Consistent logo use is critical to reinforce brand recognition across a range of platforms and communications. Maintaining uniformity in logo application inspires a professional image that resonates with our partners, enhancing trust and credibility in the brand.
McMaster University’s iconic logo was updated for accessibility in 2024, increasing the space between the letters for better legibility, particularly when used at a smaller size.
The evolved Brighter World logo includes a modern new font and circle element that symbolizes inclusivity and collaboration.
In this section, you’ll learn more about proper logo usage, as well as have the ability to download McMaster logos and logos for various institutions, groups and centres around campus.
The traditional McMaster logo consists of two elements: the McMaster University wordmark and the shield. These elements have a fixed relationship and must never be separated, modified or altered in any way.
The McMaster logo represents McMaster’s dedication to collaboration and our strong history of innovation. It’s important that it appears on all official materials, documents or communications produced by the University.
The Brighter World logo is representative of every facet of the McMaster experience. Whether you’re a student, a staff member, a researcher or faculty, Brighter World is for you. The Brighter World logo can be used in a lockup with the McMaster logo, or on its own, as long as the McMaster logo also appears somewhere in the creative.
The McMaster logo represents McMaster’s dedication to collaboration and our strong history of innovation.
It’s important that the McMaster logo appears on all official materials, documents or communications produced by or for the University. The McMaster logo consists of two elements: the McMaster lettering wordmark (in the Garamond typeface) and the shield. These elements have a fixed relationship and must never be separated, modified or altered in any way and must be presented in approved colours and font only as outlined in these guidelines. The McMaster logo may not be used for commercial use or by any unauthorized individual or organization.
To improve accessibility and readability, the kerning, or spacing between the letters of the McMaster logo, has been increased.
You can download the updated McMaster logo suite from the Brand Resource SharePoint site under Logos > McMaster University > McMaster University
To have an approved logo lockup suites created, please contact brandmrk@mcmaster.ca.
Logo updated January 2024. Please ensure the latest logo version is being used.
Do not:
The approved McMaster logo colour variations are illustrated below. When possible, the full-colour version is always preferred. Always use the artwork files that are provided. The logos below use McMaster Heritage Maroon, McMaster Heritage Grey, McMaster Heritage Gold, and white. The single-colour logo, in either black or white, can be used when the full-colour logo cannot be reproduced. It is ideal for single-colour printing, etching, stamping, engraving, and embossing.
To ensure the integrity of the McMaster logo, it is surrounded by a clear space. Do not crowd this clear space with typography, imagery, or any other elements except in approved logo lockups. The following shows the minimum amount of clear space surrounding the McMaster logo. Use the same guideline to maintain the protected space in other McMaster logo applications, regardless of the number of colours used to reproduce it.
Minimum size requirements have been created to ensure the legibility of the McMaster logo and the Brighter World logo. However, the requirements may differ depending on the medium and process used for print. Always use vector-based master art for reproductions, ensuring sharpness at any scale, especially at the minimum size. Pay strict attention to the legibility of the logo. For this reason, the McMaster logo should never be smaller than the size specified below when printed at the optimum resolution of at least 300 dpi or on-screen when displayed on a calibrated screen.
McMaster University is one of Canada’s historic and most prestigious public research universities, it was officially created through an Act of the Ontario Legislative Assembly that received royal assent in 1887. This legacy should be strategically emphasized in a closer arrangement with the McMaster logo.
This arrangement should only be used in special circumstances, when the prestigious history of the university needs to be the leading message, as on the Viewbook cover.
DO NOT:
Existing Faculty symbols are permitted for use but should always be unlocked with the McMaster logo (or subsequent logos) or the Brighter World logo. It can only be used when it’s placed at a significant distance from the McMaster logo and Brighter World logo so that it is clear that it’s not part of those lockups.
