Typography
Typography plays a vital role in CBU branding by expressing our brand's personality and tone, shaping how its message is perceived. Effective typography boosts readability and brand recognition, creating a unique and memorable visual identity that aligns with our brand's core values.
Primary – Proxima Nova
Proxima nova is the primary typeface used in all CBU marketing communications. The Proxima Nova font family offers a variety of weights and styles.
Any materials that are going to remain in circulation for more than six months or are intended for off-campus audiences (e.g. future students, donors, parents, etc.) should use these fonts (Proxima Nova and Sabon) exclusively.
Alternate fonts can be used for short-term, campus-oriented communications, but graphic design best practices recommend using no more than two fonts per communication piece (flyer, banner, digital advertisement, etc.)
For: Title Headers, Sub Headers
For: Title Headers, Sub Headers, Body Copy, Footnotes
For: Title Headers, Sub Headers
Secondary – Sabon
Sabon is used as a secondary typeface in some CBU marketing communications that require elegance (e.g., awards, diplomas, formal event invitations, etc.) The Sabon font family offers a variety of weights and styles.
For: Title Headers, Sub Headers, Body Copy, Footnotes
Alternative – Arial and Garamond
Arial and Garamond are free alternate font options found on most PC and Mac computers. They should only be used if access to Proxima Nova or Sabon is unavailable.
Usage Guidelines
Follow the guidelines below to ensure consistency in how CBU typography is represented across all platforms, reinforcing recognition, recall, and trust. Use the guide to maintain a cohesive look and feel in every piece of content, regardless of who creates it, thereby preventing errors or misinterpretations.
The guidelines below are current as of 2025 and supersede any previously published brand/style guidelines.