Logo Standards and Guidelines

Everything produced as a communications tool – whether internal or external – is subject to graphic standards guidelines. In most cases, the UF Health logo must appear on all publications and promotional materials. There are some exceptions to this when a UF Health entity may be branded as UF. Visit the UF Brand Center to review the graphic and identity standards for the University of Florida.

What’s covered by identity standards?

Publications and promotional materials include, but are not limited to:

  • Brochures and flyers
  • Emails
  • Forms
  • Newsletters
  • Patient information
  • Print and broadcast advertisements
  • Recruitment materials
  • Signs
  • Specialty items
  • Stationery and business cards
  • Videos
  • Websites and other electronic media

Additionally, any printed item that uses a logo (for instance, tickets, badges, shuttle bus wraps, etc.) must conform to the established logo policies.

Who’s covered by identity standards?

  • All Shands hospitals/facilities
  • All UF Health colleges, centers and institutes
  • UF primary care and specialty practices
  • All third-party vendors

You may direct logo questions to UF Health Communications – 352-273-5810 or 352-265-0373, or 904-244-9750 in Jacksonville.

Official logos should always be used on letterhead, business cards and forms, as well as brochures, publications, websites and other advertising initiatives.

If you are searching for official UF-approved logos, please visit the UF Brand Center for more information and how to download them.

Unique logos and graphic elements

Question: Can I add a graphic element, like a bird or flower, to an official UF Health logo, or use a unique graphic element to represent my department / program / initiative / event in print or the Web or social media?

Answer: No.

The visual elements and communication guidelines were developed with great care and expertise, guided by honest input from internal advisors and feedback from the community.

The visual elements related to our system brand identity, our text logo treatments, and the positioning of these elements in a design layout all work together to convey a message of excellence, strength, stability, warmth, recognition and consistency for our health system.

Because the various elements of the brand have been designed to work together as a coherent system, it’s not a good idea to introduce new elements.

From time to time, an individual department, program or facility will request a unique logo design or graphic element that deviates from our brand identity. The reason is understandable – usually the goal is to convey a specific emotion or message about their service or specialty, or to create a unique identity. Still, to preserve the main UF Health brand and its quick, easy, consistent recognition, we won’t endorse any logo designed outside of our identity standards. But because we’ve gained a lot of equity in the UF Health master logo, you can take comfort in knowing that using an approved and appropriate UF Health logo will serve you well.

UF Health Labcoats, Scrubs and Polo Shirts

UF Health labcoats should be worn by any faculty/staff member practicing in a patient care area or who may interact with patients. Department-specific patches are not permitted on garments, including labcoats, scrubs and polo shirts. All new lab coat orders should use the official two-color UF Health logo. The UF Health logo should always appear on the right lapel (if you are wearing the coat) or left or right breast (if you are wearing the polo shirt or scrubs). No additional information may be placed on the side of the coat or shirt that retains the UF Health logo. Your name, credentials and specialty or department name, etc., should be placed on the opposite lapel or side of the shirt or scrub top (if necessary). Please limit the amount of information that is placed on the opposite lapel or side of the shirt so it is both readable and professional in appearance.

Question: Can I call my department/program/facility/initiative whatever I want and create a logo for it?

Answer: No. The name of your new (or existing) program/facility/initiative should adhere to our naming structure and conventions. All names should be routed through UF Health Communications for review and approval. We solicit the opinions of our legal team and leadership before approving the name of a program/facility/initiative. Generally, we do not create UF Health department/division-specific logos, as departments/divisions are typically housed within the academic institutions/colleges, which carry the UF, not the UF Health, brand. Departments/divisions housed in the hospital setting typically use the logo for the entity in which those departments/divisions are found (eg., UF Health Shands Hospital), with the name of the department/divisions spelled out in text, not in a logo.

In general, we will create a logo when the following criteria have been met:

  1. The name or wording follows the proper naming conventions for UF Health.
  2. Register your name with the appropriate legal department(s) to protect it, to assess any risks associated with the wording, and to ensure that it doesn’t infringe another’s copyright or trademark protection. There could be legal consequences if we were to promote an initiative using a logo that contains wording that has not been legally verified and approved.
  3. You have received approval from UF Health Communications.

