Visual Identity
Our visual identity brings the New York Tech brand to life. From our logo and colors to typography and photography, each element works together to create a distinctive and recognizable presence.
These guidelines provide a shared framework for using our visual identity with clarity and purpose. They outline how our core brand elements should be applied and offer guidance for maintaining consistency across print, digital, environmental, and other applications.
Consistent use of these elements strengthens our identity across every communication while giving us the flexibility to create work that feels fresh, relevant, and distinctly our own.
Logo & Variations
Explore the approved New York Tech logos and learn which variation is right for your application.
The primary logo is the university’s central identity mark and the preferred choice when the full New York Institute of Technology identity is appropriate.
It combines the New York Institute of Technology wordmark with the Bear Gold accent bar. The relationship between these elements is fixed; always use the approved artwork and maintain the logo exactly as provided.
The New York Tech wordmark provides a concise expression of the university identity and may be used when the shorter New York Tech name is appropriate to the communication.
Always use the approved wordmark artwork. Do not recreate the mark using typed text or substitute another typeface.
The stacked wordmark is designed for applications where horizontal space is limited and a more compact configuration provides greater visual presence.
The words appear in an approved three-line configuration and should never be rearranged, altered, or recreated.
Primary Logo
Use when the full New York Institute of Technology identity is appropriate.
New York Tech Wordmark
Use when the shorter New York Tech identity is appropriate and horizontal space allows.
Stacked Wordmark
Use when horizontal space is limited or a more compact configuration is needed.
Always use current, approved New York Tech logo artwork. Do not recreate, redraw, typeset, or modify university marks.
Approved logo files are available through Aprimo in formats appropriate for print and digital applications.
Logo Usage
Learn how to size, position, and reproduce New York Tech logos consistently and correctly.
Give the New York Tech logo enough space to remain clear and recognizable. Keep the required clear space free of text, graphics, imagery, and other visual elements.
Maintain a minimum clear space equivalent to two Bear Gold accent bars around the logo. The primary logo should not be reproduced smaller than 1 inch wide to ensure legibility.
Use only approved color versions of the New York Tech logo and always select the version that provides sufficient contrast with the background.
The preferred full-color logo uses Catalina Blue with the Bear Gold accent bar. Approved one-color and reverse versions may be used when required by the application or background. On dark backgrounds, use an approved reverse version to maintain visibility.
Avoid placing the logo on colors, patterns, or imagery that interfere with its clarity or legibility.
The New York Tech logo should always be used exactly as provided. Do not alter, recreate, or modify the approved artwork.
Do not:
- Stretch, compress, skew, or distort the logo.
- Rearrange or reposition elements of the logo.
- Recreate the wordmark using another typeface.
- Change the size or proportion of the Bear Gold accent bar.
- Move the accent bar to another position.
- Add graphics or other elements to the logo.
- Use unapproved colors or treatments.
School, Department & Unit Lockups
Learn how New York Tech schools, departments, offices, and other units are represented within the university’s visual identity.
Official school and college lockups pair the New York Tech identity with the name of an academic school or college. These lockups provide consistent identification while maintaining a clear connection to the university brand.
Approved lockups are available in stacked and horizontal configurations to accommodate different formats and available space. Select the configuration that best fits the application, and always use the artwork as provided.
Stacked Lockup
Use the stacked configuration when space is more compact or a vertical format provides better visibility.
Horizontal Lockup
Use the horizontal configuration when sufficient width is available.
Compact School Lockup
Shortened version for constrained space, faster scanning, and applications where the full institutional name is already established.
Do not recreate, rearrange, or alter the relationship between the New York Tech identity and the school or college name.
Departments, offices, and other university units use approved lockups to establish their affiliation with New York Tech while maintaining a consistent institutional identity.
Whenever possible, use the primary New York Tech logo to represent the university. Department, office, and unit lockups are intended for communications where it is important to identify the specific university entity responsible for or represented in the communication.
All departments, offices, and university units have approved lockups available for use. Always use the provided artwork—do not typeset, recreate, or independently combine a unit name with the New York Tech logo.
