The logo of USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences serves as a visual symbol or representation of this large and diverse community. Consistent use of this single, strong image creates a visual identity that is essential to building recognition for the College to both internal and external audiences. A strong visual identity system helps to communicate an organization’s high quality standards.

The College’s true identity, of course, extends beyond logos and graphics. A strong graphic identity serves to reinforce the myriad achievements and special relationships within the College that contribute to its greatness.

The ability to build a strong college “brand” is necessary for successful recruiting, fundraising and marketing.

Questions regarding the editorial style and graphic standards, or production of publications and Web sites should be addressed to the USC College Office of Communication at (213) 821-2481 or communication@college.usc.edu.

Please circulate these guidelines with contracted vendors and others who work on printed or Web pieces.

EDITORIAL STYLE GUIDE

The entries in this guidebook are based on the The Associated Press Stylebook, USC University Relations guidelines and usage specific to USC College.

The official name of the College is the "USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences." Always use the full name when first referring to the school. In subsequent references "USC College" or “the College” are acceptable. Do not use the "LAS" acronym when referring to the College since it is puzzling to external audiences and also weakens our internal name recognition.

Download a PDF of the complete USC College Editorial Style Guide.

GRAPHIC STANDARDS

The USC College Logo

The logo is the official typographic configuration of the school name and serves as the primary identification for the College. Use the logo in all publications or materials. The logo has been customized; do not attempt to re-type the words. Use only the approved artwork available below.

Positioning the Logo

The logo must be surrounded on all sides by a uniform clear space to separate it distinctly from other graphic elements. It should never be cropped or positioned on a highly textured or patterned background that will diminish its legibility. The logo should be considered as one unit and not as separate elements that can be manipulated individually. Its proportion must not be altered and it must be clearly legible at all times. The logo should always appear in one color — either black, USC Cardinal (PMS 201C), or white (if positioned on a solid color background).

The University Identity

The USC College logo was designed to complement the university identity. Always use the USC logo in conjunction with the school logo. The USC logo has similar rules for positioning and is available in both positive and reverse versions. For more information on the USC logo, please consult the university identity guidelines available usc.edu/identity.

Color Usage

The primary identity color is USC Cardinal, PMS 201C. Used correctly and consistently, USC Cardinal will function to identify the school and reinforce the university identity. For printed publications, using a coated versus an uncoated surface will determine the intensity of the color. In all cases, USC Cardinal should be matched to PMS 201C and USC Gold to PMS 123C. More information about color usage for printed publications can be found at usc.edu/identity/print/colors_and_typefaces. For Web sites, use #990000 for USC Cardinal and #FFCC00 for USC Gold. More information about color usage for the Web can be found at usc.edu/identity/web_branding/web_colors_and_fonts.

Typography

The USC’s official typefaces are Caslon 540 (serif) and Frutiger (sans serif). The characteristics of the two typefaces provide the flexibility to communicate in many voices. The typeface Formata may also be used as long as either Caslon 540 or Frutiger remains the anchor. For information on how to obtain these fonts, please contact the USC College Office of Communication at (213) 821-2481 or communication@college.usc.edu.

Caslon 540, Frutiger and Formata are primarily “headline” fonts. The body copy of publications (newsletters and brochures) may be set in another serif typeface, such as Times Roman or Adobe Caslon, which are full-featured font families and better suited for body copy. More information can be found at usc.edu/identity/print/colors_and_typefaces.

Compositional Formats

The success of the graphic identity program relies on the careful arrangement of the identity elements. The primary goal of each publication is to clearly identify the College and the university. Always include the College logo and USC logo in all publications.

Department Print Publications

All USC College publications should be: (1) anchored by either USC Cardinal or USC Gold; (2) anchored by either Caslon 540 or Frutiger; (3) contain the College logo and the university mark; (4) include the full name “University of Southern California.”