Once your official name has been filed, we can create a logo for you in accordance with our guidelines.

Consortium or Initiative Logos

At times a UF Health entity (such as a college, department, facility, center, etc.) or UF Health entity may participate in a consortium or initiative with other organizations or outside our organization. Often there’s a need to develop a unique identity in those cases. In cases where the UF or UF Health entity wishes to promote the work in which it’s involved, we recommend adding the appropriate UF or UF Health logo to materials. This will lend credibility to the message. UF Health Creative Services does not design logos or marks on behalf of consortiums or initiatives in which a UF or UF Health entity participates. Additionally, if the consortium or initiative originates here and/or we have a primary administrative role, then any logos developed by external vendors must be reviewed and approved by UF Health Communications prior to use.

Secondary and Promotional Logo Development Guidelines for UF Health

At times an entity that seems to fall under the UF Health umbrella asks us for a logo for something not already listed on our creative services naming conventions Website.

  • A UF Health logo may be developed for any entity that first acquires an official UF Health name. Creative Services is not the arbiter of formal UF Health names; naming decisions are made by UF Health senior leaders, who use their own set of criteria to determine if a formal and legally recognized name will be granted. Those leaders will determine the goals and focus around the entity. (UF Health’s naming framework is here.) If there’s any indication that patient care is involved (including translational versus basic science research), even as that involvement may be part of a larger consortium/campus initiative, then the entity may be given a formal UF Health name. UF Health typically does not formally name initiatives, clinical studies or events because they may be short-lived or occur only once. Rather, those initiatives, studies or events, when tied to a formal UF Health entity, should use the approved entity(ies) logo(s) on materials designated for the initiative, study or event.
  • If the entity is given a formal UF Health name, then the logo inquiry ends here. We will create an official UF Health logo based on the pre-approved name. There is no consideration of a UF secondary or promotional logo.
  • If the entity is not given a formal UF Health name (thus no formal UF Health logo will be developed), then, if necessary and appropriate, UF Health will pass the inquiry to University Relations (UREL) to determine if the entity should have a formal UF name. UF leaders use their own set of criteria to determine if a name, thus a logo, is warranted.
  • If UREL deems that the entity should have a formal name (or perhaps it already has one), UREL can advise UF Health creative services to create a secondary logo for the entity using UREL-approved wording for the logo. If no UF name is granted, then the UF official logo inquiry ends here. Or, a UF name may be granted, but UREL advises that no formal primary or secondary logo will be developed for the entity. Again, the inquiry ends here.
  • An entity may opt to produce a promotional logo as per UREL’s guidelines if it is not eligible for a formal UF Health nor UF name and/or logo, if and only if it meets one of the pre-approved UF criteria for developing a promotional logo. (Note: Given that it was already determined that the entity did not include a patient care element nor that a UF Health entity[ies] was represented in the initiative, UF Health should not be concerned if the entity develops a UF promotional logo, so long as it meets the pre-approved UF criteria.) UF has strict design guidelines around promotional logos. Please ensure that these are followed. As a courtesy, please share promotional logos to UF Health Marketing and Creative Services for review prior to using. UF Health Creative Services may also assist in developing a promotional logo, but UREL will have to approve it.

Guidelines for using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) logo on materials

In 2023, the UF Health Cancer Center became the 72nd NCI-Designated Cancer Center and the only NCI-Designated Cancer Center based at a public university in the state of Florida. Here are guidelines on how to appropriately use the NCI badge.

Guidelines for Milestone and/or Anniversary Markse

Graphic elements and other visual marks may never be used on corporate letterhead, business cards or forms. Only our official UF Health or UF logos may be used. However, significant anniversary or milestone events are often a source of pride, progress, awareness and fundraising. In select cases, anniversary or significant milestone marks may be used on letterhead and other promotional/communications materials under these circumstances:

  • The mark may only represent, or apply to, a UF college, the overall UF Health system, or a UF Health hospital. Marks for departments, programs, initiatives, institutes or centers are not permitted, however UF Health Communications leadership and executive leadership may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis . Marks are not the same as our official UF Health or UF logos, which contain the name of the master brand (UF Health or UF) and then the approved name of the facility, entity or program. Marks should never be used in place of an official UF Health logo.
  • On formal letterhead, the mark may only appear adjacent to the signature line. It cannot be larger than the master UF Health logo that appears in the upper left corner of the letterhead.
  • The mark may only appear for a defined period of time, which is a calendar year or 12-month window from the actual date of the anniversary or milestone if it involves a yearlong celebration or awareness campaign. Or, the mark should be limited to only the timeframe that the mark represents, such as a month, week, quarter, etc., if it is not tied to a yearlong celebration or awareness campaign.
  • Marks will only be developed for major anniversaries and milestones. Acceptable anniversary years are in increments of 25, starting with 25, then 50, 75 and so on. Though we will only develop marks for those anniversary milestones, staff celebrations for other anniversaries (such as 5, 10, 15, etc.) are encouraged, and these anniversaries may be represented in textual form (such as taglines) on materials.
  • Your mark may be used on other materials such as PPTs, invitations, specialty items, etc., as long as the rules above are followed, but it should not be used in lieu of the appropriate master or other UF Health logo. Note that there are guidelines for how much space is required between a UF Health logo and another mark.
  • All marks must be reviewed and approved by UF Health Communications.

Vanity Phone Numbers

Vanity phone numbers are prohibited, except for those previously approved and grandfathered in. If you have any Telephone, Voicemail, ACD or UCCX requests please open a Self-Service order for assistance at http://Ithelp.ahc.ufl.edu. You may also call 352.265.0526 for help with other general telecommunications requests.

Web Headers Are Not Official Logos

Please see our Web guidelines, which indicate that Web headers are not to be construed or used as official UF or UF Health logos.

UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital Logo Standards

The brand identity for UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital should follow the guidelines for the UF Health brand look and feel; however, there are a few areas where the children’s hospital can deviate.

Guidelines Specific to Pediatrics and the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital:

  1. Illustrations that appear “cartoonish” or that are hand-drawn illustrations are permitted.
  2. Note in our color palette that “playful” colors work well in pediatric designs.
  3. Bokka font is permissible and specifically tailored for peds.

Use of Pediatrics and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital logos: 

  1. When referencing UF Health pediatric primary care, the following logo should be used on collateral pieces, websites, advertising (digital, print, outdoors) and on any other printed or digital piece that is specific to pediatric primary care. This applies to the following locations:
  • UF Health Pediatrics – Gerold L. Schiebler Center
  • UF Health Pediatrics – Magnolia Parke
  • UF Health Pediatrics – Tioga
  • UF Health Pediatrics – Tower Square
  • UF Health Pediatrics – Ocala
UF Health Pediatrics Logo

While we have specific logos for each location, the location identifier should only be used on building signage for that specific location.

When referencing UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital or any of our pediatric specialties (20+), the following logo should be used on collateral pieces, websites, advertising (digital, print, outdoors) and on any other printed or digital piece that is specific to pediatric specialty care and/or UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. Please note: Even if the messaging in advertising/collateral is focused on a Pediatric Specialties location, we will plan to use the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital logo unless unique circumstances exist. This will help build more brand recognition for the children’s hospital and will also build a connection for pediatric specialty patients who require further care/procedures at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.

Exception: The Congenital Heart Center, while part of the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, has its own logo. With being the No. 1 program in the state and No. 12 in the nation according U.S. News & World Report, the community recognizes this center on its own.   

UF Health Shands Children's Hospital

The Pediatric Specialties logo below should be used on signage for pediatric specialties locations. Otherwise, please use the children’s hospital logo above. If there is a need to use the pediatric specialties logo, it will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

UF Health Pediatric Specialties Logo

When referencing Pediatrics After Hours on collateral and in advertising, please use Pediatrics After Hours logo.

UF Health Pediatric After Hours Logo