Templates and Guidance
The university's brand supports our community in delivering our message by making sure we always communicate our unique value consistently, effectively and proudly.
Our templates and assets are designed to make it easy for you to create materials that reflect our powerful Saint Mary's University story.
Other resources
- Our Brand Strategy contains the elements of our brand that describe who we are as an organization to ensure we present a united voice when promoting the university. Through adherence to our brand strategy, we strengthen the brand voice, build pride among the university community and support the university's strategic goals.
- The Brand Standards define best practices for how to express the Saint Mary's University brand in visual and written formats. This includes instructions for correct logo usage, colours and fonts.
- Saint Mary's University's Brand Policy provides more information on the governance, roles and responsibilities related to our brand.
Have a question about how to portray the brand? Contact your communications officer or representative within the university Communicatios Group, or the External Affairs team through the university's communications site.
Here are our most frequently requested items to help you create materials that are professional, consistent and on-brand. We’ve recently added several new templates to help support you even better.
Logo files are available for download at the bottom of this section. Please review the following direction and advice before downloading.
The Saint Mary's University logo is one of the most important elements of our brand identity. As a key visual signifier, it is a graphic representation of our core values and ideals. The logo inspires pride, loyalty and connection among our students, staff, faculty and alumni. And, for many, it is their first introduction to the Saint Mary's University brand.
As such, the logo should be used properly, consistently and with pride. This page contains information about how to correctly use the official university logo. See below to download a logo file.
Specialty and Sub-brand Logos
As outlined in the university's Brand Standards, there are a limited number of authorized specialty and sub-brand logos and there are specific situations when they will be used.
On university materials, faculty designations are displayed in text only, not part of the logo-faculty lockup. The primary Saint Mary's logo will always be the signature of that piece. Departments, schools, groups and other administrative units do not have specific logos within this new identity.
If you have any questions on proper logo usage or need a higher resolution logo for other products such as swag or communications products, please contact your respective communications officer or representative within the university Communications Group, or External Affairs via the Communications web page. The Saint Mary's University Huskies and Alumni logo are available through the departments or by request to branding@smu.ca.
Logos for Download
These versions are official and approved and no other versions are authorized.
The preferred logo is the primary logo. Only when space, background colour, or other issues require substitution should the stacked versions be used. The stacked logo has not been included in the below suite for download and is available upon request through External Affairs.
For direction on sub-brand usage, including faculty logos, please refer to that specific section in the Brand Standards. For more information, contact branding@smu.ca.
Saint Mary’s and Sobey School of Business logos for download
Note: an optimized logo for digital purposes is available for use in the e-signatures section below.
The official Saint Mary's colour palette is
Update: The digital expression of the blue and orange within our secondary palette has been updated to improve the brand’s online colour accessibility, now meeting with WCAG AA accessibility (contrast) thresholds when used on white as large-size text, or when used as a background colour with white as large-size text. Please note and use the above Hex codes for all digital assets.
The visual impact of our words is equally powerful. Brand fonts infuse the Saint Mary's University Brand with personality, expressing our tone and values.
Innovative, bold and original, our brand fonts add a layer of meaning, telling audiences who we are. Using them consistently signals to audiences that what they’re reading is from Saint Mary's University.
Our primary typeface is Raleway. It’s a versatile font that works well on a wide range of mediums, from large signs to small business cards. Raleway is the recommended font for most Saint Mary's applications, including wayfinding, headline and copy text.
In the case that Raleway is not available, it should be substituted with Arial (for example, inter-office documents, email signatures, PPT slides).
Usage of a serif font may sometimes be desired or necessary. For only this purpose, the Bitter font family (also a Google font) has been selected. It should be used extremely sparingly to accentuate, rather than carry a design (for example, for a subhead).
- Video: Adding the Raleway font
- Download the Raleway Font
Bold, Regular and Italics (other weights and variations are available) - Download the Bitter font
- Learn how to install a font on a Windows 10 machine
- Learn how to install a font on a Mac
Saint Mary's has created Microsoft PowerPoint templates using the appropriate brand logo, typeface (Raleway) and colours. These templates contain multiple slide options for building an engaging and on-brand presentation. Helpful tips have been included within the “Notes” section of the PowerPoint templates; please refer to them for guidance as you build your presentation.
The university encourages the campus community to use these presentation templates to help maintain a strong Saint Mary’s brand identity and to build external awareness of the university.
How to save and use PowerPoint templates:
- Click on one of the below PowerPoint templates.
- Once open, under File (far left), select “Save as” and click “Download a Copy.”
- When the prompt indicates your presentation is ready, click the “Download” button.
