Our Logo System

Yale School of Medicine (YSM) uses the official Yale wordmark system to visually identify the School. These wordmarks replace individual departmental or program logos and must appear on all official communications, including digital, print, and promotional materials.

There is just one approved format for the Yale School of Medicine logo. There are no vertical or abbreviated versions.

Primary wordmarks are available in full-color and white formats, and in both print-ready (EPS) and digital (PNG, SVG) files. Always use the provided artwork without modification to ensure consistency, clarity, and brand integrity.

Download YSM Primary Wordmark (ZIP)

Package includes blue and white versions in PNG, SVG, EPS formats. If you need other formats, please contact ysm.brand@yale.edu.

Do not scale wordmarks horizontally or vertically.

The Yale logo should have clear space on all sides that is equal to the height of the ‘Y’ at the size it’s being used. For example, the logo shown below is .25” tall and therefore needs.25” clear space—shown here in gray—added to all sides. No text or other graphics should be within the gray area.

In print, the Yale logo should be large enough to ensure legibility and a proper hierarchical relationship to other typographic elements. The ‘Y’ in the wordmark should be at least the size of 9 point type.

For digital display, the Yale logo should be no smaller than 12 pixels tall.

The YSM logo may only be shown in black, white, Yale Blue, or Yale Gray. Specifications for Yale Blue and Yale Gray can be found here.

The preferred background colors for a white “drop-out” Yale logo are black, Yale Blue, and Yale Gray.

• Other background colors are permissible. If using a background color other than black, Yale Blue, or Yale Gray, the Yale logo must appear in white against a dark background or black against a light background.
• Maintain contrast between the background and the logo to ensure legibility. Never print it against or dropped out of a busy background that compromises its visibility.
• The logo may be printed against or dropped out of a photographic image only if it remains highly visible and legible.

In digital applications, the main site logo is controlled at the system level and is generally placed in the header (see below for guidance on using the logo on external sites).

In print publications, the YSM wordmark does not need to be a prominent display element. It can function at small to moderate sizes to brand a publication as a Yale product. In print formats, the YSM wordmark functions best when placed on the back cover or at the bottom of a page.

Use of external logos, badges, or certification symbols on YSM materials requires approval from the Office of Communications — some uses may require approval from the Dean or General Council. Please contact us at ysm.brand@yale.edu for guidance.

The Yale School of Medicine shield is used for celebratory reasons and only with audiences for whom the shield is recognizable. For approval to use the shield and receive art files, please contact ysm.brand@yale.edu.