We Tell Adams State’s Story

Each poster, business card, flier and T-shirt says something about who we are. Each letter, program and brochure demonstrates our institutional pride and our commitment to a high-quality education. It is imperative we reach potential students, parents, donors and the community with a strong, unified message. This includes consistent use of a tagline, logo, designs, photography and copy to create a visual identity and brand.

The following graphic standards and style manual is key to promoting a unified image for Adams State University.

Graphic Standards PDF Download Logos

Primary University Logo

Logo for Adams State University Colorado, featuring a green mountain silhouette with a white river winding through it. Below the mountain, the university name is written in green serif text, with "COLORADO" in white block letters on a green bar. The tagline "Great Stories Begin Here" is written in green script at the bottom.

  • All Adams State publications must display the university logo, wordmark, or secondary logo.
  • The Adams State University logo consists of a graphic of a mountain with a river above the words “Adams State University,” “Colorado,” enclosed in a rectangle, and the tagline, “Great Stories Begin Here.”
  • The words “Adams State University,” “Colorado,” and “Great Stories Begin Here” may not be moved, altered or deleted; the typeface and letter spacing may not be altered.
  • The tagline should always accompany the logo, with the following exception: – When production values would render the tagline illegible, for example, when embroidering on clothing or printing on small promotional items like pens.
  • The colors for the logo are black and pantone green 341. Whenever possible, the logo should be printed in both colors. Other acceptable variations: – solid green – solid black – solid white
  • The fonts used in the logo are Adobe Garamond Pro and PT Sans.

University Wordmark

Adams State University logo. The words "Adams State University" appear in green serif font above a solid green horizontal bar containing the word "COLORADO" in white, spaced-out block letters. The tagline "Great Stories Begin Here" is written in green italics at the bottom right.

  • A variation of the logo is the wordmark, which consists of the words “Adams State University” and beneath it the word “Colorado” enclosed in a rectangle, and the tag line, “Great Stories Begin Here.” It may be used in place of the full logo. Like the full logo, the wordmark may not be altered in any way. It may be printed in the same colors as the logo.

University Secondary Logo (Athletics)

  • The “UPaw” is predominantly used for athletics, however it may be used in addition to the University logo to represent Adams State.
  • The Adams State University secondary logo consists of a graphic of a grizzly paw “U” with “Adams State” across the letter U.
  • The words “Adams State” may be removed in some instances, to create just the grizzly paw “U” graphic.
  • The colors for the logo are black and pantone green 341. Whenever possible, the logo should be printed in both colors.
  • Other acceptable variations: – black
  • The font used for the logo is Linux Biolinum Slanted

University Presidential Seal

  • The traditional Adams State University seal is not to be used on university publications.
  • The seal should only be used on such official documents as diplomas, certificates, recognition awards, and reports from the president or Board of Trustees.

Department Extensions

  • A variation of the logo may be created for academic departments on campus or administrative offices requesting a specific logo for their department.
  • Extensions are subject to the same conditions as the logo, i.e., the words may not be altered; typeface and letter spacing must remain consistent; either Adobe Garamond Pro or PT Sans.
  • Please contact the Public Relations & Marketing office to create a logo extension.

University Fonts

  • The following font families are approved for use in all university publications: – AGaramondPro (Note: “A” signifies Adobe, and is a slightly different style than plain Garamond) – PT Sans
  • Script fonts are only for use on university invitations and certificates. It is advisable that a script font is chosen that is readable and that matches the nature of the event or certificate.
  • Creative use of other headline fonts may be used at the discretion of the graphic designer. They should be selected based on appropriateness for the target audience, the needs of the customer, and to make printed materials more engaging. When headline fonts are used for design impact, it is preferable that AGaramondPro or PT Sans is used for body copy or information details.

University Colors

Primary Colors

  • Pantone 341 is the official green for Adams State University. Black and white are the other two official colors.
  • Adams State’s Grizzly Green should be heavily featured on any pieces of collateral produced by the university.

Secondary Colors

  • These select colors may be used in conjunction with the official colors, as accent colors.
  • Inspired by a sense of place, our secondary colors reflect the landscape of the San Luis Valley.

Photography

  • Public Relations & Marketing maintains a library of photographs taken by our office. The library includes campus and area scenics, campus events, students, classes, professors, staff, etc.
  • Additional subject matter and non-campus photos can be included in print materials from online photo vendors. Public Relations & Marketing maintains an annual subscription to a large on-line photography company and can provide a wide range of images suitable for varied campus needs.
  • For print materials, photographs should be 300 dpi at 100% of the size needed. CMYK color format is needed if the piece is to be printed with our off-campus printer.
  • For Websites, photos should be RGB. File formats that are acceptable include .jpeg, .gif, or .png and should be at least 72 dpi

Stationery Standards

  • All University business cards are printed in full color. The two-color logo with tagline appears on the left, with the university address and Web address beneath the logo. All other text is flush right on the right side of the card.
  • Business card information shall include:
    – Name
    –Title
    – Department
    – Office phone number (no dots or parentheses should be used)
    – Fax number (optional) – Cell phone number (optional)
    – Employee’s college e-mail address
    – Department/personal Web address (optional)
  • University letterhead should always be printed in black and pantone green 341.
  • The two-color logo with tagline is centered at the top of the page, with the following information centered at the bottom, in black:
    – Office/department name in all caps
    – Mailing address, suite number, fax number, office phone number
    – Office e-mail (if applicable), toll-free number (if applicable), and university Web address or office domain address
  • University envelopes have the two-color logo with tagline at the top left.
  • To the right of the logo, Adams State University should appear and then the department name appears in upper and lower case, bold type, followed by the mailing address.