Princeton University’s visual identity centers on a heraldic shield in orange and black, a mark rooted in the institution’s 1896 transition from the College of New Jersey to Princeton University. The shield appears in two principal forms: a formal version with the university motto on a ribbon, and a simplified “graphic identity” version used across communications and merchandise.
Design and History
The university’s official seal, from which the shield is derived, was adopted in 1896 when Princeton changed its name from the College of New Jersey. The trustees’ minutes of February 13, 1896, describe it as “a shield resting upon a circle. In the upper part of the shield an open Bible with Latin characters VET NOV TESTAMENTUM signifying the Old and New Testaments. In the lower part a chevron, denoting the rafters of a building.” The seal also includes the Latin motto “DEI SUB NUMINE VIGET” (“Under God’s Power She Flourishes”) and the phrase “seal of Princeton University” in Latin.[1]
In 2007, the shield was redesigned to be wider and rounder than the previous version, and the black outline around the outside was removed to simplify and modernize its look.[1] The redesign was part of a broader new graphic identity created by New York firm Pentagram Design, in consultation with a University steering committee. The new identity replaced one designed by Drenttel Doyle Partners Inc. that had been adopted in 1994.[2]
Princeton’s orange and black colors were formally adopted by the Board of Trustees in 1896, the same year the institution became a university. Orange had been used informally with black for decades prior, and the orange was chosen to honor William of Nassau, the Prince of Orange, whose family colors were orange and blue.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The open Bible on the shield bears the Latin characters “VET NOV TESTAMENTUM,” signifying the Old and New Testaments, reflecting the university’s Presbyterian founding.[4] The chevron in the lower portion of the shield denotes “the rafters of a building,” according to the 1896 trustees’ minutes.[1]
The university’s motto, “Dei sub numine viget,” meaning “under God she flourishes,” appears on the formal seal with a ribbon. The Office of Communications uses two main shield designs: a “classic” version with the ribbon and motto for ceremonial uses like awards and programs, and a “graphic identity” version without the ribbon and motto for business items.[4]
Typography and Design
The 2007 identity introduced Princeton Monticello, a commissioned typeface with historic ties to both the university and America. The original Monticello font dates to America’s first successful type foundry, established by Archibald Binny and James Ronaldson in Philadelphia in 1796. In 1949, the Mergenthaler Linotype Company designed a fourth version of the typeface for the publication of “The Papers of Thomas Jefferson” by Princeton University Press, and it was during this revision that the font was named for Jefferson’s Virginia mansion.[2]
The university’s official “Princeton Orange” color is standardized as Pantone 158, the closest ink match to a swatch of cloth showing the orange adopted by the trustees in 1959 and kept in the archives for historical reference.[5] The primary shield is two colors, Princeton Orange and black, and may appear in black only or orange only on a white background.[5]
The words “Princeton” and “Princeton University,” as well as the University shield, are trademarks registered with the U.S. Trademark Office.[6]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