Can’t find the lockup you need? Contact Strategic Communications to request an existing lockup or have one created for a newly established or renamed unit.
Always use an approved New York Tech lockup rather than creating one yourself.
Approved school, college, department, office, and unit lockups are available through Aprimo. If you cannot find the lockup you need or require a new lockup, contact Strategic Communications for assistance.
Special Marks
Understand the appropriate use of New York Tech’s presidential seal and other special identity marks.
The Presidential Seal is a formal institutional mark reserved for official and ceremonial uses. It should not be used as an alternative to the New York Tech logo in general communications.
Use of the seal should be limited to approved applications and reproduced only from authorized artwork. Do not recreate, modify, or incorporate the seal into other logos or graphics.
Roary is New York Tech’s mascot and a symbol of university spirit and pride. The Roary mark may be used in appropriate applications that support student life, campus engagement, and university spirit.
Always use approved Roary artwork as provided. Do not redraw, alter, distort, or create new variations of the mark.
Color
Explore the New York Tech color palette and learn how to use color consistently and effectively.
Catalina Blue and Bear Gold form the foundation of the New York Tech color palette. These colors should lead our visual communications and provide a consistent connection to the university brand.
NY Black and City Steel complement the primary colors and provide additional flexibility for typography and supporting applications. Always use the approved color specifications to ensure consistent reproduction across print and digital communications.
Secondary Color Palette
The secondary palette expands the New York Tech color system and provides additional flexibility when more color is needed.
Secondary colors should support—not replace—the primary palette. Use them selectively, typically one supporting color at a time, so that Catalina Blue and Bear Gold remain the dominant expression of the New York Tech brand.
Using Color
Thoughtful use of color creates hierarchy, clarity, and a recognizable New York Tech presence. Lead with Catalina Blue and Bear Gold, introduce secondary colors selectively, and use ample white space to keep communications clear and focused.
For digital applications, always consider sufficient color contrast to support readability and accessibility.
Typography
Learn how our typefaces and typographic styles create a clear, consistent New York Tech voice across communications.
New York Tech’s brand typefaces help create a distinctive and recognizable visual presence across professionally designed print and digital communications. Consistent use of typography strengthens hierarchy and creates continuity across marketing materials, campaigns, the New York Tech website, and other branded applications. The source guide establishes separate print, web, and accent/display applications within the typography system.
Primary Typefaces
DIN Next LT Pro
New York Tech’s primary sans serif typeface provides flexibility across headlines, subheads, body copy, and supporting text.
DIN Next Slab Pro
The complementary slab serif adds contrast and emphasis while maintaining a strong relationship with the primary type family.
Supporting & Accent Typefaces
Arno Pro, Kuunari, and Summer Loving extend the typography system for specific supporting and expressive applications. Use these typefaces selectively and according to their intended roles within the brand system.
Using Brand Typography
Use typography to establish clear hierarchy and guide audiences through information. Create distinction among headlines, subheads, body copy, and supporting text through purposeful choices in size, weight, spacing, and typeface.
Avoid introducing unnecessary typefaces or styles. A focused typographic system helps communications feel cohesive and recognizably New York Tech.
Font Access
New York Tech’s brand typefaces are commercially licensed and are not provided for general university-wide use. They are intended for professionally designed communications and use by those with appropriate font licenses.
For presentations, documents, email, and other materials created by faculty and staff who do not have access to New York Tech’s licensed brand fonts, use the university’s approved Office typefaces.
These widely available alternatives support consistency across university communications while ensuring materials can be easily created, shared, and edited without requiring specialized font licenses.
Using Office Typography
Use approved Office typefaces consistently and keep formatting simple. Establish clear hierarchy through size and weight, limit the number of type styles within a document, and prioritize readability across platforms and devices.
Photography
Authentic imagery captures the people, experiences, and places that make the New York Tech community distinctive.
Photography Style
New York Tech photography should feel authentic, engaging, and connected to the experiences of our community. Images should capture real people, environments, and moments in ways that reflect the energy and character of the university.