Department Web Pages

Every College department page must follow the university guideline that requires the standard USC text bar at the top of every page. The text bar may be downloaded from usc.edu/identity/web_branding/web_text_bar. The minimum size for the text bar is 50 pixels. More information can be found at usc.edu/identity/web_branding. 

Every College department home page must include the College logo in the upper left corner, beneath the USC text bar. The minimum size is 135 x 29 pixels. Click on the GIF below if downloading directly from this page.

Every College department subpage must include the College logo either in the upper left corner (similar to the home page), the left navigation pane or at the bottom of the page. The minimum size is 135 x 29 pixels. Click on the small size GIF below if downloading directly from this page.

Letterhead

Letterhead must strictly conform to USC graphic guidelines (usc.edu/identity/stationery/letters_envelopes_and_labels) and may only be ordered through the Letterhead Factory, (310) 320-2222. College of Letters, Arts & Sciences must be referenced on all letterhead. Two options:

1.) The College has its own version of the USC Logo. In this authorized vertical configuration, “College of Letters Arts & Sciences” appears in the ruled space below the "USC" portion of the logo. This logo should be placed in the upper left hand corner, in place of the standard USC logo. It can be downloaded from usc.edu/identity/print/school_logos/college.

2.) If letterhead includes a standard USC logo, College of Letters Arts & Sciences must be spelled out in the left hand column, below the USC logo and directly before the name of the faculty member and academic department or program.

Business Cards

Business cards must strictly conform to USC graphic guidelines and may only be ordered through Relief Printing, (626) 814-8181. More information can be found at usc.edu/identity/stationery/business_cards.

All business cards should reference USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences in print.

Logo Image Files

Below are image files of the College logo that can be downloaded and used for either Web sites or for documents. Please note that none of these graphics are of suitable resolution for professional, offset printing purposes. Please contact the USC College Office of Communication at (213) 821-2481 or communication@college.usc.edu to obtain a high-resolution logo file.

A note about each file type:

GIF:

The GIF files come in three colors: USC Cardinal, black, and white. Never resize the logo to make it bigger; the result will be a blurry mess. Also, the GIF files are on a transparent background which means that if the image is placed on the Web site, the underlying background will show through. The white GIF logo below is white on a white background — the outline in the preview image below is only to show the logo, but no outline will show when the image is downloaded.

JPG:

The JPG files come in two colors: USC Cardinal and black, and two styles for each color: black on white, white on black, USC Cardinal on white, and white on USC Cardinal

To save a file, PC Users: Right-click on the file size and select "Save Link As." Mac Users: Click and hold the file size and select "Download Link to Disk."

		JPG		GIF
	USC College Logo Black on White	21 kb		4 kb
	USC College Logo Cardinal on White	22 kb		4 kb
	USC College Logo White on Black	19 kb
	USC College Logo White on Cardinal	20 kb
	USC College Logo White no background			2 kb

TRADITION & INNOVATION LOGO AND TAGLINE

Fundraising efforts are enhanced when a campaign logo and tagline usage extends beyond development pieces. Therefore use of the Tradition & Innovation logo and tagline (Continue the Tradition . . . Invest in Innovation) is encouraged, though not required, where appropriate in print publications and on the College’s Web site.*

Appropriate uses include:

• General marketing communication materials (ads within USC College Magazine)
• College Connections e-newsletter
• Institute and center materials including newsletters
• Flyers for events funded by T&I
• Reports and financial statements
• Fundraising materials
• Direct marketing materials in Advancement Office (must appear at least once in every direct marketing pack)
• Letterhead / business cards (Advancement Office, Dean’s Office)
• Alumni Web site home page and throughout the site and micro sites
• Research materials

Additionally, statements such as “XYZ is funded through generous gifts made to the Tradition and Innovation initiative” reinforce the importance of giving to an audience invested in a particular College activity, event or program.

* Understandably, there are special circumstances in which the T&I logo and tagline are not appropriate or necessary to be included in materials.

For exceptions or special use clarification, or to obtain the T&I logo, please contact the College Office of Communication at communication@college.usc.edu.