Color is one of the most recognizable aspects of our brand identity.
The official UT System color palettes can be downloaded in .ase format for Adobe software (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc).
Primary Palette
Instantly recognizable and strongly associated with service to Tennessee, orange is our color. A unifying signifier of University of Tennessee’s bold and energetic spirit.
We contrast orange with gray, a timeless color that adapts and contrasts orange providing balance to the primary palette.
Both colors were adapted from the system’s flagship Knoxville campus, and we continue to share ownership of our colors. These specific shades of orange and gray should dominate any piece that tells the story of the University of Tennessee.
| Color | Name | HEX value | RGB value | CMYK value | Pantone Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Orange | #FF8200 | RGB (255, 130, 0) | CMYK (0, 55, 100, 0) | PMS 151 | |
| Smoky Mountain Gray | #4B4B4B | RGB (75, 75, 75) | CMYK (0, 0, 0, 85) | PMS Cool Gray 11 |
Using Tennessee Orange
Tennessee Orange is a very specific hue, and the guidelines below are our recommendations to best reproduce it. Keep in mind that different printers, paper, materials, and digital screens may render these color recommendations differently than others.
Printing Promotional Items
The official Tennessee Orange is PMS 151. That is the color you should specify with a licensed vendor if you are producing merchandise like T-shirts, pens, lanyards, mugs, etc.
Printing on Paper
Almost all printed university communications use the four-color CMYK process for orange (CMYK 0-50-100-0), which cannot accurately reproduce PMS 151.
However, if a printer requests a Pantone (PMS) color to guarantee a match for a four-color print job, specify PMS 144C. Although typically 144C is used on coated paper, we have found that it also matches our orange more accurately on uncoated paper than does 144U.
Neutral Palette
The neutral palette was chosen to complement, but not overpower the primary palette in a design. These colors can be applied at full saturation or as tints (adding white to a color) in UT System communication and marketing pieces.
No more than two neutral colors are to be used in UT System branded designs except in the case of complex multi-page long-form communications.
| Color | Name | HEX value | RGB value | CMYK value | Pantone Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pebble | #D5D1CB | RGB (213, 209, 203) | CMYK (15, 14, 17, 0) | PMS Warm Gray 1 | |
| River Pearl | #8A827B | RGB (138, 130, 123) | CMYK (46, 44, 48, 8) | PMS Warm Gray 8 | |
| Tower | #898B8C | RGB (137, 139, 140) | CMYK (49, 39, 39, 4) | PMS 423 | |
| Mockingbird | #222943 | RGB (34, 41, 67) | CMYK (91, 82, 45, 46) | PMS 533 | |
| Interstate | #788591 | RGB (120, 133, 145) | CMYK (58, 41, 34, 4) | PMS 7544 |
White and Black
White (CMYK: 0 0 0 0/Hex: #FFFFFF) is not officially part of the UT System brand palette, but when a tint of a color is set to 0% the color is white. Therefore, white can be used in branded designs in any amount without restriction.
Black (CMYK: 0 0 0 100/Hex: #000000) is not a part of the neutral palette or the UT System brand. Smoky Mountain Gray should be used in place of black in all designs except in instances where one-color (black and white) printing is required.
Accent Palette
Orange should drive most marketing materials. This palette is intended to accompany the UT System’s primary palette.
These colors are best suited for use in internal communications. They may also be used in complex multi-page long-form communications where more colors are needed for variety, infographics and icons.
Accent palette colors serve as visual highlights to a design with uses such as strokes, branded design elements, and other supporting components.
No more than three accent colors are to be used in UT System branded designs.
Under no circumstances should any of these colors become the predominant color for a campus, institute, division, department or office.
| Color | Name | HEX value | RGB value | CMYK value | Pantone Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patina | #008693 | RGB (0, 134, 147) | CMYK (95, 27, 40, 3) | PMS 321 | |
| Ripple | #4C728B | RGB (76, 114, 139) | CMYK (79, 47, 32, 6) | PMS 7698 | |
| Glade | #809B54 | RGB (128, 155, 84) | CMYK (58, 22, 92, 4) | PMS 576 | |
| Salamander | #8C4A1D | RGB (140, 74, 29) | CMYK (28, 78, 100, 24) | PMS 1535 | |
| Spirit | #C7661E | RGB (199, 102, 30) | CMYK (12, 74, 100, 2) | PMS 717 | |
| Iris | #79698E | RGB (121, 105, 142) | CMYK (58, 63, 22, 3) | PMS 667 |
Campus Palette
The University of Tennessee System is made up of five distinct campuses, two institutes and other units across the state. Each campus is represented in the UT System brand guide by colors selected from the campus’ brand.
Use of the campus palette in System communications is limited to coordinating content which references a campus with its respective color in addition to the System’s primary, neutral, and accent palettes.
| Color | Name | HEX value | RGB value | CMYK value | Pantone Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Orange | #FF8200 | RGB (255, 130, 0) | CMYK (0, 55, 100, 0) | PMS 151 | |
| UT Chattanooga Gold | #FDB736 | RGB (253, 183, 54) | CMYK (0, 31, 90, 0) | PMS 124 | |
| UT Southern Red | #C8102E | RGB (200, 16, 46) | CMYK (0, 92, 77, 22) | PMS 186 | |
| UT Martin Navy | #0B2341 | RGB (11, 35, 65) | CMYK (100, 66, 0, 76) | PMS 289 | |
| UTHSC Green | #115740 | RGB (17, 87, 64) | CMYK (87, 13, 72, 56) | PMS 343 |