Colors Encyclopedia

Brand colors

Cornell University Brand Colors

Cornell University palette: #B31B1B, #FFFFFF, #222222. Compare HEX/RGB, WCAG contrast and CSS tokens; open independent JSON data.

Commonly referenced brand color values. This page is an independent technical reference and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cornell University.

EducationBrand indexAPIDataset
Commonly referenced palette Cornell University
#B31B1B#FFFFFF#222222
Listed without an implied color hierarchy

Palette

Palette color 1#B31B1BRGB 179, 27, 27
White#FFFFFFRGB 255, 255, 255
Palette color 3#222222RGB 34, 34, 34

CSS Tokens

:root {
  --brand-cornell-1: #B31B1B;
  --brand-cornell-2: #FFFFFF;
  --brand-cornell-3: #222222;
}

Accessibility Snapshot

#B31B1BBlack 3.09:1 / White 6.8:1
#FFFFFFBlack 21:1 / White 1:1
#222222Black 1.32:1 / White 15.91:1

Brand palette context · Editorially reviewed

About Cornell University Brand Colors

Cornell’s core red is Carnelian #B31B1B, supported by white and dark neutral treatments. University units publish the same value across their visual systems, reinforcing continuity between the parent institution and its schools while allowing each unit a broader secondary palette for its own communication needs.

Cornell guidance recommends avoiding large indiscriminate fields of color and instead using clear space or well-contrasting photography. That makes Carnelian an anchor and emphasis color rather than a mandatory full-page background. Official lockups remain limited to approved carnelian, dark, and white treatments; the numeric swatches do not authorize rebuilding or recoloring them.

This unaffiliated reference does not distribute Cornell logos, represent a university unit, grant trademark rights, or replace official communications guidance.

Downloadable brand colors infographic

Cornell University Brand Colors Infographic

Save an independent infographic of the commonly referenced Cornell University HEX palette and its accessibility guidance. No logo or proprietary artwork is included.

1200 × 800
Cornell University brand colors infographic showing its commonly referenced HEX palette and accessibility guidance for every listed color without assigning a color hierarchy.
Cornell University brand colors infographic. Commonly referenced brand color values. This page is an independent technical reference and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cornell University.
Download WebPDownload SVGOpen full size

Machine-readable data

Machine-Readable Brand Color Data (JSON)

Structured brand palette data for design systems, references, automations, and AI ingestion.

