1. Visual Identity Manual
LESLEY UNIVERSITY
Visual Identity Manual
Lesley‘s distinctive brandmark is a vital element of the institution‘s name
recognition and visibility. This manual outlines the official Lesley brandmark
variations and their proper usage. The manual and Lesley brandmarks are
available on Lesley‘s web site at
This guide attempts to address the most common situations and questions of
Lesley brandmark users. For more information, please contact the Lesley
Public Affairs office at , or 1

2. The primary brandmark is made up of a solid color
Brandmark Variations
The Lesley University visual identity system includes three brandmark versions.
The primary brandmark is made up of a solid color
rectangle with Lesley University in white lettering. This
is the brandmark that will be used in most circumstances. It appears on
university stationery in the upper lefthand corner. This version of the brandmark
is for use on bright white and on other light color backgrounds.
The reverse brandmark is for use on dark color
backgrounds. It is the same as the primary brandmark
but has an addition of a fine-line box around the
rectangular mark so that the Lesley brandmark is adequately set off from dark
backgrounds. The color of the reverse brandmark and the surrounding color will
be the same.
The two-color brandmark (the green brandmark with
gold rules above and below) is reserved for special
purposes and ceremonial items. The two-color brandmark uses the university‘s
traditional school colors of green and gold.
The brandmark must not be re-created; use only the original files provided.
The brandmark should not be reversed in such a way that the words ”Lesley
University“ appear in a color within a white box.
When employing freelance designers, printing vendors, and personalized
merchandise manufacturers, please give them a copy of this guide and ask them
to contact the office of Public Affairs ( or
with any questions about the correct use of Lesley brandmarks, type layouts and
appropriate fonts. 2

3. Correct Use of the Brandmark
The Lesley University brandmark should appear on the front of all printed
materials, if possible. If it is not possible to place it on the front, the words
”Lesley University“ or ”Lesley“ should appear prominently in type. The
brandmark may then appear on the back cover, along with contact information,
return address, etc. The brandmark should also appear on all correspondence
leaving the Lesley campus, including correspondence to the university's students,
vendors, alumni, and prospective students. Retain the required surrounding
white space (see section below), the given proportions, and do not overprint
busy backgrounds with the brandmark.
Colors
Green
The primary brandmark can be printed in black or in the university green,
identified by printers as Pantone The four-color process (CMYK) green
equivalent is C100%, M0%, Y60%, K38%. On the Web, the closest equivalent is
R0, G90, B70.
The reverse brandmark is designed to be used on a solid field of color, usually
the university green, Pantone The primary and reverse brandmarks should
never be separated into two colors.
Gold
The two-color version of the brandmark adds a gold rule above and below the
green primary brandmark. No other color combination is allowed. The
university gold is Pantone The four-color process equivalent is C0%,
M27.5%, Y100%, K6%. A gold stamped foil is allowed to replace the university
gold color. For the Web, the closest equivalent to the university gold is R240,
G174, B0. 3

4. Using Other Colors Placement, White Space
Use of colors other than the university green or black is allowed. However,
please use judgment in selecting deeper hues befitting the university‘s
representative logo mark. A good guide is to use colors that contain the same or
similar amounts of black as the university green. In some instances, Lesley
centers and admissions offices have selected color palettes for their printed
materials. Please use colors within your palettes consistently to reinforce their
identification with your programs and events.
Placement, White Space
The preferred position for the brandmark is in the upper left-hand corner. It is
important to keep some ”white space“ area around all sides of the brandmark.
Allow space above and below the brandmark of at least 1/2 the brandmark
height. One exception to this area of non-encroachment is the partnering of the
brandmark with the name of a Lesley school. See specifications below for layout
details. Please contact the Public Affairs office for advice about other partnering
needs, such as in the case where the brandmark will appear with another logo. x
Frutiger 65 Bold
School of Education
Graduate School of
Arts and Social Sciences
Lesley College
School of Management
Adult Baccalaureate
College 4

