Colors
Our red and black color palette is one of the most recognizable aspects of our visual identity. It has connected with the SDSU community for decades. Using these official colors connects and reinforces our brand identity.
Primary Colors
Our leading colors are red and black. Bright red brings vibrancy and complements our traditional dark red hue. Charcoal provides a soft counterpoint to black. The primary colors should be present in all marketing materials so that our communications are unified and recognizable as SDSU.
Bright Red - Hex: #D41736, RGB: 212/23/54, CMYK: 10/100/83/0, Pantone: 185
Dark Red - Hex: #A6192E, RGB: 166/25/46, CMYK: 7/100 /82/26, Pantone: 187
Charcoal - Hex: #2D2828, RGB: 45/40/40, CMYK: 20/20/20/90, Pantone: 433
Black - Hex: #000000, RGB: 0/0/0, CMYK: 40/30/20/100
Secondary Colors
Bright and dark teal can be used as accents or supporting colors to expand the palette alongside our primary reds and black. Light gray and white also play a strong supporting role as neutrals.
Bright Teal - Hex: #00A39D, RGB: 0/163/157, CMYK: 80/0/40/0, Pantone: 326
Dark Teal - Hex: #008080, RGB: 0/128/128, CMYK: 80/0/40/30, Pantone: 328
Lt. Gray - Hex: #CDCDC8, RGB: 205/205/200, CMYK: 13/9/10/20, Pantone: 435
White - Hex: #FFFFFF, RGB: 255/255/255, CMYK: 0/0/0/0
Color Palette: Contrast
Please consider contrast, legibility, and ADA compliance when designing with the color palette. To check color contrast ratios, use the free online WebAIM Color Contrast Checker tool.
Secondary Color: Teal
SDSU recognizes that turquoise holds a significant and special meaning for some Native and Indigenous communities and community members. Turquoise is also a feature in the university’s physical environment, notably on railings, wall features and other design features. Turquoise is the men's basketball team color for the annual N7 game during Native American History Month. The inclusion of the color teal in the university’s official color palette is a reflection and a respect for the long-standing use of turquoise at SDSU.
