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VISUAL IDENTITY
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DESCRIBING AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
OVERARCHING RATIONALEAmerican University is a distinctive institution in Washing-ton, DC. It is a forward thinking university where students are connected to expert faculty and world leaders to pro-vide the knowledge, opportunities, and experiences that cannot be found elsewhere. American exemplifies the con-cept of ideas into action, and action into service. American University graduates are empowered with the knowledge and context that have enabled them to be alumni who transform their ideals into action and lead lives that effect meaningful change. The overarching American brand has been established to communicate and inspire American’s continued growth and recognition into the future.
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BENEFITS OF A STANDARD VISUAL IDENTITY
USING ELEMENTS OF AU’S VISUAL IDENTITY PROGRAMThe university name, mark, logotypes, seal, mascot, and “Clawed” are solely owned as the intellectual property of American University and cannot be used without the fomal consent of the university officers. Therefore, it is impor-tant to establish clear guidelines for their general use.
Thes mark, logotypes, and seal in this manual are the only ones approved for the web, publications, and printed ma-terials. Requests for exceptions to this policy should be di-rected to University Publications; those requests will then be reviewed by the assistant vice president for creative services and the vice president for communication.
QUESTIONSThe division of University Communications and Marketing is responsible for administering the university branding, visual identity program and editorial style guidelines as they relate to publications, printed materials, and web-sites. Any questions about the program or requests for exceptions should be directed to University Publications, 202-885-5970.
Primary Signature/University logotype
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UNIVERSITY NAMEThe official name of the institution is The American University. For general use, it will be referred to in all university presentations, publications, and online as American University. This usage is consistent with American University’s history and reflects its stature as a major university.
UNIVERSITY NAME
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PRIMARY SIGNATURE/LOGOTYPEAmerican’s primary logotype signature is composed of the AU mark and the words American University and Washing-ton, DC, separated by a horizontal rule. Type for American University is modified Garamond; for Washington, DC, modified Helvetica. The words in the logotype are in AU blue, and the rule is in AU red. The primary signature (shown on right) should be used whenever possible. There are three approved signatures that represent American in various formats. Each is designed to accom-modate a specific stylistic or functional requirement, allowing for flexibility while retaining the integrity of American’s identity.
GENERAL LOGO USAGE
Primary Signature/University logotype
Use of logotypeThe logotype should be used conspicuously on all publications and printed materials, preferably on the front cover. For all publications that represent the university and are intended for external audiences, the logotype must appear on the front or back cover. Whether on a cover or inside page, no other logo or seal may appear with the university logotype on the same page.
The logotype must be used as shown in its entirety, not separated into component parts, altered in proportion, printed in color combinations other than those outlined in this manual, or modified in any other way. The logotype and mark must be reproduced from official digital files originating from University Publications. The type in the logotype may not be used without the mark; the mark, however, may be used by itself.
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ALTERNATE LOGOTYPESA second logotype, the stacked logotype, may be used to fit brochure-style publications. This version consists of the AU mark, which can be as long as the rule used, the words, American University stacked on two lines, a horizontal rule below the word University, and the words Washington, DC located below the rule. The words in the logotype are in AU blue, and the rule is in AU red.
A third logotype, the horizontal logotype, is typically used on american.edu global headers, but may be used to fit brochure-style publications. This version consists of the AU mark, which is positioned to the left of the words, American University displayed on one line, a horizontal rule between the word American University, and the words Washington, DC. The words in the logotype are in AU blue, and the rule is in AU blue.
GENERAL LOGO USAGE
Horizontal Signature
Stacked Signature
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GENERAL LOGO USAGE
LOGO ISOLATIONSpace should be left around the signature; at a minimum, the space should be equal to 5 the width (width = x) of the shield at any given size. This applies to the primary, horizontal and formal signatures.
x
1/2 x
x
1/2 x
x
1/2 x
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GENERAL LOGO USAGE
SIGNATURE COLOR VARIATIONS - TWO-COLORIt is best to use the signatures in full-color whenever possible. When full-color signatures print on a dark background, a white rule is added around the mark to hold the edge. The rule and wordmark should always match to maintain continu-ity of the signature.
SIGNATURE COLOR VARIATIONS - ONE-COLORWhen printing with one color, the signature appears in black or AU blue. When the one-color signature is placed on a field of color the type, rule, and letters A and U of the mark must always be white. For engraving, etching, embossing, there is an option with no color background in the mark. Acceptable colors include AU blue, AU red, black, gold, or silver. The logotype also may be reversed out of a dark-colored background and appears in white.
Two-color One-color AU blue
One-color Black One-color Reverse
Two-color Reverse One-color Gold for Formal Invitations
One-color Reverse on Black One-color for Engraving/Embossing
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GENERAL LOGO USAGE
BACKGROUND IMAGEThe full-color signature can only appear on a background image if the image is subtle in color and detail. If the image is vivid in color, use the black and white signature. If the image is highly detailed or contains a strong pattern, do not place the signature over it because the signature will not be legible.
