Colors

Celebrate Boise State by using our bold royal blue and bright orange in all of your marketing! Boise State’s colors have been blue and orange since 1932 and we display them proudly. Be sure to use our exact colors to keep the branding consistent and strong.

The Boise State official colors should be used on all materials produced in color and be a dominant part of any design to reinforce the Boise State brand.

Boise State Blue and Orange

Blue (Pantone 286 C) and Orange (Pantone 172 C) are the official colors of Boise State University. These colors are as important as the university name or logo in identifying the university and reflect our Brand Attributes. All printed materials, whether produced on coated or uncoated stock, should match color to the coated Pantone chips.

Blue

Pantone 286C

For Print
Spot color preferred
CMYK: 100, 80, 0, 12

For Digital
RGB: 0, 51, 160
Hex: #0033A0

For Embroidery
Maderia: 1134
Marathon:1253
Robinson Anton: 2302

Orange

Pantone 172C

For Print
Spot color preferred
CMYK: 0, 80, 98, 0

For Digital
RGB: 214, 67, 9
Hex: #D64309

For Embroidery
Maderia: 1378
Marathon: 1045
Robinson Anton: 2397

Neutral Palette Guidelines

Neutral colors provide a visual framework for Boise State Blue and Orange as well as our vibrant images and graphic elements. As the name implies, they should recede, allowing other visual elements to dominate.

Neutral colors are ideal as backgrounds behind other visual elements such as photography, graphics and typography.

Always reproduce colors using the formulas specified in this guide. Do not use the standard software translation values when converting PMS colors to CMYK, RGB or hex.

PANTONE 446C

CMYK:71,53,5553 RGB:63,68,68

PANTONE Cool Gray 11C

CMYK:63,52,44,33 RGB:83,86,90

PANTONE Cool Gray 7C

CMYK:38,29,24,5 RGB:151,153,155

PANTONE Cool Gray 3C

CMYK:18,13,10,0 RGB:200,201,199

PANTONE Cool Gray 1C

CMYK:10,7,5,0 RGB:217,217,214

Lightest gray

CMYK:2,1,2,0 RGB:246,247,249

Secondary Colors

Secondary colors, listed below, may be used in addition provided that they are used in small amounts (20% or less) as complementary accent colors. Secondary colors may not be used as alternatives to the university’s official colors.

*Print only

PANTONE 2757C

CMYK:100,92,31,31 RGB:0,31,96

PANTONE 307C

CMYK:100,20,0,25 RGB:0,107,166

Pantone 285C

CMYK:90,47,0,0 RGB:0,114,206

PANTONE 660C

CMYK:74,44,0,0 RGB:64,96,152

PANTONE 2995C*

CMYK:79,3,0,0

PANTONE 1585C*

CMYK: 0,66,99,0

PANTONE 151C*

CMYK: 0,54,100,0

Resources

Creative Cloud Libraries

Creative Cloud Libraries lets you easily access the Boise State color libraries across all your Adobe Creative Cloud desktop and mobile apps. CC Libraries ensure correct colors are consistent across all print and digital projects.

Boise State Print Color Library
Boise State Digital Color Library

Color and Design Tips

Blue and orange are recognizable as Boise State brand-specific colors and should always be used in your project.
Consider the addition of gray and white as complimentary colors to serve as foundational color that allow the official blue and orange to stand out.
Consider the tone of your project when utilizing color. Color should reflect the message that you are trying to convey. Overuse of multiple bright colors can appear too primary. Too many dark colors can appear somber.
Light colors have a tendency to be recessive and can get lost on a white-colored background.
Bright colors are intended to be used as accent colors and provide contrast as needed.
Be careful not to try to use every color in the palette. The use of too many colors can have a negative effect.
Secondary colors are used in small amounts (20% or less) as complementary accent colors. Secondary colors may not be used as alternatives to the university’s official colors.

The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is the universal reference for selecting and specifying matching and controlling ink colors. It is recommended that samples be requested for every print job to ensure that the PMS colors are accurate. Slight adjustments may be required depending upon the material being produced.