Colour is an essential component of the Queen鈥檚 University brand. Refer to the colour guidelines for the correct colour formulas and guidance on how to properly apply colour in branded applications.
Primary Colours
Queen鈥檚 University is widely recognized for its unique Tricolour palette of blue, gold, and red. These three colours are the essence of the Queen鈥檚 brand and are designated as the primary colours.
Tricolour must be incorporated into all applications in a mindful way that allows the message and imagery to be the focus.
PMS听鈥 295
CMYK听鈥 100, 63, 0, 67
RGB听鈥 0, 36, 82
HEX听鈥 #002452
PMS听鈥 124
CMYK听鈥 0, 29, 100, 1
RGB听鈥 250, 189, 15
HEX听鈥 #fabd0f
PMS听鈥 187
CMYK听鈥 0, 100, 74, 26
RGB听鈥 185, 14, 49
HEX听鈥 #b90e31
Secondary Colours
A secondary palette of neutral colours听may be used with the primary palette to provide balance.
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 0
RGB听鈥 255, 255, 255
HEX听鈥 #ffffff
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 5
RGB听鈥 241, 242, 242
HEX听鈥 #f1f2f2
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 10
RGB听鈥 230, 231, 232
HEX听鈥 #e6e7e8
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 20
RGB听鈥 209, 211, 212
HEX听鈥 #d1d3d4
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 40
RGB听鈥 167, 169, 172
HEX听鈥 #a7a9ac
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 60
RGB听鈥 128, 130, 133
HEX听鈥 #808285
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 80
RGB听鈥 88, 89, 91
HEX听鈥 #58595b
CMYK听鈥 0, 0, 0, 100
RGB听鈥 33, 33, 33
HEX听鈥 #212121
PMS听鈥 401
CMYK听鈥 28, 25, 28, 3
RGB听鈥 180, 174, 168
HEX听鈥 #b3aea8
PMS听鈥 403
CMYK听鈥 39, 36, 40, 14
RGB听鈥 144, 137, 130
HEX听鈥 #908982
PMS听鈥 405
CMYK听鈥 49, 47, 51, 32
RGB听鈥 106, 98, 92
HEX听鈥 #6a625c
PMS and CMYK: Print
PMS colours are determined by the PANTONE庐 Matching System, a tool used to consistently reproduce colours. They are utilized for jobs printed with specially matched inks. CMYK values are utilized in 4-colour process printing using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
RGB and HEX: On-screen
RGB values and HEX codes are used for digital or online applications including presentations, websites, social media, and digital ads.
Colour Application
Tricolour is a 鈥渃olour鈥 and a critical component of the Queen鈥檚 brand. As such, it must be incorporated into all Queen鈥檚 applications. Below are some recommended methods:
Equal small accents of tricolour can be added to an otherwise neutral application. This can be achieved by adding the tricolour bar or the tricolour tab to the edge of a layout.
Tricolour can also be applied by selecting one of the three primary colours to be dominant, with the two remaining colours as smaller accents. This can be achieved by adding the two-colour bar to a coloured background.
Colour blocking can be used to create an even tricolour effect by incorporating blue, gold, and red areas of colour and typography.
A minimal colour layout in which tricolour is brought in through the Queen鈥檚 logo alone听is another acceptable design method for听more simple applications.
For additional guidance on the application of tricolour, refer to the Design Style section of the Visual Identity Guide.听(PDF 10.2 MB)
Accessible Colour Contrast
Colour contrast is vital to ensure readability, especially for people with visual disabilities.
These examples were tested using a and align with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) contrast ratio requirements as per the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
All other colour combinations used should be tested with a , with AAA compliance being ideal. For more information and tools, visit the Queen鈥檚 Accessibility Hub.
Level AAA
The visual presentation of text has a contrast ratio of at least 7:1, except for large-scale text which has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
Level AA
The visual presentation of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for large-scale text which has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
White AAA for all text sizes
Gold AAA for large text
White AAA for large text
White AA for all text sizes
听
Black AAA for all text sizes
Blue AAA for all text sizes
Red AAA for large text
Red AA for all text sizes
Dark Limestone AAA for large text
Dark Limestone AA for all text sizes
Black AAA for all text sizes
Blue AAA for all text sizes
White AAA for all text sizes
Light Grey AAA for all text sizes
Gold AAA for all text sizes
Black AAA for all text sizes
Blue AAA for all text sizes
Red AAA for large text
Red AA for all text sizes
Dark Limestone AAA for large text
Dark Limestone AA for all text sizes
Large text is defined as 14 point bold (typically 18.66px) or larger, or 18 point regular (typically 24px) or larger.
On-Screen Colours
Pure black is not recommended for on-screen applications. Instead, use the HEX code provided in our secondary palette. Webpublish3 templates provide pre-set colours to deliver an accessible user experience on Queen鈥檚 websites.