Color
Our color palette gives us a voice and personality that elicits an emotional reaction. The Smithsonian color palette evokes a vibrant, bold, approachable, and everyday sensibility. The primary blue and yellow is the foundation of the brand and represents a sun and sky. Secondary colors are designed to emphasize how wide-ranging and diverse Smithsonian’s offerings are.
Primary
The primary color palette is our resting place. It is designed to be used in situations where the brand palette is not being used. For instance, use these colors sparingly only on white, black, or non-duatoned photography.
PMS: 116 C / 109 U
HEX: #ffcd00
RGB: 255 205 0
CMYK: 0 14 100 0
PMS: 2925 C / 299 U
HEX: #009cde
RGB: 0 156 222
CMYK: 85 21 0 0
PMS: BLACK 6C
HEX: #101820
RGB: 16 24 32
CMYK: 100 79 44 93
Secondary
The secondary palette consists of six main colors. These colors complement the primary palette and are used to create emphasis and promote variety in content.
PMS: 655 C
HEX: #002554
RGB: 0 37 84
CMYK: 100 79 12 59
PMS: 7700 C
HEX: #165c7d
RGB: 22 92 125
CMYK: 84 17 0 57
PMS: 0821 C
HEX: #74d1ea
RGB: 116 209 234
CMYK: 47 0 7 0
PMS: 158 C
HEX: #e87722
RGB: 232 119 34
CMYK: 0 62 95 0
PMS: 7409 C
HEX: #f0b323
RGB: 240 179 35
CMYK: 0 31 100 0
HEX: #ffffff
RGB: 255 255 255
CMYK: 0 0 0 0
Tertiary
The tertiary palette is neutral and subtle. Its purpose is to allow flexibility when working on websites. You can use the light blue or light gray for page divides or hover states. The darker, value gray tones can be used on type to give a more approachable readability.
HEX: #333f48
RGB: 51 63 72
CMYK: 65 43 26 78
HEX: #75787b
RGB: 117 120 123
CMYK: 30 22 17 57
HEX: #efefef
RGB: 239 239 239
CMYK: 5 3 3 0
HEX: #e2e8ec
RGB: 226 232 236
CMYK: 10 5 4 0
HEX: #d0d7de
RGB: 208 215 222
CMYK: 17 10 8 0
HEX: #f0515a
RGB: 240 81 90
CMYK: 0 84 59 0
