Color
Brand Colors
Colorado State has two primary colors that represent our university and help it stand out in the collegiate landscape. Colorado State’s Primary Green should be heavily featured on any piece of collateral produced by the university.
Alongside the university’s Primary Green and Gold are Aggie Orange, 80% Black, and White, which not only nods to our heritage, but also adds flexibility.
Primary

COLORADO STATE GREEN
R30 G77 B43
HEX #1E4D2B
C92 M18 Y94 K61
PMS 357

COLORADO STATE GOLD
R200 G195 B114
HEX #C8C372
C11 M6 Y64 K13
PMS 617

AGGIE ORANGE
R217 G120 B45
HEX #D9782D
C0 M65 Y100 K0
PMS Orange 021

80% BLACK
R89 G89 B91
HEX #59595B
C0 M0 Y0 K80
PMS 425

WHITE
R255 G255 B255
HEX #FFFFFF
C0 M0 Y0 K0
Energy Palette
The Energy Palette heightens Colorado State’s primary brand colors while creating a color system that is distinct and ownable. It is a refreshed palette of colors that reflects past iterations of the Colorado State palette but evolves it to a place that reflects the refreshed brand.
We urge all campus communicators and colleges to adopt this “secondary” palette as a way to remain connected with the university’s branding while creating a look and feel that is ownable for their college.
Please note all colors in previous CSU secondary and tertiary color palettes are considered retired and should not be used.

OVAL GREEN
R0 G97 B68
HEX #006144
C100 M17 Y84 K18
PMS 7726

LOVERS LANE
R130 G197 B3
HEX #82C503
C55 M0 Y100 K0
PMS 376

ENERGY GREEN
R207 G252 B0
HEX #CFFC00
C22 M0 Y93 K0
PMS 388

FLOWER TRIAL RED
R229 G106 B84
HEX #E56A54
C0 M72 Y72 K0
PMS 7416

POWERED PURPLE
R126 G84 B117
HEX #7E5475
C36 M62 Y4 K0
PMS 521

HORSETOOTH BLUE
R0 G143 B179
HEX #008FB3
C100 M20 Y30 K0
PMS 314

STALWART SLATE
R16 G84 B86
HEX #105456
C100 M16 Y42 K45
PMS 323

SUNSHINE
R255 G192 B56
HEX #FFC038
C0 M26 Y100 K0
PMS 143
Neutrals
Neutrals provide flexibility to the Colorado State palette. While these colors are not “officially” part of the Colorado State palette, they can be used in addition to it for balance, legibility, and accessibility.

BLACK
R0 G0 B0
HEX #000000
C40 M30 Y20 K100
PMS Black

GRAY
R204 G204 B204
HEX #CCCCCC
C10 M7 Y8 K0
PMS N/A

TAN
R227 G205 B177
HEX #E3CDB1
C10 M17 Y30 K0
PMS N/A
Color Proportions

Color proportions are key to ensuring that while we incorporate secondary colors into brand work, anything made by the university still feels recognizable as Colorado State.
This is the preferred color proportion break down for all colors in the palette. While it is impossible to be exact with color proportions, this should serve as a basic guideline for using colors.
Color Pairings for Accessibility
Color accessibility is key to creating a brand that is welcoming to all regardless of abilities. Pairings of background colors and type colors ensure our messaging is legible. These are our preferred pairings of background color and type color. While other pairings not shown here may be accessible, they are not recommended for brand use.

If a pairing is labeled with AA18, it should be used at large type sizes only (we recommend 18pt regular or 14pt bold, but no smaller). AAA and AA pairings can be used at any type size.
If color pairings are not featured here, they are not approved for use by the university.
Color Accessibility Tools
For more information about color accessibility and to download color contrast checker tools, visit CSU’s Accessibility by Design website.