ASU secondary colors
The use of secondary colors should be done sparingly and with the intent of complementing the primary color palette.
The secondary palette is helpful when building complex data visualizations and maps that require multiple colors for clearer reading.
These colors are not to be used in a dominant way or in lieu of the primary colors. If maroon, gold, black and white have already been used in the project, the secondary palette may be useful when used in limited ways. Remember, these colors can have a negative effect when used in large areas of a project.
Understanding which color build to use for your project
Please note the specific color values set for digital, print and specialty printing. They have been chosen based on years of review and prototyping, dialing in the color values with our trusted vendors and partners.
For digital work
Most screens are red, green and blue, or RGB, (computer, phone, media player, television, etc.). The pixels have little subpixels that just show red, green or blue.
If an RGB version of the logo is accidentally used in digital CMYK space, it can print in unexpected ways as each printer will interpret the colors differently.
For print work
Cyan, magenta, yellow and black, or CMYK for short, is a subtractive, reflected light color system. All colors start with white "paper," to which different color "inks" are added to absorb (subtract) light that is reflected.
If a CMYK version of the logo is accidentally used in digital RGB space, it looks washed out and diminished.
Web color palette
Based on the ASU brand primary and secondary color palettes, the Unity Design System (UI kit) designates specific color use and combinations, and introduces a web-specific greyscale and alerts palette, for asu.edu.
All color uses and combinations have been optimized for accessibility and are detailed in the Unity Design System (UI kit) for asu.edu. The UDS color palette encompasses all colors and hex codes approved for use on asu.edu.
Print color palette
Custom spot colors: “ASU Maroon” and “ASU Gold”
ASU has established custom spot colors that will ensure better color consistency across all executions, digital and print. The previous Pantone (PMS) colors have been retired.
The custom spot colors are based on the L*a*b color space which mathematically describes all perceivable colors in the three dimensions:
- “L” for lightness.
- “a” for green to red.
- “b” for blue to yellow.
One of the most important attributes of the L*a*b model is device independence. This means that the colors are defined independently of their nature of creation or the device they are displayed or printed on.
