Color palettes
Primary palette
Crimson and blue have long been KU’s identifying colors. The Towering Toward the Blue brand platform retains those traditional colors and adds an extended palette of complementary and secondary colors. The extended palette options range from cool-hued prestigious designs to multicolored celebrations.
Kansas Blue
- HEX #0051ba
- RGB 0, 81, 186
- CMYK 100, 55, 0, 5
- PMS 293
Crimson
- HEX #e8000d
- RGB 232, 0, 13
- CMYK 0, 100, 80, 5
- PMS 186
Secondary palette
When pulling in colors from the secondary palettes to enhance the KU crimson and blue, use your best judgment in terms of color amounts.
Night
- HEX #003459
- RGB 0, 52, 89
- CMYK 100, 56, 0, 67
- PMS 655 C
Lake
- HEX #2767ff
- RGB 39, 103, 255
- CMYK 99, 50, 0, 0
- PMS 285 C
Sky
- HEX #73cbf2
- RGB 115, 203, 242
- CMYK 52, 0, 1, 0
- PMS 297 C
Fog
- HEX #8e9fbc
- RGB 142, 159, 188
- CMYK 47, 22, 6, 7
- PMS 535 C
Steam
- HEX #dde5ed
- RGB 221, 229, 237
- CMYK 10, 2, 0, 0
- PMS 656 C
Fire
- HEX #ff3042
- RGB 255, 48, 66
- CMYK 0, 90, 84, 0
- PMS 185 C
Brick
- HEX #971b2f
- RGB 151, 27, 47
- CMYK 8, 100, 70, 33
- PMS 7427 C
Wheat
- HEX #f2a900
- RGB 242, 169, 0
- CMYK 0, 32, 100, 0
- PMS 130 C
Terra Cotta
- HEX #c66e4e
- RGB 198, 110, 78
- CMYK 12, 63, 72, 0
- PMS 7618 C
Tallgrass
- HEX #be9a79
- RGB 190, 154, 121
- CMYK 0, 19, 36, 25
- PMS 2316 C
Limestone
- HEX #d7d2cb
- RGB 215, 210, 203
- CMYK 6, 7, 10, 11
- PMS Warm Gray 1 C
Supporting colors
These colors play crucial roles in branded materials, specifically the KU Signature and the Jayhawk mark.
Jayhawk Yellow
- HEX #ffc82d
- RGB 255, 200, 45
- CMYK 0, 15, 100, 0
- PMS PMS 116
Signature Gray
- HEX #85898a
- RGB 133, 137, 138
- CMYK 5, 0, 0, 45
- PMS PMS 430
Tints and shades
The tints and shades palette includes variations of our primary and secondary palettes. This palette was created to support digital designs. These colors should be used only when designing for screens and other places where the primary and secondary palettes are not good fits.
Kansas Blue
Step 1
- HEX #1479FB
- RGB 20, 121, 251
Kansas Blue
Step 2
- HEX #0170FF
- RGB 1, 112, 255
Kansas Blue
Step 3
- HEX #004091
- RGB 0, 64, 145
Kansas Blue
Step 4
- HEX #003171
- RGB 0, 49, 113
Crimson
Step 1
- HEX #FB5A62
- RGB 251, 90, 98
Crimson
Step 2
- HEX #FB2F39
- RGB 251, 47, 57
Crimson
Step 3
- HEX #B90009
- RGB 185, 0, 9
Crimson
Step 4
- HEX #900007
- RGB 144, 0, 7
Steam
Step 1
- HEX #E7ECF2
- RGB 231, 236, 242
Steam
Step 2
- HEX #F2F5F8
- RGB 242, 245, 248
Limestone
Step 1
- HEX #DFDBD5
- RGB 223, 219, 213
Limestone
Step 2
- HEX #F5F4F2
- RGB 245, 244, 242
Fog
Step 1
- HEX #A5B2C9
- RGB 165, 178, 201
Fog
Step 2
- HEX #E3E7EE
- RGB 227, 231, 238
Sky
Step 1
- HEX #B6E2F5
- RGB 182, 226, 245
Sky
Step 2
- HEX #DCF2FC
- RGB 220, 242, 252
Gray
Step 1
- HEX #f1f1f1
- RGB 241, 241, 241
Gray
Step 2
- HEX #d9d9d9
- RGB 217, 217, 217
Gray
Step 3
- HEX #aaaaaa
- RGB 170, 170, 170
Gray
Step 4
- HEX #7e7e7e
- RGB 126, 126, 126
Gray
Text
- HEX #333333
- RGB 51, 51, 51
Color accessibility
Colors and color combinations in your designs must meet accessibility standards.
First, be sure to communicate meaning with more than just color. Consider people with colorblindness when choosing images and colors on your website, and avoid statements such as “choose the green button to go to the next page.”
Second, be sure that your colors meet contrast standards in accordance with WCAG 2.0 guideline 1.4. This allows individuals with low vision to properly distinguish foreground and background colors, especially in text and graphic elements. It is best to check your color choices using a color contrast checker such as the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker.
Here are a few color combinations from our palette that meet accessibility standards.
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
Text Gray on Steam
Accessible ✓
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
Night on Sky
Accessible ✓
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
White on Kansas Blue
Accessible ✓
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
White on Brick
Accessible ✓
The examples below do not meet accessibility standards.
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
Text Gray on Crimson
Inaccessible ✗
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
Night on Lake
Inaccessible ✗
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
White on Signature Gray
Inaccessible ✗
Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.
White on Sky
Inaccessible ✗
KU Blue PANTONE
The official University of Kansas blue is referred to as KU Blue PANTONE (PMS) 293. The gray used in the logotype is PANTONE (PMS) 430. You may substitute a 45% black screen for PMS 430 Signature Gray. Whenever possible, print PMS 293 as a spot or fifth color to ensure color accuracy.
The colors shown in this guide are for color reference only. Match to PANTONE® color standards for accuracy. PANTONE® is the property of Pantone, Inc.
Colors to avoid
Avoid using colors that could appear to represent other Midwestern institutions, especially members of our athletic conference. Colors and color combinations to avoid:
- Maroon and gray
- Green and yellow
- Yellow and black
- Purple
- Gold and black
- Red and black
- Maroon and white
- Orange
- Burnt orange