Prioritize photography that feels natural rather than overly staged. Look for moments of interaction, discovery, collaboration, and engagement, as well as images that establish a strong sense of place.
Photography should support the story being told. Choose images with a clear subject and purpose, and consider composition, perspective, and available space for accompanying copy or graphic elements.
Selecting & Editing Photography
Choose images that are current, relevant to the communication, and representative of the New York Tech experience. Whenever possible, select photography that captures genuine activity and expression rather than posed or generic imagery.
Crop images thoughtfully to strengthen the focal point while preserving important context. Avoid excessive filters, effects, or alterations that make photography feel artificial or misrepresent the original scene.
Image adjustments should enhance clarity and reproduction without fundamentally changing the content or character of the photograph.
Rights & Releases
Use photography only when New York Tech has the appropriate rights and permissions for the intended application. Additional permissions may be required depending on the subject, source, or use of an image.
When photographing individuals, follow university requirements for model releases and permissions, particularly when photography will be used in marketing or promotional communications.
Find Approved Photography
Approved New York Tech photography is available through Aprimo. Whenever possible, begin there when selecting imagery for university communications.
If existing photography does not meet the needs of your project, contact Strategic Communications for guidance on planning new photography. Reach out early in the process to discuss your project goals, audience, intended use, timing, and photography needs.
Strategic Communications can also provide guidance on image selection, permissions, releases, and appropriate use of university photography.
Videography
Learn how video can bring the New York Tech brand to life through authentic storytelling and a consistent visual presence.
New York Tech video should feel authentic, engaging, and purposeful. Capture people, places, and experiences in ways that reflect the energy of our community and support the story being told
Prioritize genuine moments, natural interactions, and meaningful environments over footage that feels overly staged. Consider pacing, composition, lighting, and sound as part of the overall experience, and ensure each creative choice supports the message and audience.
Visual Style
Kinetic, tactile storytelling.
Grounded in authenticity and heightened realism. Real moments are elevated through emotion, movement, and sensory detail to create video that feels cinematic and human.
Branding in Video
New York Tech’s visual identity should be applied consistently in video just as it is in other university communications. Use approved logos, colors, typography, and other brand elements when creating titles, graphics, and branded video content.
Do not recreate or modify New York Tech marks for video. Branding should support the story rather than compete with the content.
Accessibility
Video content should be created with accessibility in mind. Provide accurate captions for spoken dialogue and other meaningful audio information so content can be understood by audiences who are deaf or hard of hearing and by viewers watching without sound.
Consider readability when placing text and graphics on screen, including sufficient size, contrast, placement, and display time.
Rights & Releases
Use video footage, music, graphics, and other content only when New York Tech has the appropriate rights and permissions for the intended use.
Follow university requirements for releases and permissions when filming individuals, and confirm that any third-party music, footage, photography, or other creative material is properly licensed before use.
Planning a Video Project
If you are planning a video for university communications, contact Strategic Communications early in the process. The team can provide guidance on brand alignment, creative approach, production needs, and appropriate use of New York Tech visual elements.
Sharing your goals, audience, intended channels, timeline, and project needs early can help determine the best approach.
Contact Strategic Communications to get started.
Use the appropriate format and technical specifications for the intended channel and audience. Whenever possible, begin with high-quality source footage that provides flexibility for editing, cropping, and adapting content across platforms.
Aspect Ratios & Orientation
Choose the format based on where the video will appear and how audiences will view it.
- 16:9 — Landscape: Standard for websites, YouTube, presentations, and other widescreen applications.
- 9:16 — Vertical: Preferred for Reels, Stories, and other mobile-first vertical video.
- 4:5 — Portrait: Appropriate for social feed content when additional vertical screen space is beneficial.
- 1:1 — Square: May be used when a square format is appropriate for the placement.
Consider final formats before filming. Frame subjects and important visual information so footage can be adapted to the required orientations without compromising the composition.