BACKGROUND COLORThe one-color signature may be placed on a background color either by overprinting or reversing. Be careful to use the appropriate version of the signature to achieve the best contrast on colored backgrounds. Do not attempt to place the signature on a background that is too dark or creates too much color dissonance.
Light Background Image Black Signature on Light Color
Light Background Image White Signature on Dark Color
Dark Background Image White Signature on Medium Color
Wild Background Image White Signature on Light Color
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GENERAL LOGO USAGE
UNVERSITY MARKThe mark contains the letters AU, connected and encased in a square. Type for the letters is modified Garamond and reverses out of the square, half AU blue on the left half and half AU red on the right half. The mark also can be shown in one color (black or AU blue). For engraving, etching, embossing, there is an option with no color background in the mark. Acceptable colors include AU blue, AU red, black, gold, or silver. The logotype also may be reversed out of a dark-colored background and appears in white.
The mark must always be in AU red and AU blue. When printing on a dark-colored background, a white border equal in thickness to the thickest line in the A encloses the mark.
Two-color One-color AU blue
One-color Black One-color for Engraving/Embossing
Two-color on Dark Background One-color Gold
One-color on Black Background One-color for Engraving Reversed
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ADOBE GARAMONDAdobe Garamond is the primary serif identification typeface for American University. When used in conjunc-tion with the university logotype, it reinforces the visual identity system.
Garamond’s letterforms convey a sense of fluidity and consistency. Garamond is considered to be among the most legible and readable serif typefaces for use in print applications. It has also been noted to be one of the most eco-friendly major fonts when it comes to ink usage.
For online applications, Trebuchet is the preferred font for body copy.
OVERARCHINGTYPOGRAPHY
GARAMONDGARAMOND REGULAR
G
G
GARAMOND ITALIC
GARAMOND SEMIBOLD
GARAMOND SEMIBOLD ITALIC
GARAMOND BOLD
GARAMOND BOLD ITALIC
GARAMOND
GARAMOND
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ABCDEFGHIJKLM
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21 PT
21 PT
21 PT
21 PT
21 PT
21 PT
21 PT
21 PT
GARAMONDBOOK/100 PT
GARAMONDBOLD/100 PT
GARAMOND REGULAR/BOOK/10 PT
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HELVETICAHelvetica is the primary sans serif identification typeface for American University. When used in conjunction with the university logotype, it reinforces the visual identity system.
Helvetica may be used on printed materials, alone or in combination with Garamond.
For online applications, Arial or Trebuchet are the preferred fonts for body copy. For display heads, Gotham is the preferred font, though Google Montserrat is currently under review.
For institutional branding, Interstate is the preferred font for display type. A style guide for the university brand campaign is in development.
OVERARCHINGTYPOGRAPHY
HELVETICA NEUEHELVETICA NEUE LIGHT
G
G
HELVETICA NEUE LIGHT ITALIC
HELVETICA NEUE REGULAR
HELVETICA NEUE REGULAR ITALIC
HELVETICA NEUE BOLD
HELVETICA NEUE BOLD ITALIC
GARAMOND
GARAMOND
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ABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnop
qrstuvwxyz
1234567890
!@#$%^&*()_+{};;””?
18 PT
18 PT
18 PT
18 PT
18 PT
18 PT
21 PT
21 PT
HELVETICA NEUEREGULAR/100 PT
HELVETICA NEUEBOLD/100 PT
HELVETICA NEUE/REGULAR/9 PT
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OFFICIAL COLORS
OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY COLORSAmerican University has a palette of five colors. These colors play a criticalrole in defining American’s visual identity. From this palette, AU Blue (PMS 072) and AU Red (PMS 186) are the spirit colors for American. For embossing/engraving, other palette colors are black, gold (PMS 873), and silver (PMS 877).
American’s official colors should be printed as spot colors whenever possible.
When printing four-color process, be sure to specify the four-color builds listed here. Most of the color builds are the default PANTONE color builds. But some are adjusted slightly to better match the spot colors. These adjusted color builds are coded into the supplied art files for one-color, CMYK and RGB.
AU Blue PMS 072C100 M88 Y0 K5
R0 G79 B163
AU Red PMS 186C0 M100 Y75 K4
R237 G26 B59
PMS 877C0 M0 Y0 K40
R167 G169 B172
PMS 873C0 M23 Y100 K27
R197 G169 B1
BLACKC0 M0 Y0 K100
R35 G31 B32
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UNIVERSITY SEAL
UNIVERSITY SEALThe American University seal will be used to authenticate the highest official university documents (e.g., diplomas and legal documents). It may be used on other materials only at the discretion of the president or the Board of Trustees. The seal must be reproduced from authorized digital files, and cannot be redrawn, separated into component parts, or modified in any way. The seal should be reproduced in AU blue, black, white, or gold (Pantone 873). The seal should not be used with the logotype