color. Please note that not all combinations of the secondary colors shown here will provide a sufficient degree of contrast when overlapping.
Neutral Color Palette
Neutrals are essential for backgrounds, typography, and functional design elements, ensuring our materials remain clear, professional, and visually cohesive. When used correctly, they enhance the overall impact of the brand without drawing attention away from the core palette.
Rules / Usage Guidelines
The following do’s and don’ts outline key guidelines and best practices for using UMass Amherst’s colors across any medium.
| DO | DON'T |
|---|---|
| Use color strategically to guide hierarchy (e.g., calls to action, section headers, infographics). | Use color randomly or decoratively without a clear functional or communicative purpose. |
| Ensure consistency across platforms by referencing the official color specs. | Pull colors from memory or approximate shades—always use exact PMS, RGB, or HEX values. |
| Start with the primary color palette and use secondary colors to highlight key elements or differentiate content areas. | Build an entire layout using only secondary colors—they’re meant to support, not lead. |
| Pair vibrant secondary colors with neutral or primary tones to create balance and focus. | Place two bright or saturated secondary colors side by side—it creates visual tension and overwhelms the viewer. |
| Apply neutral tones for backgrounds, text blocks, and supporting graphics. | Overuse black or dark gray in large blocks—it can make designs feel heavy or stark. |
| Combine color with labels, icons, or hierarchy to provide multiple ways to understand and navigate content effectively. | Rely solely on color to convey meaning, since color perception can vary and may not be accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. |
Have a question or need brand guidance?
The Marcom team is here to help with brand compliance, creative questions, and more. Contact us for resources and answers to common topics.