Resolution & Quality
Capture video at the highest practical quality for the production. High-resolution source footage provides greater flexibility for editing, reframing, and creating multiple versions.
For most digital applications, final video should be delivered at a minimum of 1080p. Higher-resolution source footage, such as 4K, may be used when appropriate.
Avoid enlarging low-resolution footage or repeatedly compressing files, which can reduce image quality.
Safe Areas & On-Screen Graphics
Keep important text, logos, captions, and graphics away from the edges of the frame. Platform interfaces and different screen sizes can obscure content positioned too close to the top, bottom, or sides.
Maintain sufficient contrast between on-screen text and the footage behind it, and allow enough display time for viewers to comfortably read the information.
Always preview the finished video in its intended format before publishing.
Captions
Provide accurate captions for spoken dialogue and meaningful audio information. Captions support accessibility and make video content easier to understand when viewed without sound.
Review automatically generated captions before publishing, paying particular attention to names, New York Tech terminology, punctuation, and accuracy.
When captions are incorporated into the video itself, position them within the safe viewing area so they are not obscured by platform controls or other graphics.
Export & Final Review
Export video in a format appropriate for its intended destination while maintaining strong image and audio quality. Retain a high-quality master file whenever possible so content can be adapted for future uses without relying on a previously compressed version.
Before publishing, review the final video for dimensions and orientation, image and audio quality, captions, on-screen text and graphics, and correct New York Tech branding.
Social Media
Build a consistent New York Tech presence across social channels while creating content that feels engaging, relevant, and right for each platform.
Brand Consistency
New York Tech social media should feel connected to the university brand while allowing content to respond naturally to each platform and audience.
Use approved logos, colors, typography, photography, and graphic elements when creating branded social content. Consistency does not mean every post should look the same; the goal is to create a recognizable visual presence while allowing flexibility in format and storytelling.
Profile & Account Branding
Official New York Tech social media accounts should use approved names, profile images, and other identifying elements so audiences can clearly recognize their connection to the university.
Do not create new logos, lockups, or modified New York Tech marks for individual social media accounts. Schools, departments, offices, and other units should follow the approved university identity system.
Creating Social Content
Create content with the platform, audience, and message in mind. Lead with strong imagery or video, keep graphics focused, and avoid overcrowding posts with excessive text or visual elements.
Use photography and video that feel authentic and relevant to the New York Tech experience. When text is incorporated into graphics, establish clear hierarchy and ensure it remains legible on smaller mobile screens.
Accessibility
Social media content should be created so it can be experienced by as many people as possible. Use sufficient color contrast, keep text readable, provide accurate captions for video, and include alternative text for meaningful images when supported by the platform.
Avoid relying on color alone to communicate important information, and consider how graphics and video will appear on smaller screens.
Social Media Support
For questions about New York Tech social media, account branding, or creating branded social content, contact Strategic Communications.
Approved brand assets and templates are available through Aprimo and Marq.
Choosing the Right Format
Design content for its intended platform and placement. Social media increasingly uses mobile-first formats, so consider the final orientation before selecting photography, filming video, or designing graphics.
Common formats include:
- 9:16 — Stories, Reels, and vertical video
- 4:5 — Portrait-oriented feed content
- 1:1 — Square feed content
- 16:9 — Landscape video and widescreen applications
Whenever possible, retain high-quality source files so content can be adapted for different placements.
Safe Areas
Keep logos, headlines, captions, and other important information away from the edges of social content. Platform interface elements can obscure content near the top, bottom, and sides of the screen.
For vertical content in particular, keep essential information within a central safe area and preview the finished content in its intended placement before publishing.
Social Graphics
Keep social graphics simple, focused, and easy to understand at a glance. Use approved New York Tech brand elements and prioritize one clear message rather than trying to communicate too much within a single graphic.
Templates available through Marq can help maintain brand consistency while allowing schools, departments, and offices to create content for their own needs.
Platform Specifications
Because social platforms regularly update their recommended dimensions, features, and display requirements, confirm current specifications before producing or publishing content.