A horizontal format of the McMaster logo is available for use in specific applications, such as narrow banners or certain digital displays, where spatial constraints necessitate a horizontal lockup. Use of this format requires prior approval, and official files will be provided upon permission. To request permission to use the horizontal logo, please contact: brandmrk@mcmaster.ca.
The McMaster logo may not be used for commercial use or by any unauthorized individual or organization. The use of the McMaster name and any McMaster logos require written approval from the McMaster Marketing team. All partners and/or vendors are required to complete and sign the McMaster Trademark License Agreement.
For additional information, please see the Trademark Usage FAQs.
To request the use of the McMaster name and logo, please contact: brandmrk@mcmaster.ca
It takes everyone to create a Brighter World.
The Brighter World logo is representative of every facet of the McMaster experience. Whether you’re a student, a staff member, a researcher or faculty, Brighter World is for you. Featuring a modern font and circle element, the evolved Brighter World logo symbolizes the inclusivity and collaboration that makes McMaster such a special place.
The Brighter World logo always appears as shown below. Always use the artwork files that are provided. The logos below use McMaster Heritage Maroon, McMaster Heritage Grey, McMaster Heritage Gold, and white. The single-colour logo, in either black or white, can be used when the full-colour logo cannot be reproduced. It is ideal for single-colour printing, etching, stamping, engraving, and embossing.
You can download the updated Brighter World logo suite from the Brand Resource SharePoint site under Logos > Brighter World.
Using the Brighter World logo with the McMaster logo in the following combinations reinforces our brand personality – in print materials, on banners and in online communications. The arrangement of the elements must adhere to the guidelines specified below. When using any McMaster logo lockup, the McMaster logo must be on the outer side of the asset (closest to the edge of the page or artboard). When the logo lockup is centred on a page, the McMaster logo should be on the left side. Left and right logo lockup versions are available to accommodate this.
Horizontal logo arrangements
If the physical dimension of the layout is narrow and doesn’t allow for the horizontal arrangement of the logo, a vertical arrangement of the logo with the McMaster logo should be used as demonstrated below.
Always use the artwork files that are provided. The logos below use McMaster Heritage Maroon, McMaster Heritage Grey, McMaster Heritage Gold, and white. The single-colour logo, in either black or white, can be used when the full-colour logo cannot be reproduced. It is ideal for single-colour printing, etching, stamping, engraving, and embossing.
Stacked (vertical) logo arrangements
To ensure the integrity of the Brighter World logo, it is surrounded by a clear space. Do not crowd this clear space with typography, imagery, or any other elements except in approved logo lockups. The following shows the minimum amount of clear space surrounding the McMaster logo. Use the same guideline to maintain the protected space in other McMaster logo applications, regardless of the number of colours used to reproduce it.
When including a URL (either mcmaster.ca, or any other specific faculty or department) alongside the Brighter World logo lockup, the URL baseline should align with the logos as shown below. The URL should be a minimum of two “M heights” away from the edge of the Brighter World logo. The URL font should be lowercase matching the logos’ lowercase character height and in Poppins font. The URL colour may differ depending on print or digital application, but should be grey or maroon.
McMaster logo left
McMaster logo right
Logo lockups highlight the collaboration at the heart of McMaster University.
Approved McMaster University logo lockups are available at various levels including faculties, departments, programs, divisions, approved administrative units, research institutes, centres and core platforms.
To request an approved McMaster logo lockup and logo suite, please complete the Logo Request Form. Your request will be reviewed by the university brand team in consultation with the appropriate faculty or administrative unit.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about logo lockups.
To ensure the integrity of the McMaster logo lockups, it is surrounded by a clear space. Do not crowd this clear space with typography, imagery, or any other elements except in approved logo lockups. The following shows the minimum amount of clear space surrounding the McMaster logo. Use the same guideline to maintain the protected space in other McMaster logo applications, regardless of the number of colours used to reproduce it.
