SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL
Brand Guidelines
REV. 08/13/26
S I DWE LL F R IE N DS SC H O O L
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WHY THIS GUIDE EXISTS
The Sidwell Friends School seal and logo are a visual signal that set the stage—and the standard—for what people can expect from the School. New for the 2026/27 school year, they carry the seal’s history forward while introducing a clearer, more flexible system for everyday use. This guide brings the updated marks together with the School’s
CONTENTS
established color palette and the typography introduced in the Together We Shine campaign guidelines, so that anyone
Logo & Seal
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informal—has one clear, self-explanatory place to start. This is
A New Identity System
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a working first draft covering the essentials: logo & seal, color,
What’s Changed, What’s Stayed
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The Two Official Versions
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Clear Space & Minimum Size
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Color Variations & Backgrounds
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Common Violations
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Color Palette
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Primary Colors
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Secondary Colors
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Typography
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Primary Fonts
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Typographic Hierarchy
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creating a School communication—print or digital, formal or
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and typography. Athletics identity and expanded application examples will follow in a later round.
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INTRODUCTION
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Logo & Seal
The logo represents Sidwell Friends at the very highest levels: as a signature, an identifier, and a stamp of official representation. Specifications for its proportions, spacing, and color are fixed — there are no exceptions.
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A New Identity System Sidwell Friends is introducing a new identity system for the 2026–27 school year, built around a refreshed and reimagined School seal. Since the School adopted a seal in the early twentieth century, it has changed shape and form many times — typical of the era before digital reproduction, when designs shifted in small ways depending on who drew them and how. Symbols were transformed, features were added, and details were lost along the way. The version used in recent years was last redrawn in the 1990s by a student; the accompanying wordmark was refined in 2019, but that update addressed only small details, not the deeper issues of scale, symmetry, and cohesiveness underneath. Our growing reliance on digital communication made those issues harder to ignore. Like many school seals designed before screens existed, the previous version tended to lose definition at small digital sizes — one reason many institutions have introduced new seals, crests, shields, and other logos over the past twenty years. The new marks were developed over the past few years, with feedback gathered at each stage. Both are drawn boldly, so they hold their weight in any size or format, in print or on screen.
LOGO & SEAL
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What’s Changed, What’s Stayed FA M I L I A R E L E M E N T S
T he School's name at the top, and “Washington, DC” at the base T he founding year, 1883 The Latin motto Eluceat Omnibus Lux — “Let the Light Shine Out from All” — crossing the shield, as it has since it was added in the 1990s
WHAT'S NEW
A circular container, reintroduced from the seal's earliest form A brightly lit torch, replacing the previous unlit lamp A tree, replacing one of the two books on the shield
Trees are closely associated with Quaker education — symbols of knowledge, growth, and the ongoing pursuit of understanding, as in the Tree of Wisdom. They also represent nature and the Quaker value of stewardship, which connects to the School's commitment to sustainability and its treefilled campus. Some may also think of William Penn, said to have signed a 1683 peace treaty with the Lenni-Lenape Nation beneath a tree later known as the Treaty Elm. Different members of the community may find their own meaning in it, and that's alright.
LOGO & SEAL
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The Two Official Versions The system includes two official marks — the formal seal, and a simplified version for everyday, smaller, or less formal use. Choose based on formality and available space, not personal preference. Always use the original artwork files — never redraw, recolor, or recompose any element. SEAL — FORMAL
S H I E L D F U L L L O C K U P — E V E R Y D AY U S E
Circular and formal. Use for diplomas, official documents, board and legal materials, and ceremonial occasions.
Shield paired with the School's name to the right. Use wherever the full seal would lose legibility — small formats, digital, and everyday communications.
The simplified lockup flexes to three name lengths, depending on formality and available space — always paired with the shield: “ SIDWE LL FRIE NDS”
“ S I D W E L L”
Default for everyday communications where the audience already knows the School by name — newsletters, social graphics, signage.
The most informal mark. Use only for internal, casual, or spirit-driven materials where the audience has full familiarity with the School.
