Official logos and marks

The University logo and unit marks are the official graphic representations of the University and its major divisions—a visual shorthand of the University brand, so they should be used like you would use your signature to represent yourself on a document. The logo and unit marks should be applied to all forms of communication with the general public. In most cases, the logo or unit mark will appear small and unobtrusive. When they are the only image on a printed piece or merchandise, they could have a more prominent visual treatment and placement.

It’s not wrong to attach the registered mark, but it is only required on products that are to be sold to the public. Such products must be processed through the University’s licensing partner, Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC).

No. The official seal is not the University of Rochester’s logo. It is the official seal of the University of Rochester (the corporation). It is the emblem of authenticity. The seal has limited use. It is used for events and materials of a ceremonial nature or official activity by the president and the Board of Trustees.

Barnes & Noble Bookstore has been granted special permission to use the official seal on a limited number of premium gift and recognition items. No other uses are permitted unless they meet the criteria of the preceding question.

Individual departments, centers, programs, and groups may not have logos. Contact us to review your branding options.

We discourage the use of both treatments in formal writing and recommend spelling out “University of Rochester” or using the word “Rochester” to refer to the University when the meaning is clear. It is not recommended for graphic applications because “UR” is a prominent and integral element of the UR Medicine brand, and its use to represent groups not associated with UR Medicine is misleading.

Putting a University logo at the end of your email signature to make it official is unnecessary. It increases the file size of your emails and is susceptible to rendering poorly on some devices. It is better to allow your email address to certify your email’s official University status.

EPS files are high-resolution, scalable vector graphics and the standard for all design and print production software (e.g., Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Affinity Publisher) and are meant to be placed/imported into layouts, not opened. Therefore in every logo ZIP file we include a PDF file that displays each included mark and its corresponding filename. This reference will help the user determine which file is the most appropriate for the given situation. There are many office software products that don’t allow EPS files to be read or do a poor job reproducing them (specifically Microsoft Office for Windows). While the logo files can be converted to other file formats for use with other software products, it is discouraged, as they can easily and inadvertently be converted into a poor-quality format. Contact us for help with this technical question. If the files are simply meant to go to a vendor for use, have the vendor download the files.

The short answer is “No.” Our office has a lot of experience working with vendors to resolve such issues. Embroidering the marks well is a common difficulty, and we have developed embroidery-optimized versions for this use. Contact us for help.

It is unlikely that you’ll find a perfect match from any manufacturer unless they can custom-make the product to our specifications. Consider starting with a white, yellow, black, blue, silver, or gold-colored product. If an exact match to the University colors is not possible, we recommend erring on the side of a darker blue than PANTONE 541C and a more orangish yellow—as opposed to a lemony yellow—than PANTONE 109 C. We can help you make the right decision–contact us for support.

We recommend that you contact us to see if we have any advice on how to handle your unique situation. Our rule of thumb is, however, that not using the logo is preferable to using it where it will be reproduced poorly. Instead, use “University of Rochester.” Do not try to mimic the arrangement of the words or the typeface of the logo.

No. We have a special version of the one-color logo file that is available for foil stamping or printing with a light-colored ink on a dark background. This also pertains when the logo is engraved or sand-blasted onto a clear material like a glass door or an acrylic award. Please contact us for access to this file.

Treat any transparent object as a dark background and use the appropriate version. This applies to decals as well as engraving.