Licensing, Merchandise and Apparel

The University's Creative Production office is the preferred source for branded merchandise, apparel and employee work shirts. If you choose to work with a licensed outside vendor to produce any of these products, you must complete and submit an off-campus merchandise request to receive approval. Submissions with vendors who are not licensed will not be approved.

off-campus merchandise request

Licensing

All logos, seals, names, nicknames, letters, symbols and slogans associated with the University that can be distinguished from those of other institutions or entities qualify as a trademark and are the exclusive property of the University.

Vendors who use our trademarks in producing apparel and other University-branded merchandise must be licensed with our agent, Learfield Licensing Partners. Through Learfield, the vendor must submit the design for each item to Marketing and Communications at 507-389-2702 or toni.raimann@mnsu.edu

Licensed manufacturers pay the University a royalty fee on all products sold. Revenues from this royalty fee support University scholarships and programs.

Merchandise

Branded merchandise needs to use appropriate colors and must include either the University logo or full University name. If you have questions about applying any of the graphic standards to University-funded merchandise, please contact Ryan Schuh, Director of Creative Production, 507-389-1181, ryan.schuh@mnsu.edu.

Work Shirts

Employee work shirts, ordered for a group of employees to be worn as representatives of the University, should have:

• the full University logo or the full University name.
• purple as the dominant color on gold or gray fabric, and gold as the dominant color on purple fabric.

Promotional Apparel

These standards apply to all promotional apparel produced by any University office, including residence halls, or Recognized Student Organization. Using personal funds for apparel representing a University-supported office or RSO does not exempt the shirt from brand standards, because the University brand is carried by the garment regardless of the funding source.

Apparel Production

We urge you to use the University’s Creative Production (as opposed to an outside vendor) for apparel production, in order to ensure proper branding and avoid copyright violations. If you instead choose to use an outside vendor to produce apparel, you must submit your design through the online submission form administered by Creative Production.

Any RSO that orders apparel through Creative Production will be offered one hour of professional design service per order at no cost.

University Name/Logo

All promotional apparel (except affiliation clothing and event/cause garments, as noted below) must contain one of the University’s official logos or the University name somewhere on the shirt. You may also add the official athletics Stomper icon, if desired.

official University logos

The two permitted versions of the University name are:

• Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Minnesota State Mankato

Apparel Colors

Promotional attire may use any of the following 14 fabric colors:

• Purple or gold (preferred as our school colors)
• Any of these neutral solid colors:
  • white
  • natural/off-white
  • sand
  • tan
  • ice gray/light gray
  • gravel/medium gray
  • charcoal
  • black
• Any of these heather colors:
  • heather purple
  • ash gray/light gray
  • sport gray/medium gray
  • tweed/charcoal

Choose from these imprint colors (with exceptions noted for color combinations associated with direct competitors):

• purple and gold combined (preferred as our school colors)
• purple
• gold (but not acceptable as the only color on black fabric)
• white (but not acceptable as the only color on purple fabric)
• black (but not acceptable as the only color on gold fabric)

Affiliation Apparel

If you want to produce apparel that shows affiliation with a larger regional/national/international organization, you have three options:

• Show only the larger organization’s brand, which means the University's graphic standards do not apply.
• Show only the local chapter’s brand, which means the graphic standards listed above do apply.
• Show the brands of both the local chapter and the larger organization, which means the following standards do apply:
  • Use one of the neutral fabric colors listed above.
  • Show the name or logo of both the University (described above) and the larger organization.
  • Choose from the imprint color options for the University noted above.
  • You may also use the imprint colors of the larger organization.

Event and Cause Apparel

If you want to produce apparel for an event or cause that has a well-known tie to a specific color, such as pink for breast cancer awareness, please call Ryan Schuh of Creative Production at 389-1181.

Questions?

If you have any questions about apparel design or production, please call Ryan Schuh, director of Creative Production, 389-1181. He can answer your questions better by phone or in person at 309 Wiecking Center than by email. If you visit his office, he can show you shirt and fabric samples.