University of Maryland Logo PNG
The elements that make up the University of Maryland logo represent the institution and its history. The logo symbolizes the unity of all UMD colleges, schools, laboratories, and educational centers. It is associated with the academic and athletic achievements of the students.
University of Maryland: Brand overview
| Founded: | March 6, 1856 |
| Headquarters: | Maryland, United States |
| Website: | umd.edu |
The University of Maryland, or UMD, is a public institution with a research focus. Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., it is in constant cooperation with the U.S. federal government and receives ample funding. In 1988 it was incorporated into the newly formed University System of Maryland (USM), making it a flagship campus. The University of Maryland logo, like most of the institutions of higher learning listed in the system, uses the colors of the state flag: gold, black, white, and red.
UMD has had several major rebrands in its history. First, the institution was called Maryland Agricultural College. It was incorporated in 1856 and received land in Riverdale Park two years later at the initiative of a local politician and enslaver, Charles Benedict Calvert. In 1859 the college enrolled its first students. But very soon, the American Civil War began, and it went bankrupt, becoming a preparatory school.
In 1866 the school was restored, for which it had to sacrifice its status as a private institution and become half publicly owned. Another mishap occurred in 1912: the college closed because a fire destroyed almost the entire campus except for one building. It was rebuilt, but a huge compass still reminds this terrible event with lines that indicate where the burned buildings used to be.
The modern history of the institution began in 1916 when it was named Maryland State College. In 1920 it became a structural part of the then-existing University of Maryland and five years later was officially accredited. In 1988, it was made USM’s flagship campus and renamed again – this time to the University of Maryland, College Park. Nine years later, the city designation was removed from the name: the state legislature deemed such a clarification unnecessary, given UMD’s enormous influence on the local educational system.
Meaning and History
The University of Maryland logo is an important marketing tool, conveying the institution’s image. It is often found in media publications, signs, souvenirs, the Internet, promotional materials, and brochures. As for print, its use is limited to certificates, diplomas, presidential addresses, and official events.
The UMD logo uses the same four-piece balloon as the university seal. It’s a tribute to the state symbolism of the state. As you know, its official flag features elements from the coat of arms of George Calvert, the statesman who started Maryland. The red-and-white crosses, decorated around the edges with three semicircles (the so-called trefoil crosses), were taken from the icons of his maternal relatives, the Crosslands. And his father’s family surnamed Calvert, inherited the yellow and black quadrilateral ornament.
What is the University of Maryland?
The University of Maryland is the largest and one of the oldest institutions in the state. It was founded in 1856 in College Park, Maryland. For the high quality of education, UMD is on the “Public Ivy” list, which lists only the most prestigious universities that are comparable to Ivy League members.
The designers of the University of Maryland logo have carefully preserved this historical heritage but presented it in a different form – not in a heraldic shield, as on the state flag, but as a circle with a convex center. All of the inscriptions are located below. The school’s name is divided into two lines to make the word mark more compact. At the same time, the first part is almost half as small as the second. By adjusting the scale, the developers achieved the same width of the lines for visual balance. The font they used has long serifs, uneven thickness strokes, and a slight asymmetry that makes the letters dynamic.
If you dig deeper into the archives, you can tell that the seal and the University of Maryland logo come from English heraldry. After all, the basis of their common element is the family coat of arms of Lord George Calvert of Great Britain. The globe, which looks like a globe, symbolizes the global scope of research and science – what UMD’s work is built on. It also represents the global recognition the university has achieved in its more than a century and a half history.
The designers adapted the state flag components to a modern style, making them streamlined. At the same time, they combined modernized drawing with classical typography to show the dynamism of the university and its ability to combine progressive solutions and strict standards, without which it is impossible to avoid in the field of education.
The Seal
This element of UMD’s identity looks quite different from the Maryland state seal, although some elements are the same. Both have patterns taken from the state flag: a yellow and black ornament of geometric shapes and two red and white Crossland Banner. In the case of the University of Maryland seal, they are slightly convex because they are shaped like a ball. The figure is divided into four segments. In the upper left corner and lower right is distorted quadrangles and triangles. They are presented in alternating colors: gold and black. The rest of the space is occupied by the so-called Crossland Banner.
The ball is placed in the center of a white circle with an outline of two black lines of different thicknesses. And that, in turn, is located inside a ring with the same double outline. As usual, on any seal, basic information is written along the outer frame. At the top is the word “UNIVERSITY OF,” arched; at the bottom is the word “MARYLAND,” curved in the opposite direction. They are separated by the numbers “18” and “56”, indicating the year the institution was established.
Font and Colors
The University of Maryland wordmark consists of two lines of different sizes. They differ only in proportions and letter spacing. Other parameters are the same. The font used belongs to the Bembo Std family. It is approximately similar to the Novel Pro Semi Bold by Atlas Font Foundry but has more pointed lines. It is a contrasting antiqua with long serifs. Its style matches the inscriptions on ancient Roman bas-reliefs.
The color scheme is appropriate given that the university’s visual symbols contain elements from the Maryland state flag. It includes red (#E21833), gold (#FFD200), black (#000000), and white (#FFFFFFFF), and this applies equally to the seal and the logo.
University of Maryland color codes
| Red | Hex color: | #e21833 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 226 24 54 | |
| CMYK: | 0 89 77 11 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 185 C |
| Gold | Hex color: | #ffd200 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 255 210 0 | |
| CMYK: | 0 18 100 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 109 C |
| Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
| CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
