Official Colors
USC’s official colors are Pantone 201C and Pantone 123C. These colors, designated as USC Cardinal and USC Gold, are equal in importance in identifying the university. All printed materials, whether printed on coated or uncoated stock, should match color to the coated Pantone chips. The Pantone Matching System, or PMS, is the definitive international reference for selecting, specifying, matching and controlling ink colors. It is strongly recommended that drawdowns be requested with each print job to ensure that the PMS colors are accurate. The correct and consistent use of USC’s official colors helps reinforce the university’s identity.
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Note: Use PMS colors for printed materials and products only.
PMS 201C
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Note: Use PMS colors for printed materials and products only.
PMS 123C
Official Color Translations and Web Colors
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Printed Materials and Products
PMS 201C
- Do Not Use
Direct CMYK Conversion
C31 M88 Y51 K22 - Uncoated print materials / products
Proper Bridge
CMYK Conversion
C7 M100 Y65 K32 - Web and screen
Approved RGB Conversion
R153 G27 B30
Approved Hex: #990000
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Printed Materials and Products
PMS 123C
- Do Not Use
Direct CMYK Conversion
C0 M24 Y94 K0 - Uncoated print materials / products
Proper Bridge
CMYK Conversion
C0 M27 Y100 K0 - Web and screen
Approved RGB Conversion
R255 G204 B0
Approved Hex: #FFCC00
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Printed Materials and Products
C0 M0 Y0 K70
GRAY 70K is for use on white or light backgrounds only. It is not accessible or readable/legible on black or dark backgrounds. -
Printed Materials and Products
C0 M0 Y0 K30
GRAY 30K is for use on dark backgrounds only. It is not accessible or readable/legible on white or light backgrounds.
Colors for On-Screen Materials
Use the alternate versions of USC Cardinal and USC Gold for projects meant to be displayed on a screen rather than printed (including websites, mobile apps, kiosks, and presentations). The color translations for web and screen are shown above, and described further on the colors for screen page.
The following are used as secondary colors for on-screen projects.
- Black
100% Black
Hex: #000000 - Gray
Hex: #767676
GRAY FOR WEB is accessible on light and dark backgrounds. - White
Hex: #FFFFFF
Color Contrast for Accessibility
Use contrasting colors for readability and legibility. Following ADA & WCAG Compliance guidelines, the required contrast ratio is at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text to achieve Level AA compliance. To achieve Level AAA compliance requires a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. Large text is defined as 14 point (typically 18.66px) and bold or larger, or 18 point (typically 24px) or larger.
For websites and other online uses, WebAim Color Contrast Checker is a good tool to measure contrast.
Dark colors should be used on light backgrounds.
Gray for web is neutral and ADA compliant with light and dark colors.
Light colors should be used on dark backgrounds.