- Locate the file (likely in your Downloads folder) and open it. It will automatically open a new document and leave your template untouched.
- Once the document is open, click on ‘Enable Editing’ on the yellow bar to use the template and save your work.
- Remember to save the original template file in a convenient place for future use.
Copy or save the template (.potx) file in your documents folder at Documents > Custom Office Templates
| Thumbnail | Template |
|---|---|
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SMU PowerPoint Template |
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SSB PowerPoint Template |
With these revised and expanded PowerPoint templates, we have provided a widescreen template only, as it aligns with most modern screens and uses. Please contact branding@smu.ca if this will not work for your specific needs.
The university encourages the campus community to use these stationery templates, which have been built with the appropriate brand logo, typeface (Raleway) and colours, to contribute to a strong Saint Mary's University brand identity.
The documents below are locked for editing. To use them:
- Click the ellipsis (...) icon in the top right.
- Choose “Download”
- Locate the file (likely in your Downloads) and open it. It will automatically open a new document and leave your template file untouched.
Remember to save the original template file you downloaded in a convenient place for future use.
E-Documents
The following e-document templates have been created for their specific use. The letterhead should not be altered from its current layout, with no additions to the header area. Please do not use the letterhead for other uses, and instead, turn to the short-form report template for generic document creation.
- Saint Mary's Letterhead Template
- Sobey Letterhead Template
- Saint Mary’s Agenda Template
- Sobey Agenda Template
- Saint Mary’s Memo Template
- Sobey Memo Template
- Saint Mary's Minutes Template
- Sobey Minutes Template
Short-Form Report Template
Long-Form Report Templates: Option 1, Option 2, Option 3 (covers differ)
- Long-Form Report Template Option One
- Long Form Report Template Option Two
- Long-Form Report Template Option Three
- Sobey Long-Form Report Option One
- Sobey Long-Form Report Option Two
- Sobey Long-Form Report Option Three
We have prepared a Best Practices Tip Sheet for Working with MS Office Templates for our various templates built within the Microsoft Office Suite that will support you as you build out and save your material.
Stationery
Envelopes
Branded envelopes are available by order via Xerox Print Services & Document Management, our on-campus print services solution.
Sobey School of Business Envelope File
Business Cards
Business cards are also available by order via Xerox Print Services & Document Management. The below is a sample of our Saint Mary’s business card.
Note: Pronouns have been included as an option in the business card template; they are not required and should be optional for all individuals for whom business cards are produced.
Mailing Labels
Note: This template should be printed using Avery label 5163.
Event Name Tags
Here is an example of what a branded name tag looks like:
Note: This template should be printed using Avery label 5392. Pronouns have been included as an option in the template; they are not required and should be optional for all individuals for whom the name tags are produced. Below is a sample of our nametag template.
Note Cards
A few branded notecard designs have been created, and are available by order through Xerox Print Services & Document Management. If you’d like to make an order, or review options, contact our on-campus print solution. Below is a sample of our notecards.
Welcome Postcard
This welcome postcard can be used to welcome a new or returning team member.
Its template has been built in Microsoft PowerPoint to provide a layout solution for a large portion of our internal community, as the Microsoft Office Suite is available on most machines and is intuitive and familiar to use. That said, PowerPoint is not equal to sophisticated layout design software and doesn’t offer that same level of professional output; the postcard designed using this template should be considered best used for in-office printing and for sending as a PDF by email.
We have included tips within the “Notes” in this template. Ensure you adjust your view to see “Notes” for the necessary guidance on updating and saving your design.
In general, leverage our brand elements when preparing mass emails, including the Saint Mary’s logo, fonts and colours. If you regularly mass email your audience, and are interested in having an on-brand template created for use through MailChimp, contact External Affairs through the Communications web pages.
Event Invitations
The university has prepared templates for event invitations for use in both Outlook and MailChimp.
For access to MailChimp event invitation templates, contact branding@smu.ca, and they will be sent to your MailChimp account.
For sending event invitations by Microsoft Outlook using the desktop application, the below email files can be used. These templates embed the invite contents directly into the email and do not rely on attachments. Invites sent as attachments (PDF or other) should be avoided as they are not aligned with accessibility best practices and can flag your email as “junk.”
To use these email invite templates, download and open the file, which will open directly in your Outlook desktop application as a new email.
If you use the browser version of Microsoft Outlook, or have trouble with the above files, contact branding@smu.ca for support.
Email is one of the primary ways the Saint Mary's University community stays in touch with each other and external audiences. Our signatures provide relevant information to keep the lines of communication open and act as a digital form of a business card.
While it may seem like a small detail, keeping our signatures simple and consistent with the brand goes a long way to helping strengthen our brand.
Email Signature Template that has an email optimized logo (to download the logo, please right click and choose 'Copy')
Formatting
Email signatures should be located at the bottom of the email's body.
The font for email signatures is Arial. The font size is 8 pt to 10 pt and the colour is black, using custom font colour RBG157 34 53 only for name and institution (Saint Mary's University).
What to include in your email signature
The following information should be included so audiences understand your role and how to contact you:
- Name, degree(s) and/or professional designation
- Title
- Faculty or department
- Name of the institution which in this case is Saint Mary's University
- Phone number using the format 519-888-4567 ext. #####
- Optional: Cell phone or fax number using the format ###-###-####
- Optional: University website URL (without the https:// prefix) and relevant social media accounts
- Optional: Pronouns adjacent to name, in parentheses, as demonstrated in the below example
- Email-optimized Saint Mary's University logo
Include any relevant official university messages under the email signature such as operational office changes.
Example:
Video: How to edit and add your email signature
What to AVOID including in your email signature:
- Your email address, because the recipient already has it.
- Inspirational quotes, as some users may be offended and the quote selected may not support the Saint Mary's University Brand.
- Links to your personal social media accounts.
- Disclaimers, sustainability statements or anti-phishing statements.
- Unauthorized formatting, including bold, italics, colours or font sizes.
- Any graphics, with the exception of the Saint Mary's University email-optimized logo. Many people use text-only email systems and won't be able to see them. Images may not display properly in other email programs, and a distorted image harms our university's brand. Often, images are treated as attachments and can clog a user's inbox or cause email to be filtered as spam.
To help you promote your event, initiative or course, poster templates have been created within both Microsoft PowerPoint and Canva, for the Saint Mary’s community’s use.
PowerPoint Poster Templates
The poster templates built in PowerPoint are designed to provide a layout solution for a large portion of our internal community, as the Microsoft Office Suite is available on most machines and is intuitive and familiar to use. That said, PowerPoint is not equal to sophisticated publishing and layout design software and doesn’t offer that same level of customization or output; posters designed using these templates should be considered best used for in-office printing and for sending PDFs by email.
We have prepared a Best Practices Tip Sheet for Working with MS Office Templates . We have also included tips within the “Notes” in the PowerPoint templates. Ensure you adjust your view to see “Notes” for the necessary guidance on updating and saving your design.
- Poster Template 8.5” x 11”
- Course Poster Template 8.5” x 11”
- Sobey Course Poster Template 8.5" x 11"
- Sobey Event Poster Template 8.5" x 11"
How to save and use PowerPoint templates:
- Click on one of the templates above.
- Once it opens, under File (far left), select “Save as” and click “Download a Copy.”
- When the prompt indicates your presentation is ready, click the “Download” button.
- Locate the file (likely in your Downloads folder) and open it. It will automatically open a new document and leave your template untouched.
- Once the document is open, click on ‘Enable Editing’ on the yellow bar to use the template and save your work.
- Remember to save the original template file in a convenient place for future use.
Canva Poster Templates
Poster templates have also been built within Canva for those who use that online graphic design tool. To obtain access to our library of Canva templates, contact branding@smu.ca, and we will share the templates with your account.
If you need support with these templates, or your needs require a unique solution, please contact your communications officer or representative within the Communications Group, or External Affairs through the Communications site.
Posters for Temporary Notices on Campus
To place a temporary notice on campus, please use the following poster template:
To help you promote your initiative online, digital promotional graphic templates have been created both within Microsoft PowerPoint and Canva, for the Saint Mary’s community’s use.
PowerPoint Digital Graphic Templates
The digital promotional graphics templates built in PowerPoint are designed to provide a layout solution for a large portion of our internal community, as the Microsoft Office Suite is available on most machines and is intuitive and familiar to use. That said, its primary function is for presentations and not design, and so doesn’t offer the same level of customization as sophisticated design solutions. For those looking for more customization or variety, our Canva templates mentioned below are available.
We have prepared a Best Practices Tip Sheet for Working with MS Office Templates for our various templates built within the Microsoft Office Suite that will support you as you build out and save your material. We have also included tips within the “Notes” in the PowerPoint templates. Ensure you adjust your view to see “Notes” for the necessary guidance on updating and saving your design.
- Campus Monitors Templates: Standard Screen and Widescreen
- Course Promotion, Facebook Graphic Template
- Course Promotion, Instagram Graphic Template
- Course Promotion, Twitter Graphic Template
- Event/Initiative Promotion, Facebook Graphic Template
- Event/Initiative Promotion, Instagram Graphic Template
- Event/Initiative Promotion, Twitter Graphic Template
How to save and use PowerPoint templates:
- Click on one of the templates above.
