Graphic Design & Publication Services

The design office is a full-service design studio, producing College materials for external audiences and maintaining the College identity. 

All jobs to produce publications for external audiences must go through the design office. We also are available to consult with Colby departments about producing their own jobs. Please read through this Web site for information on:

Publications Guidelines
 It may be hard to believe that even modest printing projects take a month or more to complete, but there are many steps involved and many individuals who work on the production of high quality publications. Administrative logging and tracking of jobs, photo research, design work, approval of proofs and approval of changes, editing for Colby style and proper grammar, and billing all take time. Once designed, printing requires additional weeks. More time still often is required for labeling and mailing. So it’s sometimes hard to get started early enough and it’s always inadvisable to attempt shortcuts in the production process.

All design jobs are to be submitted to the Communications Office (communications@colby.edu), ext. 4350, in Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center. All jobs must be complete (including all text and photo specifications, e.g., if you wish specific subject matter) at the time they are submitted. If materials and text are not provided in a timely fashion, your job may be delayed. Your job will be submitted to the design office and the designer assigned to your publication will contact you to setup a meeting if necessary, or to inform you who is handling your job.
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Diversity Guidelines
Colby is committed to diversity, and its publications and Web pages should reflect that commitment. The following are guidelines for depicting diversity in print and online.
  • In order to portray an honest representation of diversity at the College, photos and text in publications and Web pages should reflect a balanced image by including art and words representing men and women equally and a diversity of race and ethnicity roughly proportional to the makeup of the institution.
  • Care should be taken that men and women are depicted in non-traditional as well as traditional roles.
  • Photographs may not be electronically manipulated or altered in the darkroom for the purpose of achieving these guidelines by deception.
  • Gender-specific language (he/she or his/her) should be avoided in general statements that apply to both sexes.
  • Students shall not be identified as recipients of financial aid without their expressed permission.
  • General language should be inclusive, recognizing gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and straight preferences, and assumptions about sexual orientation should be avoided.
  • The sexual orientation of any individual may not be revealed without his or her expressed consent.
  • Colby calendars should identify breaks and vacations by season and not by discrete religious holidays. (e.g. winter, not Christmas vacation.)

For information contact the Communications Office at communications@colby.edu or 207-859-4350