The visual identity of SUNY Oswego encapsulates the essence of our university. It serves as a mark of excellence and a source of immense pride that unites us all. By adhering to a set of straightforward principles, we can guarantee that our identity retains its unique and unmistakable character.
Intended use: All units funded by Oswego, including student organizations and external agencies creating materials for any Oswego entity, must ensure their communications clearly reflect affiliation with Oswego. This identification should take precedence over individual departments, colleges, or units.
Name: Refer to us as the State University of New York at Oswego, SUNY Oswego, or Oswego State. Any of these three names is appropriate for first references. For subsequent references, you may abbreviate to simply Oswego.
Primary Color Palette
Color is an essential element of our visual identity system. Our colors create a consistent and recognizable look across various communication channels and helps in building brand recognition for our university and enhances the way we communicate the SUNY Oswego story.
Secondary and Accent Colors
Secondary and accent colors offer expanded flexibility and variety.
Color Contrast Requirements
All digital color combinations should ensure appropriate color contrast for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) requirements.
Level AA (current standard)
- AA Regular Text | 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio
- Text smaller than 18pt (24px) regular, or smaller than 14pt (19px) bold.
- AA Large Text | 3:1 minimum contrast ratio
- Text equal or larger than 18pt (24px) regular, or 14pt (19px) bold AA
- User Interface (UI) Components and Graphics | 3:1 minimum contrast ratio
- Button borders, form inputs and essential infographics
Level AAA Contrast Standards
While not currently mandated, stricter Level AAA level aims to enhance inclusivity:
- AAA = 7:1 contrast for regular text | AAA = 4.5:1 contrast for large text, UI and graphics
Fonts
Fonts play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining our university brand identity. They contribute to visual consistency, tone establishment, legibility and brand extension, all of which collectively help shape the perception and reputation of the university.
Clearface Pro
True to its name, Clearface Pro pioneered a “legibility” movement as a typeface built for effortless reading, and since, has been further optimized for readability on modern screens. Clearface Pro regular commands attention as a friendly, quirky and expressive display serif that injects a nostalgic punch into major headlines. Find Clearface on Fontspring.
Poppins
Clearface’s expressive energy is balanced by Poppins, a clean, versatile geometric sans-serif that brings an open, approachable modernity to subheadings. Find Poppins on Google Fonts.
Gelasio
Grounding this dynamic pairing is Gelasio, a structured transitional serif that provides a highly legible body face, ensuring long-form reading feels steady and trustworthy without feeling stiff. Find Gelasio on Google Fonts.