When using any McMaster logo lockup, the McMaster logo must be on the outer side of the asset (closest to the edge of the page or artboard). When the logo lockup is centred on a page, the McMaster logo should be on the left side. Left, right vertical logo lockup versions are available to accommodate these placements.
When combining multiple McMaster logo lockups, it is best practice to revert to the McMaster logo by itself and use the copy within the body text to explain any relationships between multiple faculty or departments. Using the McMaster logo on its own maintains the integrity of the McMaster brand.
When featuring multiple departments within the same faculties, it is best practice to revert to the primary faculty logo lockup, maintaining the strength and integrity of the faculty brand.
When multiple faculties are being represented, stacked faculty logos can be combined up to a maximum of three levels.
When featuring multiple department level logos, the groups should be grey, uppercase and lowercase in the Poppins font.
For multiple logos on event posters ideally use the primary faculty logos. Alternatively, list out all group sponsors in grey, uppercase and lowercase in the Poppins font leading with the copy, “In partnership with.”
In certain cases, a school logo can be separated from the McMaster faculty logo lock-up. The lockup can be used when the school logo need to be highlighted more prominently, the logos need to be enlarged, or if the McMaster logo will be repeated multiple times on the same creative.
To request an approved McMaster logo lockup and logo suite, please complete the Logo Request Form.
Research institutes, centres and core research platforms can include a secondary mark within a McMaster logo lockup. When locked up with the McMaster logo, removing the word “McMaster” from within the research institute, centre or core research platform lockup is strongly recommended. However, it is encouraged to continue using the original name in any written copy, such as McMaster Research Institute/Centre (MRIC).
In certain cases, the research institute or centre logo can be separated from the McMaster faculty logo lock-up. The lockup can be used when the research institute or centre logos need to be highlighted more prominently, the logos need to be enlarged, or if the McMaster logo will be repeated multiple times on the same creative.
Collaborating with partners beyond our campus borders.
We are determined to advance human and societal health and well-being for all. It’s a bold vision where people with diverse talents work together to solve important challenges and build a brighter world. Part of this mission means collaborating with local, national and global partners to solve the world’s most complex challenges. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about creating partnership logos.
When partnering with other affiliated organizations, the McMaster logo should remain separate and its own logo lockup. Rather than a dividing line, visual space should be used to separate affiliated organizations. When used with a McMaster logo lockup, the dividing line acts as an umbrella for all entities that exist only within McMaster University as an institution. Common affiliated organization logo lockups can be found on the Brand Resource SharePoint site under Logos > Affiliated Organizations.
When a research institute or centre is affiliated with both McMaster and a partner institution, such as a hospital, the logo lockup should be created with both logos, followed by the vertical bar and the research institute or centre name, with or without a secondary mark.
Please note that the spacing on either side of the vertical bar in the horizontal lockup will be equal to the spacing between the McMaster and the partner institution logo combination. This spacing is larger than the standard research institute and centre secondary mark logo lock up.
The order of the McMaster University and partner institution logos can be switched depending on who the communication is being sent from.
The preferred logo lockup in the horizontal layout:
Alternatively, a stacked logo lockup can be used.
To have an approved McMaster logo lockup suite created, please contact: brandmrk@mcmaster.ca.
Frequently asked questions about McMaster’s trademark usage.
Below responds to questions and provides the process to follow when considering requests to use the McMaster brand and/or logo, for example, in a business name, on a website or on signage. This guidance is not exhaustive. The examples and scenarios described below are provided for general reference only. If a particular situation is not addressed here, it does not imply permission to use the McMaster brand and/or logo. In all cases, use of the McMaster brand and/or logo requires appropriate review and approval, and you should consult the relevant McMaster offices if there is any uncertainty.
McMaster employees, including faculty and staff, can use the McMaster logo for McMaster initiatives such as approved programs, research institutes and centres, and with respect to their official role within McMaster (e.g., signature lines, letterhead).
The McMaster logo may not be used for commercial use or by any unauthorized individual or organization.
