The College of Fine Arts expresses its brand through all written and visual communications, from our website and social media channels to our magazine and other print collateral.
While we have defined the college's unique flavor of The University of Texas at Austin brand, it's important that our brand reflects that we are part of the university's powerful brand. This affiliation is represented in our color palette, our voice and tone and more.
Learn more below about
- How we present ourselves
- Messaging and audiences
- Color palette
- Typefaces and typography
- Branded assets and templates
You can also learn more about the College of Fine Arts wordmarks/logo guidelines.
How We Present Ourselves
Voice and Tone
Our tone is confident, yet warm and inviting; intellectual but unpretentious.
We work to keep our writing accessible and avoid technical jargon and “artspeak” that might not have meaning for our audiences. We work to write concisely and to write in an active voice. We work to “show, not tell” in our writing.
Written Style
We mostly follow AP Style in written copy, with a few exceptions specific to the university or the college. (For example, we italicize titles instead of using quotes, per AP Style.) For more information on our written style, please visit our internal written style guide.
Our Name
The official name is the College of Fine Arts or, if the association with the university is not clear from the surrounding context, the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin.
First Mention
The formal name, the College of Fine Arts, should be used as the first or dominant mention of the school in a document, page, or website.
Secondary Mentions
After the formal name has been used, it is permissible to identify the school in secondary mentions as “the college.” Please do not refer to the college as “COFA” in any external-facing communications.
Narrative Description
The College of Fine Arts is the college of creativity at The University of Texas at Austin — a home for artists, performers, designers, scholars, makers and creatives ready to change the world.
With an emphasis on research and the creation of new work, our students work to master their craft every day and have ample opportunities to perform, exhibit and present their work. As a comprehensive visual and performing arts college embedded in an R1 public institution, our college includes the Butler School of Music, the Department of Art and Art History, the Department of Theatre and Dance, the School of Design and Creative Technologies, Texas Performing Arts, the university’s arts presenting organization, and Landmarks, the university’s public art program.
Messaging and Audiences
Key Messages
- Creativity/Creatives: We are the college of creativity at The University of Texas at Austin—a home for artists, performers, designers, scholars, makers and creatives ready to change the world.
- Living imaginatively: Creativity is at the heart of everything we do as students explore the full range of human expression
- Collaboration: We’re breaking down silos across disciplines, as students work together to create something greater than the sum of its parts
- Hands-on/experiential learning: Our students work to master their craft every day and have ample opportunities to perform, exhibit and present their work
- Building resilience and critical thinking skills: We live in a complex world full of ambiguity, but our students learn to navigate challenges and problems where there’s not always a “right” answer.
- Responsive curriculum: Our curriculum is always evolving to respond to changes in the culture and job market to ensure that our students are prepared to enter their chosen fields after graduation
Key Audiences
- Prospective students
- UT administrators
- Current students
- Current faculty/staff
- Media
- Alumni
- Parents
- Prospective faculty/staff
- Austin arts patrons
- Donors/Prospective donors
- Industry partners
- Peer institutions
College of Fine Arts Color Palette
The College of Fine Arts uses the primary colors and a selection of the secondary colors in its color palette. Our secondary colors complement our primary colors.
Fine Arts Primary Color Palette
Use of color must be consistent across the university. Referring to these Pantone®, CMYK, RGB and Hex values will eliminate the guesswork.
Burnt orange and white are the official colors of The University of Texas at Austin. Burnt orange plays a major role in establishing our identity and should be implemented consistently in all web applications and print communications.
Burnt Orange
PANTONE®: PMS 159
CMYK: 0, 65, 100, 9
RGB: 191, 87, 0
HEX: #bf5700
Charcoal
PANTONE®: PMS 432
CMYK: 65, 43, 26, 78
RGB: 51, 63, 72
HEX: #333f48
White
PANTONE®: N/A
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0
RGB: 255, 255, 255
HEX: #ffffff
Fine Arts Secondary Palette
While burnt orange is the university’s primary color and an integral part of our brand, a secondary color palette has been developed to provide versatility and variety when developing communications materials. The secondary palette was carefully selected to complement and accent our unique burnt orange as well as reflect our bold personality.
The College of Fine Arts prioritizes a few colors from the secondary palette to use in our branded materials.
Avoid using shades of red or purple, especially in combination with burnt orange. (Pink and lavender are considered shades of red and purple and should also be avoided.)
Limit the number of secondary colors used in a single piece so they do not create an environment where Texas is not recognizable.
Modified Tangerine
PANTONE®: PMS 1375
CMYK: 0, 48, 98, 0
RGB: 247, 150, 31
HEX: #f7961f
Limestone
PANTONE®: PMS 7527
CMYK: 3, 4, 14, 8
RGB: 214, 210, 196
HEX: #d6d2c4
Shade
PANTONE®: PMS 7543
CMYK: 24, 9, 8, 22
RGB: 156, 173, 183
HEX: #9cadb7
Typefaces and Typography
The College of Fine Arts’ primary font for publications and our website is Sans- Serif Aperçu, though users may also pull from the suite of fonts approved by the university, including GT Sectra and Benton Sans.
To request a license for Aperçu for your computer, please contact Misa Yamamoto.
Branded Assets and Templates
Templates for Documents
The College of Fine Arts has created a series of templates and assets that you can download to create materials that align with our college’s visual identity. Questions? Contact Director of Communications Alicia Dietrich.
You can download the template files at the below links.
- College of Fine Arts Dean’s Office letterhead
- College of Fine Arts branded PowerPoint template*
- Graphic icons
- Video graphics
*The PowerPoint slideshow uses the college’s Aperçu font, but you must have the font installed on your computer for it to render as Aperçu. The college has a limited number of licenses available to share for download. To request a license for Aperçu, please contact Misa Yamamoto.
Email Signatures
Your email signature is a not only a representation of you, but also of your department, school and university. UT’s preferred email signature format is outlined below.
FIRSTNAME LASTNAME, Title (pronouns)
The University of Texas at Austin | College of Fine Arts | Department | 512-XXX-XXXX | email
Email Signature Specs:
Type Size: 10pt
Typeface: Arial
Colors: burnt orange (#bf5700) and dark gray (#333F48)