LOGO & SEAL
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Clear Space & Minimum Size Always separate the logo from headlines, body copy, images, and other graphics. Giving it room keeps it legible and gives it the prominence it deserves.
1/4 X
x
1/4 X
x
1”
.75”
C L E A R S PAC E
MINIMUM SIZE
Keep a minimum clear space around every mark equal to keep all other elements 1/4 the width away from the logo. Nothing — text, imagery, or other graphics — should enter that space. More space is always acceptable.
For legibility, don't reproduce the seal smaller than 0.75” in diameter, or a shield lockup narrower than 1” wide, in print. For screens, don't go below roughly 60px in either dimension.
LOGO & SEAL
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Color Variations & Backgrounds Background color determines which version of the mark to use. Always maximize contrast between the logo and its background, and use full-color artwork whenever possible.
T WO - COLOR , ON WHITE OR LI G HT BACKG RO U N DS
O N E - CO LO R WH ITE , O N DAR K O R S I DWE LL MAROO N BACKG RO U N DS
Sidwell Maroon + white/black is the preferred, default combination. Use whenever the background allows.
Use the reversed, all-white version whenever the mark sits on maroon, black, photography, or another dark field.
LOGO & SEAL
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Common Violations To protect the integrity of the seal and logo family, avoid these common mistakes. When in doubt, use the original artwork file untouched. DON'T
DON'T
DON'T
DON'T
Stretch, distort, rotate, or crop the mark.
Change the logo's typeface or redraw any part of it.
Add outlines, drop shadows, or other effects.
Reproduce it in an unapproved color.
Sidwell Friends School
DON'T
DON'T
DON'T
DON'T
Use an outdated or superseded version of the seal or logo.
Place it on a busy photo or pattern that hurts legibility.
Use it at less than 100% opacity, or below minimum size.
Change the size or position of logo elements.
LOGO & SEAL
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Color
A consistent palette reinforces continuity across every School communication. Pantone colors are always preferred; use the CMYK, RGB, and HEX formulas below only when spot printing isn't available — never a generic conversion.
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Primary Colors To protect the integrity of the seal and logo family, avoid these common mistakes. When in doubt, use the original artwork file untouched.
SIDWELL MAROON PMS 1955 C 9 M 100 Y 54 K 43 R 138 G 21 B 56 HEX/HTML #8A1538
MEETING GRAY PMS Cool Gray 9 C 50 M 40 Y 34 K 17 R 117 G 120 B 123 HEX/HTML #75787B
QUAKER GRAY PMS COOL GRAY 5 C 13 M 9 Y 10 K 27 R 177 G 179 B 179 HEX/HTML #B1B3B3
FRIENDS RED PMS 1788 C 0 M 95 Y 85 K 0 R 238 G 39 B 55 HEX/HTML #EE2737 (Primarily for Athletics Use)
Use Sidwell Maroon and Meeting Gray as the dominant colors in any layout. Quaker Gray supports as a neutral. Reserve Friends Red for athletics and moments that call for extra energy.
CO LO R PA L E T T E
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Secondary Colors A supporting palette for infographics, callouts, and moments that need more warmth or variety. Use in small doses — the primary palette should always lead.
MARIGOLD PMS 144 C 0 M 49 Y 100 K 0 R 237 G 139 B 0 HEX/HTML #ED8B00
SUNSHINE PMS 129 C 0 M 10 Y 80 K 0 R 243 G 208 B 62 HEX/HTML #F3D03E
MEADOW PMS 554 C 80 M 16 Y 72 K 51 R 32 G 92 B 64 HEX/HTML #205C40
SKY TEAL PMS 2461 C 76 M 9 Y 37 K 10 R 37 G 149 B 145 HEX/HTML #259591
DEEP HARBOR PMS 548 C 100 M 8 Y 11 K 74 R 0 G 61 B 76 HEX/HTML #003D4C
MIDNIGHT NAVY PMS 533 C 94 M 73 Y 5 K 69 R 32 G 42 B 68 HEX/HTML #202A44
MAUVE PMS 2053 C 22 M 52 Y 9 K 4 R 179 G 128 B 157 HEX/HTML #B3809D
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Typography
Typography carries the Sidwell Friends voice as much as color or the logo does. The School's institutional typefaces were adopted from the Together We Shine campaign identity, so that materials across the School share one consistent typographic language.