The use of the McMaster name and any McMaster logos require written approval from Brand Marketing. All partners and/or vendors are required to complete and sign the McMaster Trademark License Agreement.
As a general rule, third parties cannot use the McMaster brand and/or logo.
Approval must be obtained to use the McMaster brand and logo, and generally an affiliation or partnership agreement must be in place. A Trademark License Agreement for brand and/or logo use must be included in (or added to) an affiliation/partnership agreement in order to use the McMaster brand. If no such affiliation or partnership agreement exists, a standalone Trademark License Agreement must be executed before any use of the McMaster brand or logo.
Please contact Brand Marketing for a Trademark License Agreement to complete.
Please contact Brand Marketing who will review the request and supply a Trademark License Agreement for completion and final approval.
If yes, confirm with the responsible senior leader that there is an agreement/contract in place. If there is an existing contract/agreement already in place but it does not include a Trademark License Agreement or language, and the senior leader agrees to logo use (e.g., on third-party website), then engage Brand Marketing who will provide the Trademark License Agreement for third-party logo use. If incorporating a separate Trademark License Agreement is impractical, the University Office of Legal Services should be consulted to embed appropriate trademark license language directly into the existing agreement.
If no, engage the related responsible leader above. If the relationship does not translate into an agreement, advise the requestor that the logo and/or brand cannot be used. If the relationship does translate into an agreement, the responsible leader will facilitate a partnership agreement with legal services, which can include a Trademark License for logo/brand use if deemed appropriate (e.g., for affiliate to use on their website).
If this is Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph’s Hospital or Mohawk College, there is an agreement in place and so it is generally it is okay for these partners to use the McMaster logo in defined circumstances e.g., shared research institutes, joint recruitment and this should be in the affiliation agreement.
This depends on the agreement and affiliation, please consult with legal services to confirm. The Office of Legal Services will determine if an additional Trademark License Agreement needed.
Other non-Hamilton healthcare sites are not affiliated with McMaster in the same way, as such they do not use our logo. Some of our clinical educational locations have signage to identify themselves as an official McMaster teaching site. In these instances, there is an memorandum of agreement (MOA) in place with Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Education Services. Similarly, for part-time faculty, FHS Education Services has provided McMaster certificates that they can post in their office, these are specific to the faculty member, not for website or digital posting. FHS Education Services manages this.
If the existing partnership agreement does not reference logo use, confirm with the agreement owner and, if logo use is confirmed, engage Brand Marketing who will provide a Trademark License Agreement template for the partner to complete.
If it is not a McMaster-led initiative that includes an agreement/contract (e.g., affiliation agreement and/or contracted research project that has gone through McMaster Industry Liaison Office – MILO), then the McMaster name/logo cannot not be used without implementing an appropriate agreement (e.g., either education or research); including a Trademark License Agreement for logo use.
If it is not a McMaster-led initiative that includes an agreement/contract (e.g., affiliation agreement, contracted research project that has gone through MILO), then the McMaster name/logo cannot not be used without implementing an appropriate agreement (e.g., either education or research); including a Trademark License Agreement for logo use.
If this is an extension of a department the McMaster brand can be used in connection with the department, as approved by the Department Chair.
A Trademark Licence Agreement is not required for internal McMaster initiatives. If the initiative is part of a McMaster school, department, course and/or program, and endorsed by the executive leader of the relevant school, department, course and/or program, the McMaster name/branding can be used specifically as it relates to the endorsed initiative.
McMaster students must use official, unaltered McMaster University logos from the Brand Resource SharePoint for authorized academic or faculty approved club purposes. The logo must not be used for personal, commercial, or unauthorized projects.
Businesses and organizations that offer student placements or internships cannot use the McMaster logo (e.g. on their website) for this purpose without prior written agreement, including a Trademark License Agreement.
Engage Brand Marketing to report any misuse of the McMaster brand and logo.