Missouri Western State University

• On first reference, the University shall always be referred to as Missouri Western State University.
• On second reference, the University should be referred to as Missouri Western.
• The full name of the University must appear on the front of each publication. Placement of the name will be dictated by design.
• MWSU is acceptable in social media posts and on merchandise where there is not enough room to use Missouri Western.
  MWSU should not be used in large blocks of text where there is room to use Missouri Western.

• Unacceptable forms include (but are not limited to):    Mo. West    |    Mo. Western    |    Western    |    Missouri Western State
  
  The University should not be referred to as Western. The brand is Missouri Western. By using only Western, we are limiting the recognition of Missouri Western outside of our region. ‘Missouri’ is needed to provide context for the University in a regional and national setting. These apply to any print and publications, apparel, news releases, merchandise, website, social media and radio and television references.

Every email that comes from the university reflects upon the institution. Using one simple, branded email signature across campus helps strengthen the university’s visual identity.

Please use our generator to create a branded email signature.

The Missouri Western wordmark, logo, and signatures should be used in accordance with the guidelines established on this site.

• As a federally registered trademark, when the Griffon logo is used alone it must always be accompanied by the circle R symbol (®).
• The logos should not be redrawn or typeset, reproportioned, modified, or embellished in any way.
• When printed, the edges of the logos should be smooth, not jagged.
• Always make sure there is sufficient contrast between the wordmark or logo and its background.

The use of the Missouri Western wordmark is strongly preferred. When using the wordmark in areas where the audience is unfamiliar with the university, the Missouri Western State University wordmark version should be used.

Minimum Size – If you do not have space for the size options, use the Griffon logo alone

Color Variations – The watermark should only appear in Griffon Gold, Black and White.

The Griffon was chosen in 1918 as the mascot/ symbol of St. Joseph Junior College, the institution that later became Missouri Western State University. The mythical creature was selected because it was considered a guardian of riches, and education was viewed as a precious treasure. The Griffon is half lion and half eagle. Its wings are spread in the shape of the state of Missouri.

• A wordmark or logo should be used on all publications.
• When space is limited, the Griffon alone is acceptable with the minimum size is 1/2 inch.
• Do not transpose or change its angle. It must retain its shape of the state of Missouri.
• When using the Griffon alone, the words “Missouri Western State University” or “Missouri Western’’ must appear on the same page or in the same field.
• The Griffon should be black, white or Missouri Western gold. If an exception is needed, permission must be granted by Creative Services.
• Watermarking of the Griffon is acceptable.
• Cropping of Griffon as a graphic element is acceptable.

Units within the University are eligible for individual logos within the wordmark. It is important that Missouri Western is the primary area and the unit is secondary as to not create confusion or inconsistency with Missouri Western’s master brand. All department/unit signatures must be submitted to Creative Services for creation.

These logos may only be used for Griffon Esports. They may not be used for any other program.

Missouri Western’s seal was created in 2005 to recognize its designation as a university. The seal features the Griffon mascot surrounded by Missouri Western’s six values. The outer circle contains Missouri Western’s new name, along with “1915,” the year it was founded as St. Joseph Junior College.The seal was unveiled at a convocation to celebrate university designation in August 2005.

The use of the Missouri Western State University seal as a stand-alone graphic for external and internal audiences is only for official, legal and formal/ceremonial purposes. It should not be used in complex designs (with many other graphics to compete with, due to its intricate design) as it is meant to stand alone, uncluttered. The Missouri Western logo should be used in designs of this nature. The use of the University Seal is subject to approval from the President’s Office and Marketing and Communications.

The seal may be used on the following items:

• Formal documents, such as diplomas, certificates, legal documents and contracts
• Publications of the Board of Governors, Office of the President and Vice Presidents
• Other official, ceremonial, or historical University materials
• Major media and fundraising initiatives
• Limited merchandise with approval from the Department of Marketing and Communications, but never on apparel

Additional seal guidelines:

• Use the University Seal Request form to seek approval from the President’s Office and Marketing and Communication.
• The seal should not be reproportioned, modified, or embellished in any way. 
• Do not stretch, compress, or use an alternative typeface in an attempt to recreate the seal. 
• The seal should appear in full color, or in white, black, and/or Missouri Western gold (screens of these colors are acceptable). 
• Watermarking of the seal is acceptable.
• The minimum size of the seal should be 1.25 inches in diameter.

Black and gold have long been Missouri Western’s identifying colors. The Griffons Succeed campaign will continue to use both colors with an emphasis on Griffon Gold and white, using black as an accent color. This keeps the design bright and positive. The campaign provides use of select colors from our extended color palette to allow designs to be more colorful, lighter, brighter and interesting.

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PMS Uncoated Colors for Printed Materials

Griffon Black PMS Black		50%	20%
Griffon Gold PMS 123C	0C/23M/100Y/0K	50%	20%
Centennial Silver PMS 429C
Kelley Commons Sky PMS 631C
Fall Leaves PMS 159C

The official colors are black and yellow gold (referred to as Missouri Western gold).

Due to the difficulty in reproducing the yellow gold on different papers, two different inks should be used depending on the paper choice.

• On coated paper (glossy, shiny paper) the Missouri Western gold is (PANTONE ® Matching System) PMS 123C.
• On uncoated paper (such as paper used in an office copier) the Missouri Western gold is PMS 109U.
• When four-color process inks are used, Missouri Western gold can be produced by printing: 0C/23M/100Y/0K.

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RGB and Hex for Screens and Web

Griffon Black RGB: rgb(0,0,0); Hex: #000000;		RGB: rgb(51,51,51); Hex: #333333;	RGB: rgb(224,224,224); Hex: #e0e0e0;
Griffon Gold RGB: rgb(255,199,0); Hex: #ffc700;		RGB: rgb(255,237,175); RGBA: rgba(255,199,0,0.5); Hex: #ffedaf; Hex w/ Alpha: #ffc70050;	RGB: rgb(255,248,223); RGBA: rgba(255,199,0,0.2); Hex: #fff8df; Hex w/ Alpha: #ffc70020;
Centennial Silver RGB: rgb(174,178,183); Hex: #aeb2b7;
Kelley Commons Sky RGB: rgb(84,175,203); Hex: #54afcb;
Fall Leaves RGB: rgb(217,114,69); Hex: #d97245;

Missouri Western’s brand fonts are the Aktiv Grotesk Condensed family. Our web-safe alternative is Oswald. 

The Missouri Western brand fonts can be accessed from Adobe Fonts through the Creative Cloud desktop application. Oswald can be found on Google Fonts.

Using photos with multiple subjects or groups help tell our story of togetherness. Cropping the photos can emphasize the tight-knit, intimacy we have in our university community. Select photos are available for download here.

Use photos with students, students and faculty, multiple subjects or groups that help tell our story of success through applied learning. Select photos are available to download here. If you do not find photos that will work for your project, please submit a Marketing & Communications Mojo ticket and choose photo request form.

Missouri Western uses the following official stationery for letters, envelopes and business cards: