The VIU palette contains many colours that reflect our place on Vancouver Island. It is a palette inspired by the colours of nature in the Pacific Northwest.
We recommend five different grouping options for using the palette:
- True Blue
- White and Blue
- Alpine
- Ocean's Edge
- Sunrise
The grouping and colour names will make conversations about design easier.
Balancing colours
On these groupings you will see primary, secondary and accent colours. Choose one of each for your design. To create a balanced design use the colour types in this way:
- Primary colour should take up 70% of your design
- Secondary colour should take up 20% of your design
- Accent colour should take up only 10% of your design
Colour tables
The colour tables include the values for the colours for different uses:
- Pantone for print
- CMYK for print
- RGB for digital
- Hex for digital
It's important that you use the right colour profile and colour values. Always used CMYK or Pantone for print projects. And always use RGB or Hex for digital projects.
Recommended groupings
Print table
| Colour name | Pantone | CMYK Values | RGB Values | Hex code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIU Blue | 302 C | C: 100; M: 48; Y: 12; K: 58 | R: 0; G: 59; B: 92 | #003B5C |
| Mariners Blue | 7689 C | C: 77; M: 25; Y: 6; K: 0 | R: 0; G: 133; B: 202 | #0085CA |
| Lagoon | 311 C | C: 54; M: 0; Y: 9; K: 0 | NA | NA |
| Glacier | 656 C | C: 10; M: 2; Y: 0; K: 0 | R: 202; G: 248; B: 255 | #CAF8FF |
Digital table
| Colour name | Pantone | CMYK Values | RGB Values | Hex code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIU Blue | 302 C | C: 100; M: 48; Y: 12; K: 58 | R: 0; G: 59; B: 92 | #003B5C |
| Mariners Blue | 7689 C | C: 77; M: 25; Y: 6; K: 0 | R: 0; G: 133; B: 202 | #0085CA |
| Elecric Lagoon | NA | NA | R: 9; G; 235; B 255 | #09EBFF |
| Glacier | 656 C | C: 10; M: 2; Y: 0; K: 0 | R: 202; G: 248; B: 255 | #CAF8FF |
True Blue
True Blue print
In this grouping:
- Primary colour: VIU Blue
- Secondary colour: Mariners Blue
- Accent colours: Lagoon or Glacier. Choose one.
True blue digital
In this grouping:
- Primary colour: VIU Blue
- Secondary colour: Mariners Blue
- Accent colours: Electric Lagoon or Glacier. Choose one.
Print table
| Colour name | Pantone | CMYK Values | RGB Values | Hex code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 11-0601X | C:0; M: 0; Y 0; K: 0 | R: 255; G: 255; B: 255 | #FFFFFF |
| VIU Blue | 302 C | C: 100; M: 48; Y: 12; K: 58 | R: 0; G: 59; B: 92 | #003B5C |
| Mariners Blue | 7689 C | C: 77; M: 25; Y: 6; K: 0 | R: 0; G: 133; B: 202 | #0085CA |
| Lagoon | NA | C: 54; M: 0; Y: 9; K: 0 | NA | NA |
| Glacier | 656 C | C: 10; M: 2; Y: 0; K: 0 | R: 202; G: 248; B: 255 | #CAF8FF |
Digital table
| Colour name | Pantone | CMYK Values | RGB Values | Hex code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 11-0601X | C:0; M: 0; Y 0; K: 0 | R: 255; G: 255; B: 255 | #FFFFFF |
| VIU Blue | 302 C | C: 100; M: 48; Y: 12; K: 58 | R: 0; G: 59; B: 92 | #003B5C |
| Mariners Blue | 7689 C | C: 77; M: 25; Y: 6; K: 0 | R: 0; G: 133; B: 202 | #0085CA |
| Electric Lagoon | NA | NA | R: 9; G; 235; B 255 | #09EBFF |
| Glacier | 656 C | C: 10; M: 2; Y: 0; K: 0 | R: 202; G: 248; B: 255 | #CAF8FF |
White and Blue
White and Blue print
In this grouping:
- Primary colour: White
- Secondary colour: VIU Blue
- Accent colours: Lagoon or Glacier. Choose one.
White and Blue digital
In this grouping:
- Primary colour: White
- Secondary colour: VIU Blue
- Accent colours: Electric Lagoon or Glacier. Choose one.
| Colour name | Pantone | CMYK Values | RGB Values | Hex code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | 539 C | C:100; M: 65; Y: 22; K: 80 | R: 0; G: 33; B: 51 | #002133 |
| Mountain shadow | 2685 C | C: 90; M: 99; Y: 0; K: 8 | R: 58; G: 58: 173 | #3A3AAD |
| Lupine | 2725 C | C: 76; M: 76; Y: 0; K: 0 | R: 104; G: 81; B: 231 | #6851E7 |
| Crocus | 2705 C | C: 40; M: 36; Y: 0; K: 0 | R: 175; G: 161; B: 255 | #AFA1FF |
Alpine
In this grouping:
- Primary colours: Midnight or White or VIU Blue. Choose one.
- Secondary colour: Mountain Shadow.
- Accent colours: Lupine or Crocus. Choose one.
| Colour name | Pantone | CMYK Values | RGB Values | Hex code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | 539 C | C:100; M: 65; Y: 22; K: 80 | R: 0; G: 33; B: 51 | #002133 |
| Kelp | 3305 C | C: 100; M: 1; Y: 67; K: 62 | R: 1; G: 75; B: 65 | #014B41 |
| Sea Glass | 2242 C | C: 99; M: 0; Y: 64; K: 5 | R: 0; G: 160; B: 118 | #00A075 |
| New Growth | 2412 C | C: 48; M: 0; Y: 45; K: 0 | R: 94; G: 234; B: 150 | #5EEA96 |
Ocean's Edge
In this grouping:
- Primary colours: Midnight or White. Choose one.
- Secondary colour: Kelp.
- Accent colours: Sea Glass or New Growth. Choose one.
| Colour name | Pantone | CMYK Values | RGB Values | Hex code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight | 539 C | C:100; M: 65; Y: 22; K: 80 | R: 0; G: 33; B: 51 | #002133 |
| Currant | 7644 C | C: 5; M: 81; Y: 0; K: 79 | R: 84; G: 45; B: 64 | #582D40 |
| Arbutus | 2032 C | C: 1; M: 70; Y: 52; K: 4 | R: 211; G: 84; B: 84 | #D35454 |
| Yellow Cedar | 2016 C | C: 0; M: 33; Y: 57; K: 0 | R: 251; G: 186; B: 114 | #FBBA72 |
Sunrise
In this grouping:
- Primary colours: White or Midnight
- Secondary colour: Currant
- Accent colours: Arbutus or Yellow Cedar. Choose one.
Colour contrast
To ensure communications are accessible, all material, print and digital, needs sufficient contrast so your message can be easily read and understood. For colour combinations not outlined here, use a contrast colour checker.
White text or background
When your text or background is white, you can use these colours:
- Midnight
- VIU Blue
- Mariners Blue
- Kelp
- Mountain Shadow
- Lupine
- Currant
Do not use these colours with white text or background:
- Electric Lagoon (digital)
- Lagoon
- Glacier
- Crocus
- New Growth
- Yellow Cedar
Black text or background
When your text or background is black or dark, use these colours:
- Electric Lagoon
- Lagoon
- Glacier
- Crocus
- New Growth
- Yellow Cedar
Do not use these colours with dark text or background:
- Midnight
- VIU Blue
- Mariners Blue
- Kelp
- Mountain Shadow
- Lupine
- Currant