Printed Stationery

Utilize business cards to tell people who you are and how to reach you. They also play a role in disseminating the UB brand.

The approved standard template observes best practices of business card layout. This includes having a legible font size and limited information so as to not clutter the card. Business cards should be simple with minimal information that tells the user three things:

• Who you are.
• What you do.
• How to contact you.

Be deliberate with the information you provide. A business card should not be a resume or CV. Adding too much information causes important information on the card to be lost. The user of the card expects to find your email or phone number at a quick glance, not search through a list of credentials, titles and office locations.

If you serve multiple roles at the university, consider including only that role for which you are most likely to share a business card. Alternatively, you may use a double-sided card where each side of the card contains information relevant to a unique role.

To maintain legibility, the number of credentials, titles and office locations that can be printed on one card is limited. The faculty or staff member may determine what should be included on the card, but the template will not be altered to accommodate additional credentials, titles or office locations. The standard template is set up to allow for the recommended 8-9 lines of information, and the maximum of lines is 12.

University business cards are for conducting university business only; therefore, only official university contact  information may appear on business cards.

The master brand mark must be used on business cards. To maintain the consistency and integrity of the university identity, no other logos or marks may be used on business cards, including sub-brand lockups and logos of other companies or organizations.

External partners must use their own logo and design for their business cards and other stationery. The university name and marks may not appear on their cards.

• Secondary address.
• Secondary phone or fax number.
• Secondary buffalo.edu email address.
  
• Secondary website (e.g., a related university department, organization or program) that ultimately resolves to a buffalo.edu URL.
• Official university social media account information.

Any social media account that appears on the back of a UB business card must be officially recognized by the university. To check to see if your unit’s social media channel is registered, please visit buffalo.edu/home/ub-social-media. If the account is not recognized, you may submit a request to register it. Only registered accounts will be printed. No personal accounts are allowed.

Please supply your social media handle only. If a social media channel does not use handles (such as LinkedIn), then supply a short public profile URL.

Social media channels that are acceptable to include are as follows:

Campus units may order business cards for their unit. The name of the campus unit appears in the name field instead of an individual’s name.

Details for scheduling appointments may appear on the reverse side of the card.

University units, including alumni associations, may purchase networking cards for students that are representing that unit at conferences, poster presentations or other public engagement events and activities.

Additionally, students may purchase officially branded cards for their personal job search at their own cost using their own funds.

Student networking cards and job search cards are allowed, but there is a strict format that must be followed, which includes clearly identifying the student as a student and their intended graduation date. Inclusion of this information is intentional and limits the period of time a student may use these cards.

The front of the business card template for students includes the following required fields:

The back of the business card is typically left blank but may be printed with an approved blue background. Please note that there is an additional cost to printing on the back of the cards.

Print services is able to print non-UB branded student networking and job search cards. Please contact them directly to order.

Use official UB letterhead for formal print correspondence to convey your university affiliation and your specific unit identity.

Both printed and electronic letterhead is available for use in master brand, brand extension and sub-brand templates. Printed letterhead may only be produced by Print Services. Digital letterhead may be personalized with a person’s name, but it is reserved for university deans, vice presidents, the provost and the president.

Letterhead may include:

• Unit name.
• Mailing address.
• Telephone and fax numbers.
• Email address.
• The unit’s main website.

Use official UB envelopes for formal print correspondence to convey your university affiliation and your specific unit identity.

Envelopes are available in master brand, brand extension and sub-brand versions.

Envelopes may include:

• University master brand mark, brand extension or sub-brand lockup*.
• Unit name.
• Mailing address including building name and room number.

*For mail to be correctly delivered, the university name must appear as part of the return address. This requirement is accomplished by using an approved logo or lockup.

For print correspondence that’s more informal, yet still professional, consider using official UB memo pads.