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New Mexico State University

Brand Identity Program

Print project resources

Using print templates

Templates offer a convenient way to quickly produce many kinds of publications. We provide categories of documents, accessible in four PC or Mac based programs. You will need the appropriate computer program, the branding standards and access to a printer – preferably color, although black and white reproduction of these templates is possible. If there are specific needs for templates not available here, the current templates can be modified, but must follow branding standards.

Selecting the right template category

  • PowerPoint: Select this category for slide and presentation cover templates.
  • InDesign: Select this category to create documents you wish to have printed commercially. The Print Portal and commercial printing facilities prefer to receive print jobs in this format, as it allows adjustment and manipulation of the file, if necessary, without altering your document. Of course, you can also easily print from these templates directly to your desktop or office printer.
    Best practice: Use InDesign templates
    • if you need large quantities of a document,
    • if you are making multi-page booklets, brochure, newsletters or other more “complex” publications,
    • and you are using the Print Portal for commercial printing.
  • Word and Publisher: Select these template categories to quickly create and print small quantities of publications on your local network or desktop printer. Documents created from these templates can also be printed commercially, but save your work as a PDF before you submit it to the Print Portal. Note* The Print Portal does not accept documents saved as “Publisher” files for in-house printing. You need to convert the Publisher file to a PDF.

Adobe® InDesign templates

Use these templates if you have the Adobe® InDesign program installed.

Tip: Always print a copy of your publication to show the print shop how you want it to look.

Go here to download Adobe® InDesign templates »

Microsoft® Word templates

Save your work as a PDF if you use a Publisher template and plan to use the Print Portal for commercial printing. Otherwise the process of preparing your document for printing may take more time and possibly cost more. The Print Portal will not accept jobs saved in Publisher for in-house printing.

Go here to download Microsoft® Word templates »

Microsoft® Publisher templates

Save your work as a PDF if you use a Publisher template and plan to use the Print Portal for commercial printing. Otherwise the process of preparing your document for printing may take more time and possibly cost more. The Print Portal will not accept jobs saved in Publisher for in-house printing.

Tip: Always print a copy of your publication to show the print shop how you want it to look.

Go here to download Microsoft® Publisher templates »

Microsoft® PowerPoint templates

These templates can save you time and ensure your presentation meets the brand standards.
Important: When you insert body text into your PowerPoint slides, use a commonly available font such as Arial, Garamond, Lucida, Times New Roman, and Verdana.

Go here to download Microsoft® PowerPoint templates »

Color reproduction in printed documents

Commercial printing

There are four standard methods of commercial printing.

  1. One-color method. This method uses one ink only. Usually the ink is black.
  2. Two-color method. This method uses black ink and a second ink, PMS 208 (crimson). This second ink is also referred to as spot color.
  3. Four-color process method. This method uses four standard inks: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, which combine on the printing press to create a full-color printed document. Tip: When preparing your document to be printed using the four-color process method, set the color in your files following the process color formula for the CMYK values in the NMSU Branding Color Palette. The palette specifies the settings you must use. Do not use your program default settings for the CMYK values.
  4. Five-color method. Five-color printing uses the four-color process method, applying the four standard inks, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, to create a full color document, but adds a spot color PMS ink to accurately reproduce a specific color. For NMSU documents, PMS 208 ink is the spot color to use.

    5. Tip: To prepare your files for this method, follow the four-color process as described above, but set your crimson to PMS 208.

Selecting paper stock

We recommend using coated stock White Matte or White Dull paper. These paper stocks most accurately reproduce NMSU crimson and the text is easy-to-read. Gloss paper can occasionally be used, depending on project, but text is not as easy to read. Such projects include presentation folders and calendars. Uncoated paper may occasionally be used, again depending on project, but be aware that uncoated paper soaks up more ink, yielding somewhat duller colors or colors of a different hue. Projects where uncoated paper might be used include contact cards and newsletters.

Best practice for printing and paper selection

For the best commercial printing results, print using 5-color (4-color plus PMS 208) on a coated matte or dull white paper stock. We recommend this method for documents intended for external audiences, especially for recruitment, recognition and prestige-building publications.

Desktop & network printing

For accurate color, set up your files following the four-color process method tip: When preparing your document to be printed using the four-color process method, set the color in your files following the process color formula for the CMYK values in the NMSU Branding Color Palette. The palette specifies the settings you must use. Do not use your program default settings for the CMYK values.

Set your margins according to your network or desktop printer’s guidelines, so that your copy and art stays within your printer’s “live area.” The printer will not reproduce any content outside this live area of the paper.

All documents set up in color will print in black and white on simple one-color desktop and network printers. The printer will convert all the colors to shades of black, or “grayscale.”

Tip: to adjust the shades of gray, adjust your document’s color values.

Contact Us

For more information, contact Marketing Services between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 505-646-3221, or bip@nmsu.edu.