The logo for the University of Southern Maine must appear as described by the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications 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.

  • Important: The logo must appear clearly and only in approved color combinations.
  • Formats available: Horizontal and Vertical
  • Usage: Marketing materials, events, communications, merchandise, signage

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

USM’s primary logo format for use on marketing or communication pieces.

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

Vertical format

For use on marketing or communication pieces in which horizonal space is limited.

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

Access points

Highlights three campus locations + online access. Ideal for recruiting working adult students and HR materials.

Access logos here

Official athletic logos

Our mascot, Champ the Husky, and Southern Maine Huskies logos represent our athletics teams.

  • Use primary athletics logos for official athletics communications.
  • Secondary graphics are for school spirit and informal promotions only.
  • Always accompany athletics logos with the official University logo.
USM Huskies Athletics primary logo

Athletics primary logo

The primary athletics graphic officially represents our athletics teams and incorporates our University brand colors. This graphic should be used in the majority of cases because it identifies both “Southern Maine” and “Huskies.” It was designed to communicate competitiveness and fierceness and can be used to promote Department of Athletics’ efforts or school spirit (e.g., on t-shirts or event banners).

The default option is a typical 4-color version. Other variants are also available.

USM Huskies Athletics secondary logo

Athletics secondary logo

Before using one of the secondary athletics graphics, consider whether or not your audience is familiar with the University of Southern Maine and the Southern Maine Huskies. The secondary graphics should never be used in place of the primary Southern Maine Huskies graphic (above) on any official communications (e.g., business communications or marketing materials).

Access logos here

Logo Usage Guidelines

To maintain a strong, recognizable brand, please follow these guidelines:

  • Do not alter proportions or rotate the logo or make any edits or additions to the logos provided.
  • Do not use parts of the logo (e.g., the column) alone except on social media avatars.
  • Use only University-approved colors and backgrounds as provided.
  • Always include the University logo, or your departmental logo, on any departmental or event materials. If your department has a specialized custom graphic, you should use it alongside the USM logo in most cases (in designs for table clothes, print brochures, pop-up stands banners, etc).
  • In most use cases, no more than two university logos should be used in co-branding. If you have more than that, please consider branding at the university level. Each college and department within the university is of the university identity, so you can tier up.
Access logos here

Logo usage details

Any external or internal use of the USM logo on printed items such as gear and swag must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications. Vendors request permission through BrandComply when submitting designs that include a USM logo for printing. This process is typically triggered automatically when a logo appears in a vendor print submission and helps ensure consistent and appropriate use of the University’s brand.

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.

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.

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 vector-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: Google Slides/PowerPoint presentations, accessible PDFs, website images, emails, 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. 
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 fewer — 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.

Looking for additional logos and custom graphics?

If you are a member of the USM community, you also have access to additional brand custom graphics here.

Need Help?

If you need assistance selecting logos, downloading files, or have questions about branding, please submit a Marketing Request. We’re here to help!

Submit a help request