United States Military Academy School Colors
United States Military Academy's school colors are Black, Gold and Gray. Army West Point's brand standards define 4 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the Army West Point colors
West Point officially adopted black, gold and gray in 1899, when the Academy needed distinctive colors for its intercollegiate athletic teams. Army athletics explains the three colors as the components of gunpowder: charcoal for black, saltpeter for gray and sulfur for gold. Athletics also links gray to the Long Gray Line and the cadet Dress Gray uniform, black to the Black Knights name and the black trim of cadet uniforms, and gold to class rings and uniform brass. The Black Knights name is said to come from the team's mostly black early football uniforms, though the athletics site gives two slightly different versions of this story.
Sources: westpoint.edu · goarmywestpoint.com
Photo: Joejones2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Army West Point primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | — | — | — | PMS Process Black | |
| Gold | — | — | — | PMS 467 C | |
| Gray | — | — | — | PMS Cool Gray 5 C | |
| White | — | — | — | No ink |
Army colors and licensing
West Point's trademark policy specifies Army's colors only as print inks: Process Black, Gold PMS 467 C and Gray Cool Gray 5 C. Products carrying West Point or Army athletics marks require a license and art approval, and the marks must appear in the official colors; plain apparel in black, gold and gray does not use any marks.
Matching Army West Point colors on clothing
Army West Point publishes its colors as Pantone ink specifications only, with no official screen values, so we can't yet measure clothing against them the way we do for other schools. Use the Pantone numbers above when ordering custom apparel.
Army West Point colors: frequently asked questions
What are Army West Point school colors?
United States Military Academy's school colors are Black, Gold and Gray. The official brand palette also includes White as a primary color.
What Pantone color is Army West Point Black?
Army West Point Black is PMS Process Black.
What Pantone color is Army West Point Gold?
Army West Point Gold is PMS 467 C.
What Pantone color is Army West Point Gray?
Army West Point Gray is PMS Cool Gray 5 C.
Why are Army West Point's colors Black, Gold and Gray?
West Point officially adopted black, gold and gray in 1899, when the Academy needed distinctive colors for its intercollegiate athletic teams. Army athletics explains the three colors as the components of gunpowder: charcoal for black, saltpeter for gray and sulfur for gold.
Color values are taken from the official United States Military Academy brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by United States Military Academy. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.