Ohio State Font: Official Style Guide

The Ohio State University is renowned for its rich history, academic excellence, and vibrant athletic programs. One of the key elements that visually represents the university’s brand identity is its official font. The Ohio State font, also known as the “Ohio State brand font,” is a custom-designed typeface that reflects the university’s values, spirit, and tradition. In this article, we will delve into the official style guide for the Ohio State font, exploring its history, design principles, and usage guidelines.

History of the Ohio State Font The Ohio State font was introduced in 2008 as part of a comprehensive brand identity overhaul. The university sought to create a unique and distinctive visual identity that would unify its various colleges, departments, and athletic programs. The custom-designed font was created by a team of expert typographers and designers who worked closely with university stakeholders to ensure that the font accurately reflected the institution’s values and heritage.

Design Principles The Ohio State font is based on a classic serif design, with clean lines, elegant curves, and a strong, sturdy feel. The font is highly legible, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, from digital media to print materials. The design principles underlying the Ohio State font include:

• Timelessness: The font is designed to be timeless, avoiding trendy or fashionable elements that may quickly become dated.
• Legibility: The font is optimized for legibility, with clear letterforms and ample spacing between characters.
• Consistency: The font is designed to be consistent across all applications, ensuring a unified visual identity for the university.

Usage Guidelines To ensure consistent use of the Ohio State font across all university communications, the official style guide provides detailed usage guidelines. These guidelines cover various aspects, including:

• Font weights: The Ohio State font is available in several font weights, ranging from light to bold. The style guide recommends using the regular font weight for body text and the bold font weight for headings and titles.
• Font sizes: The style guide provides guidelines for font sizes, recommending a minimum font size of 10 points for body text and 18 points for headings.
• Line spacing: The style guide recommends a line spacing of 1.2 to 1.5 times the font size to ensure optimal readability.
• Color: The official colors of The Ohio State University are scarlet and gray. The style guide recommends using these colors consistently across all university communications.

Digital Applications In the digital realm, the Ohio State font is used extensively across the university’s website, social media platforms, and digital marketing materials. To ensure optimal rendering on digital devices, the style guide recommends:

• Web font: The Ohio State font is available as a web font, allowing for seamless integration into digital applications.
• Font formats: The style guide recommends using the WOFF (Web Open Font Format) and WOFF2 font formats for digital applications.

Print Applications In print materials, the Ohio State font is used for a wide range of applications, including brochures, flyers, posters, and business cards. The style guide recommends:

• Font embedding: The Ohio State font should be embedded in all print materials to ensure consistent rendering.
• Paper quality: The style guide recommends using high-quality paper with a minimum weight of 80 gsm to ensure optimal print quality.

Conclusion The Ohio State font is an integral part of the university’s brand identity, reflecting its values, spirit, and tradition. By following the official style guide, university communicators can ensure consistent use of the font across all applications, reinforcing the university’s visual identity and strengthening its brand recognition.

By following the guidelines outlined in this article, Ohio State University communicators can effectively use the Ohio State font to reinforce the university’s brand identity and create a consistent visual language across all communications. Whether in digital or print applications, the Ohio State font is an essential element in promoting the university’s values, spirit, and tradition.