- Once it opens, under File (far left), select “Save as” and click “Download a Copy.”
- When the prompt indicates your presentation is ready, click the “Download” button.
- Locate the file (likely in your Downloads folder) and open it. It will automatically open a new document and leave your template untouched.
- Once the document is open, click on ‘Enable Editing’ on the yellow bar to use the template and save your work.
- Remember to save the original template file in a convenient place for future use.
Canva Digital Graphic Templates
Digital graphic templates, including social media and monitor graphics, have also been built within Canva for those who use that online graphic design tool. To obtain access to our library of Canva templates, contact branding@smu.ca, and we will share the templates with your account.
If you need support with these templates, or your needs require a unique solution, please contact your communications officer or representative within the Communications Group, or External Affairs through the Communications site.
Social Media Graphics Quick Tips
Keep content simple
When it comes to social media graphics, less is more. In fact, keeping our communications accessible depends on it. The graphic should make the image its hero, and content should include as little as the title (event, program or course name), a date and time. Post copy can then house additional details, including a link to learn more. Graphics with too much copy are inaccessible, and don’t serve their purpose of communicating a clear, arresting message to their audience.
Remember: a social media graphic doesn’t communicate your full message on its own: its purpose is to nab attention, with accompanying post copy providing more context—all clickable to a web page that can then fills in the full picture.
Customize by channel
Sizing social media graphics for each intended channel is important for consistency, accessibility and engagement. By posting something that is sized incorrectly, we run the risk of important content being cut off, skipped over or missed.
Think about each channel as you create the graphics you’ll be using to promote your initiative, event or course. While a designed, branded graphic may work well on Twitter or Facebook, within an Instagram feed, the most channel-appropriate solution may be a lifestyle image with no graphic overlay, with all details in the post copy.
Lean on photography
Great photos have thumb-stopping power. Choose a high-quality, engaging photo that quickly communicates what your initiative is all about. If you are featuring speaker photos, ensure your headline clearly communicates the main message of your event. And, of course, make sure you have usage rights for the images you are using.
Visit our Social Media Principles & Guidelines for comprehensive guidance on enhancing your communications goals through social media.
Show your Saint Mary's pride! The images below may be used by faculty, staff and students of Saint Mary's University as virtual backgrounds for online meetings.
To download an image, right-click on a thumbnail and select "Save Image As".
- Video: How to add backgrounds in Teams and Zoom
- Visit the Zoom help centre for instructions.
- Visit Microsoft for instructions.
Wallpapers
Zoom/Teams Backgrounds
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Media Consent Form - Also known as a media release form or a photo release form.
When writing about Saint Mary's University, it can be difficult to capture everything we do in a few sentences. That’s why we’ve created approved boilerplate text that you can use when you need to explain Saint Mary's University in a concise way.
Short-form:
Saint Mary’s University is one of Canada’s top primarily undergraduate universities known for its international collaborations, leadership in entrepreneurship, and research that benefits local and global communities. Our programs in Arts, Science, Graduate Studies and the Sobey School of Business are among Canada’s best and feature professors who are committed to the success of their students. Saint Mary’s provides our more than 6,400 students with a place that fosters possibility, excellent research opportunities, and distinguished graduate and professional programs combined with a caring community. Nestled in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast, Saint Mary’s University is marked by iconic buildings, green spaces and fresh ocean air. The Saint Mary’s University community is committed to a prosperous future for the world—a World without limits.
Long-form:
Saint Mary’s University is one of Canada’s top primarily undergraduate universities known for its international collaborations, leadership in entrepreneurship, and research that benefits local and global communities. Our programs in Arts, Science, Graduate Studies and the Sobey School of Business are among Canada’s best and feature professors who are committed to the success of their students. Saint Mary’s provides our more than 6,400 students with a place that fosters possibility, excellent research opportunities, and distinguished graduate and professional programs combined with a caring community. Saint Mary’s is community-focused with strong values, operating the way the world should. We embrace diversity, are committed to sustainability, and bravely tackle the issues that matter to society.
With students from as many as 117 different countries and partnerships with institutions in dozens of other countries, Saint Mary’s University is a leader in international and intercultural education. Nestled in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast, Saint Mary’s University is marked by iconic buildings, green spaces and fresh ocean air. Our campus is based in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, and is global in reach and influence. The Saint Mary’s University community is committed to a prosperous future for the world—a World without limits.
Style Guide - Information on basic style rules, grammar and spelling that will help when creating written print and web communications intended for external use. The goal of adhering to the Saint Mary’s University Style Guide is to achieve consistency and professionalism across the institution.