Skip to content

Colors

Huskies in living color

Color is foundational to establishing a brand’s visual identity. It should be instantly recognizable, cultivate cultural connections and provide a positive backdrop for brand expression. Be thoughtful and consistent in using them, but also enjoy the opportunity to show the UW’s true colors.

The UW’s purple and gold colors were selected by students in the 1890s. These colors continue to radiate the University’s vibrant traditions and deep roots.

Questions? Contact uwbrand@uw.edu.

Related resources

About our colors

Our colors, inspired by the beauty of Washington state, comprise our foundational palette. Purple is the dominant brand color and evokes our passion, power, and strength. Gold speaks to the UW being the gold standard for excellence and positive impact. Expanded color options now include the dynamic spirit palette featuring an additional gold and purple plus complementary pink, teal, lavender and green accents.

Husky Purple

Fpo Husky Purple

Inspired by the deep purple hues of Mount Rainier, Husky Purple is as enduring and recognizable as that famous peak.

Spirit Purple

Fpo Spirit Purple

Spirit Purple feels fresh, bright and friendly, calling to mind the springtime lavender fields of the Olympic Peninsula.

Husky Gold

Fpo Husky Gold

Warm and welcoming, Husky Gold is inspired by the patina of Washington’s heartland in autumn.

Spirit Gold

Fpo Spirit Gold

Irrepressibly cheerful, Spirit Gold feels like a sunny day along the rolling wheat fields of eastern Washington.

Heritage Gold

Fpo Heritage Gold

Deep and rich, accent gold brings to mind the moss-blanketed trees of Olympic National Forest.

Accent Pink

Fpo Accent Pink

Inspired by the famed Yoshino cherry blossoms in the quad, accent pink is a beautiful breath of springtime.

Accent Teal

Fpo Accent Teal

Bright and bracing, accent teal was inspired by the glacial lakes of the North Cascades.

Accent Green

Fpo Accent Green

Like the new growth of a Northwest conifer, accent green feels vibrant and hopeful.

Accent Lavender

Fpo Accent Lavender

Calm and soothing, accent lavender can be found in the soft hues of a San Juan Islands sunset.

Color palette for print

The color palette is broken down into three sections. The primary colors are most deeply associated with the UW and should be used most often. Accent colors should be used sparingly and not cover more than 15% of any given design. Accent colors may not be used for official University logos. Neutral colors are colors that don’t compete with the primary and secondary palette.

See the design examples tab to see how the colors work together. Use color combinations that provide enough contrast between text/graphic elements and backgrounds. See the digital accessibility tab for more information.

Primary Colors

Husky Purple

PMS: 2685
CMYK: 93/100/18/21

Spirit Purple

PMS: 266
CMYK: 84/100/0/0

Husky Gold

PMS: 7502
CMYK: 0/13/43/13

Heritage Gold

PMS: 871
CMYK: 30/35/60/0

Spirit Gold

PMS: 7408
CMYK: 7/21/100/0

Accent Colors

Accent Green

PMS: 2290
CMYK: 40/0/100/0

Accent Teal

PMS: 3252
CMYK: 68/0/36/8

Accent Pink

PMS: 232
CMYK: CMYK 0/87/0/0

Accent Lavender

PMS: 2635
CMYK: 13/19/0/11

Metallic Color

Metallic Gold

PMS: 10120

Neutral Colors

Black

HEX: 000000

White

HEX: ffffff

Gray

Any tint of gray

Color palette for digital

The color palette is broken down into three sections. The primary colors are most deeply associated with the UW and should be used most often. Accent colors should be used sparingly and not cover more than 15% of any given design. Accent colors may not be used for official University logos. Neutral colors are colors that don’t compete with the primary and secondary palette. They are usually used for text, callout boxes, and borders or lines.

See the design examples tab to see how the colors work together. Use color combinations that provide enough contrast between text/graphic elements and backgrounds. See the digital accessibility tab for more information.

Click on a color swatch below to copy the HEX code.

Primary Colors

Husky Purple

RGB: 50/0/110
HEX: 32006e

Spirit Purple

RGB: 51/0/111
HEX: 4b2e83

Husky Gold

RGB: 232/211/162
HEX: b7a57a
HEX: e8e3d3 (Web only)

Heritage Gold

RGB: 145/123/76
HEX: 85754d

Spirit Gold

RGB: 255/199/0
HEX: ffc700

Accent Colors

Accent Green

RGB: 170/219/30
HEX: aadb1e

Accent Teal

RGB: 42/210/201
HEX: 2ad2c9

Accent Pink

RGB: 233,60,172
HEX: e93cac

Accent Lavender

RGB: 197/180/227
HEX: c5b4e3

Neutral Colors

Black

HEX: 000000

White

HEX: ffffff

Gray

Any tint of gray

Digital accessibility

When designing the color scheme of a website, web page, or document, be sure to consider whether there is sufficient contrast between foreground and background colors for text and non-text components, such as icons. Some users have difficulty perceiving text if there is too little contrast between foreground and background. The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines  defines specific contrast ratios that must be met for compliance.

Use the color contrast checker below to ensure the color combination you plan to use meets accessibility standards.

To check your colors, enter the HEX or RGB value for the foreground color (text or components) and background color. Make sure the “#” sign is included. If the color meets accessibility standards, the contrast ratio result will show “AA” or “AAA.” If there is not enough contrast, the results will show “FAIL.”

Color combinations may get different results based on whether they are being used for headlines, body copy or components.

  • Headlines are considered to be 14 point (typically 18.66px) and bold or larger, or 18 point (typically 24px) or larger.
  • Text is considered any body copy that is smaller than a headline.
  • Components refers to non-text content such as icons, charts or other graphics that convey information but would not be read aloud by a screenreader.

For more information, see the color contrast section of our IT Accessibility Checklist.

Contrast checker

Tool courtesy of Nikao Creatives | Github Repo

Foreground Color

Background Color

Sample Text

Contrast Ratio

-

Text

-

Headlines

-

Components

-

Frequently used color combinations that are compliant

White (#ffffff) on Spirit Purple (#4b2e83) background
Husky gold (#e8e3d3) on Spirit Purple (#4b2e83) background
Spirit Purple (#4b2e83) on Husky gold (#e8e3d3) background
White (#ffffff) on Heritage Gold (#85754d) background
Spirit Purple (#4b2e83) on White (#ffffff) background

Examples of color combinations that are NOT compliant and should not be used


Spirit Gold (#ffc700) on White (#ffffff) background
Do not use

White (#ffffff) on Spirit Gold (#ffc700) background
Do not use

Accent Pink (#e93cac) on Spirit Purple (#4b2e83) background
Do not use

Accent Teal (#2ad2c9) on ANY gold background
Do not use

Accent Teal (#2ad2c9) on White (#ffffff) background
Do not use

Design examples

The examples below show examples of approved color usage in designs. Remember, primary colors should be used most often, accent colors should take up no more 15% of any design.

Example1
Example2
Example3
Example4

How to use accent colors

Our accent colors — pink, teal, green & lavender — should be used sparingly and not cover more than 15% of any given design. Accent colors may not be used for official University logos.

Click on the number of accent colors you’d like to use on the slider below to view examples of what 15% of a design looks like. Regardless of how many accent colors you use, the combined total amount of accent color on your design should not exceed 15%.

The 15% rule also applies to apparel and merchandise. For apparel, only primary colors and neutrals may be used for fabrics.