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PRIMARY SERIF: GALAXIE COPERNICUS Use for headlines, body copy, and pull quotes. When unavailable, substitute
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Galaxie Copernicus Book
Gotham Thin
Galaxie Copernicus Book Italic
Gotham Thin Italic
Galaxie Copernicus Medium
Gotham Extra Light
Source Serif Pro (free via Google Fonts).
Galaxie Copernicus Medium Italic
Source Serif Pro
Galaxie Copernicus Semibold
PRIMARY SANS-SERIF: GOTHAM
Galaxie Copernicus Bold
The official sans serif font is Gotham.
Galaxie Copernicus Semibold Italic Galaxie Copernicus Bold Italic
Use for subheads, captions, and supporting
Galaxie Copernicus Extrabold
labels. When unavailable, substitute
Galaxie Copernicus Extrabold Italic
Raleway (free via Google Fonts).
Raleway
Galaxie Copernicus Heavy Galaxie Copernicus Heavy Italic
Gotham Extra Light Italic Gotham Light Gotham Light Italic Gotham Book Gotham Book Italic Gotham Medium Gotham Medium Italic Gotham Bold Gotham Bold Italic Gotham Black Gotham Black Italic Gotham Ultra Gotham Ultra Italic
Galaxie Copernicus and Gotham are licensed fonts, available upon request from the Communications Office. Production files should always use the licensed brand fonts, or their approved free substitutes (Source Serif Pro / Raleway) for Office and Google documents.
TYPOGRAPHY
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T YPOGR APHIC SYSTEM
This is just one way to approach the type styling, and should be used as an example. Shown here is how the fonts can be combined to create a consistent and sophisticated overall look
Headline TITLES AND MAIN HEADLINES
accross applications. Galaxie Copernicus should be used as the primary font while Gotham is for supporting type.
Itati quiam hitati blacestrum sequidelitas corecabore min perrovit est, eatus, vellab in exerrum ad maio et SUBHEADS – GOTHAM MEDIUM
B
ot eos di officae molut alis ex ea debis et illorro vitatur
PULL QUOTES GAL A XIE COPERNICUS B O O K I TA L I C
Officae molut alis ex ea debis et illorro vitatur sus apita es conse quatem arci consequ ibu sdam, etum quostru repta ptaquodit alit espa voluptiatem cusam.
sus es pa consequatem et arci consequ ibusdam, etum quostru ptaquodit voluptiatem cusam, unt aligendem re quiaers pellit as sit, qui nempor sante sit dolupicimil
ilitaturiam quo odion cus sam nectatus essit Pitatiur, acest doluptate nusdae etus aut pratustias aperspicto eaqui opta eum repta consed excearum escim fugia doluptis dolorum siminctiant ex estios as et alit fuga. Apita cus ducia venes expelesto mil imus arcimaximus arum idem quid quatur? Quiscide voluptis estint. B O DY CO PY – G A L A X I E CO P E R N I C U S B O O K
TYPOGRAPHY
“Rio dolestrum qui unt eos di officae molut alis ex ea debis et sus illorro vitatur lorem.”
CAPTIONS GOTHAM BOOK
36% INFOGRAPHICS G O T H A M U LT R A
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RE S OU R C E S & CO N TAC TS Please contact the Communications Office with questions and requests for using the assets presented in this document.
SARAH RANDALL Senior Director of Communications randalls@sidwell.edu (202) 537-8146
BILL BURGER Chief Communications Officer burgerb@sidwell.edu (202) 537-8142
The Communications Office is located on the third floor of Zartman House.
S IDWE LL FRIE NDS S CH O O L 3825 WIS CO NS IN AVE . NW | WAS H INGTO N, DC 20 016 (202) 537-81 5 5 | S IDWE LL.E DU