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Web Guidelines

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Thoughtful consideration should be given to choosing a URL for your site, since it will impact branding, website popularity rankings, and the ease of displaying your URL in print publications. If you are a University entity, your URL should be yournamehere.columbia.edu or www.columbia.edu/yournamehere.

Webpage Design

You are encouraged to use templates that mirror the look and feel of the University homepage. In lieu of that, there are a few rules to follow.

In the banner:

  • Include the official University homepage hyperlink in the left-hand corner of the rooftop or banner of every webpage (see sample templates). Rooftop text should appear in Arial, white (#ffffff) and be 0.7em/8pt/11px in size.
  • Use hex value #174785 for the background color in the rooftop.
  • Include a search box in the upper right-hand corner of every webpage.

In the footer:

Other considerations:

  • Webpages should be scalable; barring that capability, the width of each page should be a minimum of 950 pixels.
  • Test your website on different monitors, operating systems and browsers to ensure consistent rendering across platforms.
  • Consult CUIT and the Office of Disability Services regarding accessibility issues.

University Colors and the University Identity

Columbia Blue is #c4d8e2. Complimentary official University colors are: #002b7f, #75aadb and #0038a8.

  • The official University web logo is movable and scalable; however, do not change the aspect ratio or color of the image. For an electronic copy of the official University logo, contact Sandy Kaufman in University Publications (sk672@columbia.edu).
  • The University identity can be reproduced in black (#000000), white (#ffffff), gray (#999999) and the following blues: #c4d8e2, #002b7f, #75aadb and #0038a8.
  • Do not use the crown without the accompanying name of the University.
  • Do not use the University seal or shield as a stand-in for the crown logo or to represent the University as a whole. The seal is for official use only by the trustees.
  • Do not combine multiple logos or visual marks. For example, do not use the official University identity on top of or next to the logo for a school or research center.

For additional advice on designing your website, contact Joshua Freeman at 212-854-2083/jfreeman@columbia.edu.