5. The traditional crest of Lesley University was graphically
Size
The brandmark should never be used smaller than 1-1/8" in length. Proportions
within the mark and the ”white space“ around it (described above) should
always be maintained, no matter how large the brandmark.
Incorrect Usage
Only the provided versions of the brandmark should be used. Altering the
brandmark will detract from its effectiveness as a readily identified symbol of the
university. The brandmark should not be used as a design element. The
brandmark should not be altered or redrawn in any way, such as outlining,
adding shadows, changing its borders or proportions, rotating it, using parts of
it, or cropping it. Other art or type should not be added to it (other than
prescribed uses of school names) and it should not be combined nor appear on
the same page with any other logo. Never ”knockout“ the brandmark (the words
Lesley University within the brandmark should not appear in a color within a
white box). No element of the brandmark should be removed.
University Crest
The traditional crest of Lesley University was graphically
updated in It remains unchanged since then. Its use is
restricted. Only the President‘s office, the Alumni office, the
Registrar (for diploma certificates), and the Public Affairs
office may use this symbol, which is reserved for official or special occasions.
Please contact the Public Affairs office with any inquiries about its use.
Other Applications
The Public Affairs office will work with the university bookstore and the athletics
department to establish guidelines for use of the Lesley brandmark for T-shirts, 5

6. Downloadable Brandmark Files
mugs, pencils, totebags and other merchandise bearing the brandmark. Please
refer to the general guidelines for printed materials when designing special
items and contact the Public Affairs office for advice or assistance.
Downloadable Brandmark Files
Brandmarks must be used from electronic files, which may be downloaded from
Once downloaded, these graphic files
cannot be ”opened“ directly. You must use the ”import,“ ”place“ or ”insert“
commands within an open software package such as Quark, PageMaker or Word,
and select the brandmark file you wish to be loaded into your document. Take
care not to stretch or distort the proportions of the brandmark. In many
software programs, keeping the proportions true entails holding down the shift
key while resizing the graphic by dragging one of its corners.
Typefaces and Use of Type
The Frutiger type family has been selected as the complimentary font for use on
all university materials and correspondence. Secondary choices are Gill Sans,
Helvetica (for Macintosh users) and Arial (for PC users). Frutiger can be
purchased through Adobe, see
Stationery
The university's letterhead, envelopes and business cards were professionally
designed and all feature the Lesley brandmark in the upper lefthand corner.
There can be no variation from these formats. Because the post office recognizes
only Lesley's official mailing address, 29 Everett Street is the only address that
will be printed on stationery items with one exception: For those whose offices
are located in the Porter Exchange Building, your department has the option of
using the 1815 Massachusetts Avenue address, but you should be consistent with
that address on all your stationery pieces. To order stationery items, contact the
university's exclusive stationery vendor, Millennium Printing, at 6

7. Memo and Fax Cover Sheets
Publications
Rather than specifying requirements for the design of all Lesley University
publications, the brandmark usage standards in this manual provide guidelines
to create a compatible, all-in-the-same-family look for Lesley's printed
publications, advertising and materials. Consistent use of the Lesley University
brandmark on the front or back cover, the typeface Frutiger (or alternatively
Helvetica, Gill Sans or Arial), and consistent color palettes will all reinforce a
distinctive and attractive image of the university, its schools, centers,
departments and offices.
Memo and Fax Cover Sheets
Memos and faxes are important components of the university's visual identity
program. For consistency and for convenience, templates have been created in
Microsoft Word for university department use. These templates may be
downloaded at 7

8. The History of the Lesley University Brandmark
During the academic year, President Margaret
McKenna charged an ad hoc committee of the Lesley Board of
Trustees with reviewing the university's branding. After a
university-wide review of print publications, advertising and
admissions materials, and the university web site, the decision
was made to hire BrandEquity, a premiere branding and logo
development design firm. BrandEquity worked through dozens of
designs to create a logo that incorporated Lesley's new
designation as a university, the institution's growth in the national
marketplace, and it's preeminence in the field of education.
Ultimately, the Trustee committee, President McKenna, several
senior administrators and key marketing personnel settled on the
most successful design, an evolutionary adaptation of Lesley’s
existent word mark logo, in use since The new brandmark
builds on the visual identity achieved with the former logo with a
more contemporary and legible typeface. The brandmark design
was approved in June 2002. 8

9. INDEX
Brandmark Variations
… primary brandmark
… reverse brandmark
… two-color brandmark
… university crest
Colors
… university green
… university gold
… using other colors
Downloadable Brandmark Files
History of the Brandmark
Placement, partnering with school names and other logos
Publications
Size (minimum)
Stationery
… fax cover sheet and memo templates
Typefaces
University Crest
Use of Brandmark
… correct
… incorrect
… keeping proportions of electronic files
… other applications
… placement
… publications
… sizing
… with Lesley school names
… with other logos (placement)
White Space 9