Office of Public Information

Usage Guide for University Names, Symbols, and Logos

Referring to the University

When referring to USC or USC Lancaster, do not write The University of South Carolina---it is just University of South Carolina. If you need to use the, make sure it is lower case. When abbreviating USC Lancaster, do not use a hyphen between USC and L. The correct way to use the abbreviation is USCL. Also, if you abbreviate USCL in a document, please type out University of South Carolina Lancaster first, and then refer to it as USCL or USC Lancaster.

University Logos

For those offices that use the USC or USCL logo, please make sure you do not alter that logo in any form. For more information visit USC's webpage, Official Logos and the University of South Carolina Visual Identity. This web site will give you information concerning the use of the logos. I will be happy to supply you with logos that you need or you can request them yourself using USC's Logo Request Form.

Pantone Color Change

The University has changed the color match for the garnet color from PMS 201 to PMS 202. The PMS 202 is a shade deeper than the 201 and moves our color match closer to a true garnet rather than a "red" color -- particularly when printing on gloss and matte coated papers. PLEASE NOTE: Inks print differently on coated and uncoated stocks. We are retaining the use of PMS 201 for printing on uncoated papers, which includes our traditional stationery and envelopes.