AI-Ready Dataset v1.0.0
Luminance0.1045
Black text3.09:1AA Fail
White text6.8:1AA Pass
hexCanonical HEX value
rgbRed, green, blue channels
hslHue, saturation, lightness
cmykApproximate print conversion
wcagAA and AAA contrast options
harmoniesMathematical harmony sets
variantsGenerated tone variants
nearestColorsKnowledge graph neighbors
Download JSON Open API
Structured sections
Brand
{
  "slug": "cornell",
  "name": "Cornell University",
  "category": "education",
  "brandCategory": [
    "Education",
    "education"
  ],
  "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/brand-colors/cornell/",
  "categoryUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/brand-colors/education/",
  "disclaimer": "Commonly referenced brand color values. This page is an independent technical reference and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cornell University."
}
Palette
[
  {
    "name": "Palette color 1",
    "hex": "#B31B1B",
    "rgb": [
      179,
      27,
      27
    ],
    "hsl": [
      0,
      74,
      40
    ],
    "cmyk": [
      0,
      85,
      85,
      30
    ],
    "luminance": 0.1045,
    "contrast": {
      "black": 3.09,
      "white": 6.8
    },
    "wcag": {
      "AA": [
        "#FFFFFF",
        "#F5F5F5"
      ],
      "AAA": []
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "White",
    "hex": "#FFFFFF",
    "rgb": [
      255,
      255,
      255
    ],
    "hsl": [
      0,
      0,
      100
    ],
    "cmyk": [
      0,
      0,
      0,
      0
    ],
    "luminance": 1,
    "contrast": {
      "black": 21,
      "white": 1
    },
    "wcag": {
      "AA": [
        "#000000",
        "#1A1A1A",
        "#36454F"
      ],
      "AAA": [
        "#000000",
        "#1A1A1A",
        "#36454F"
      ]
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "Palette color 3",
    "hex": "#222222",
    "rgb": [
      34,
      34,
      34
    ],
    "hsl": [
      0,
      0,
      13
    ],
    "cmyk": [
      0,
      0,
      0,
      87
    ],
    "luminance": 0.016,
    "contrast": {
      "black": 1.32,
      "white": 15.91
    },
    "wcag": {
      "AA": [
        "#FFFFFF",
        "#F5F5F5"
      ],
      "AAA": [
        "#FFFFFF",
        "#F5F5F5"
      ]
    }
  }
]
AI context
{
  "brandUseCases": [
    "university identity",
    "campus web systems",
    "institutional design",
    "brand reference",
    "design systems",
    "CSS tokens",
    "accessibility checks"
  ],
  "semanticGroups": [
    "education brand colors",
    "red brand palette",
    "gray brand palette",
    "warm brand palette",
    "neutral brand palette",
    "vibrant brand color",
    "light brand color",
    "dark brand color",
    "Cornell University color reference"
  ],
  "contrastSafeWith": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#36454F"
  ],
  "relatedEndpoints": [
    "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/brand-colors/cornell.json",
    "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/brand-colors.json"
  ]
}
CSS tokens
{
  "css": "--brand-cornell-1: #B31B1B;\n--brand-cornell-2: #FFFFFF;\n--brand-cornell-3: #222222;"
}
Accessibility
[
  {
    "hex": "#B31B1B",
    "contrast": {
      "black": 3.09,
      "white": 6.8
    },
    "wcag": {
      "AA": [
        "#FFFFFF",
        "#F5F5F5"
      ],
      "AAA": []
    }
  },
  {
    "hex": "#FFFFFF",
    "contrast": {
      "black": 21,
      "white": 1
    },
    "wcag": {
      "AA": [
        "#000000",
        "#1A1A1A",
        "#36454F"
      ],
      "AAA": [
        "#000000",
        "#1A1A1A",
        "#36454F"
      ]
    }
  },
  {
    "hex": "#222222",
    "contrast": {
      "black": 1.32,
      "white": 15.91
    },
    "wcag": {
      "AA": [
        "#FFFFFF",
        "#F5F5F5"
      ],
      "AAA": [
        "#FFFFFF",
        "#F5F5F5"
      ]
    }
  }
]
Full JSON dataset 
{
  "slug": "cornell",
  "name": "Cornell University",
  "category": "education",
  "brandCategory": [
    "Education",
    "education"
  ],
  "disclaimer": "Commonly referenced brand color values. This page is an independent technical reference and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cornell University.",
  "datasetVersion": "1.0.0",
  "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/brand-colors/cornell/",
  "categoryUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/brand-colors/education/",
  "apiUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/brand-colors/cornell.json",
  "colors": [
    {
      "name": "Palette color 1",
      "hex": "#B31B1B",
      "rgb": [
        179,
        27,
        27
      ],
      "hsl": [
        0,
        74,
        40
      ],
      "cmyk": [
        0,
        85,
        85,
        30
      ],
      "luminance": 0.1045,
      "contrast": {
        "black": 3.09,
        "white": 6.8
      },
      "wcag": {
        "AA": [
          "#FFFFFF",
          "#F5F5F5"
        ],
        "AAA": []
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "White",
      "hex": "#FFFFFF",
      "rgb": [
        255,
        255,
        255
      ],
      "hsl": [
        0,
        0,
        100
      ],
      "cmyk": [
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0
      ],
      "luminance": 1,
      "contrast": {
        "black": 21,
        "white": 1
      },
      "wcag": {
        "AA": [
          "#000000",
          "#1A1A1A",
          "#36454F"
        ],
        "AAA": [
          "#000000",
          "#1A1A1A",
          "#36454F"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Palette color 3",
      "hex": "#222222",
      "rgb": [
        34,
        34,
        34
      ],
      "hsl": [
        0,
        0,
        13
      ],
      "cmyk": [
        0,
        0,
        0,
        87
      ],
      "luminance": 0.016,
      "contrast": {
        "black": 1.32,
        "white": 15.91
      },
      "wcag": {
        "AA": [
          "#FFFFFF",
          "#F5F5F5"
        ],
        "AAA": [
          "#FFFFFF",
          "#F5F5F5"
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "brandUseCases": [
    "university identity",
    "campus web systems",
    "institutional design",
    "brand reference",
    "design systems",
    "CSS tokens",
    "accessibility checks"
  ],
  "semanticGroups": [
    "education brand colors",
    "red brand palette",
    "gray brand palette",
    "warm brand palette",
    "neutral brand palette",
    "vibrant brand color",
    "light brand color",
    "dark brand color",
    "Cornell University color reference"
  ],
  "contrastSafeWith": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#000000",
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#36454F"
  ],
  "relatedEndpoints": [
    "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/brand-colors/cornell.json",
    "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/brand-colors.json"
  ]
}
Dataset manifest Version 1.0.0 Build hash published in manifest Canonical page

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