To enable consistency of use and clear communication, our logo should appear at least once on any marketing or communication materials.

The logo for the University of Southern Maine must appear as described by the Office of Marketing and Brand Management and must not be disassembled, reassembled, or changed in any way.

This includes utilizing the column icon alongside other words, such as college, school, office, department, event, club, or organization names.

For details on which logo and file type to choose for your project, jump to our logo usage details.

Full color horizontal University of Southern Maine logo watermarked with SAMPLE.

Horizontal format

For use on marketing or communication pieces developed for events and activities put on by academic departments or administrative offices.

Download horizontal logo
Full color vertical University of Southern Maine logo watermarked with SAMPLE.

Vertical format

For use on marketing or communication pieces developed for events and activities put on by academic departments or administrative offices.

Download vertical logo
Full color University of Southern Maine access points logo watermarked with SAMPLE.

Access points

For use on marketing or communication pieces developed to generate new inquiries or applications, increase yield, support orientations, etc.

Download access points logo

NOTE: The watermark shown is not part of the official logo. For assistance downloading logo files, review our help document. If you need help selecting a logo, or have questions about our Brand Guidelines, contact Greg Daly.

Our logo must be clearly readable

  • Do not change the proportions (or aspect ratio)
  • Do not rotate it in any direction
  • Do not include it (or part of it) in a larger image
  • Do not separate it into parts or use only the column
  • Do not print it in color combinations outside our brand guidelines
  • Do not combine it with text as art

Logo usage details

Any use of the column mark, logo, or university name beyond what is outlined on this page or in our Brand Guidelines must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Marketing and Brand Management.

Our official University logo is available in both horizontal and vertical formats. This logo is for use on any recruitment or non-recruitment marketing or communication pieces (distributed on- or off-campus) for events and activities hosted by our colleges, schools, departments, programs, or offices.

Examples: Posters, postcards, flyers, notecards, brochures for theatre or music performances, art exhibits, lectures, speaker events, student activities, etc.

You may also use this version of the logo for internal items such as name badges, on-campus flyers or table tents, merchandise, signage, etc.

For the correct usage of college, school, department, program, or office names with our logo, refer to our Brand Guidelines.

Download a logo file

All color variations are available in three file types: PNG, TIF, PDF (select PDF for Adobe Illustrator vector-based line art). Choose the best file type for your print or web project.

Be sure to select "Original file" once you reach the "Download image" prompt. Any logo file can also be downloaded as a JPG at this point.

Download horizontal logo
Download vertical logo

Our access points logo highlights the different ways students can access our University — three campus locations and online.

This version of the logo is ideal for recruiting prospective working adult students who cite flexibility as one of their most important requirements when considering which college to attend.

It can also appear on HR materials for employee recruitment.

Download a logo file

All color variations are available in three file types: PNG, TIF, PDF (select PDF for Adobe Illustrator vector-based line art). Choose the best file type for your print or web project.

Be sure to select "Original file" once you reach the "Download image" prompt. Any logo file can also be downloaded as a JPG at this point.

Download access points logo

We recognize that in unusual or unexpected circumstances (or established higher education practices) the University logo or brand fonts may not be used. Some examples include:

  • University Store merchandise
    • Design or fashion trends may require flexibility
    • The School of Nursing "pin" used for pinning ceremonies
    • Other items limited in size or space
  • Social media avatars or profile images
  • Special signage

Please consult with us before using a logo or font that does not meet our brand guidelines so we can help you carefully consider the ramifications of such usage.

Print materials require a larger file size than those used for digital or web with a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch). Print files often use the CMYK color mode.

Example print projects: Posters, banners, brochures, postcards, notecards, clothing, etc.

Print terminology

The following terms are commonly used in print production:

  • CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black): These four ink colors are combined to create full-color images. CMYK colors are used most often in offset printing but are also used in other printing methods.
  • PMS (Pantone Matching System): A universal color system for consistent color industry-wide for individual or spot ink colors. Spot colors are available in both coated and uncoated paper versions and are slightly different for each medium to account for the different absorbencies in the paper types. 
  • Vector-based line art: Also known as vectored-based graphics, line art files created with a mathematical formula are useful for enlarging or reducing digital graphics without quality loss for flawless printing.
File types used for print
  • AI (Adobe Illustrator): Vector-based line art featuring crisp lines and sharp graphics. These files can be enlarged or reduced without losing image quality, but are usually only usable by Adobe software.
  • EPS (Encapsulated PostScript): Vector-based line art featuring crisp lines and sharp graphics often created in Adobe Illustrator. These files can be enlarged or reduced without fear of losing image quality. Use this file type for print use whenever possible.
  • PDF (Portable Document Format): Almost as flexible as the EPS file, can be made up of vector-based line art featuring crisp lines and sharp graphics. This file type can sometimes be opened as an Adobe Illustrator file (our PDF logo files can be opened this way) and is also accessible to many programs outside the graphic design industry. 
  • TIF or TIFF (Tagged Image File Format): A raster image file that offers a crisp transparent background and is used mostly for photographs. Enlarging a TIF file will create blurry results. 
  • JPG or JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): The JPG is a raster image file-type with a solid color background (no transparency), and the most fragile file format (the more you open and re-save it, the more the quality is reduced). This file type is better suited for photos than text-based graphics. Enlarging a JPG file will create blurry results. Use this format for text-based graphics only if you have no other choice.

Logos used for web and digital materials are displayed on computer screens at 72 ppi (pixels per inch) and use the RGB color mode. Images for digital use require smaller files than those used for print projects.

Example web or digital projects: PowerPoint presentations, accessible PDFs, website images, email newsletters, video projects, etc.

NOTE: CMYK color images do not display properly in web browsers.

Web and digital terminology

The following terms are commonly used in digital production:

  • RGB (Red, Green, Blue): These three colors are combined in computer monitors and televisions to create full-color images. 
  • Raster graphics: Images made up of a series of pixels used to create an image. This type of file is best used for digital photographs.
File types for web and digital use
  • PNG (Portable Network Graphics): Created as a more powerful alternative to the GIF file format, PNG images offer crisp graphics (for both text-based images and photos) and a high-quality transparent background. Use this file type for text-based graphics whenever possible.
  • GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): A compressed image file format, GIFs are based on a palette of 256 colors or less — which keeps their file size small for web use, but is detrimental to image quality — and offer a transparent background. This file type is better suited for text-based graphics than photos.
  • JPG or JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): The JPG is a raster image file-type with a solid color background (no transparency), and the most fragile file format (the more you open and re-save it, the more the quality is reduced). This file type is better suited for photos than text-based graphics. Use this format for text-based graphics only if you have no other choice.
For additional information on using our logo, refer to our Brand Guidelines.
Review guidelines