Elsevier Logo
The Elsevier logo uses 1 primary color. Its dominant color is Orion Grey (#53565A, closest Pantone Cool Gray 11 C). Elsevier operates in the Computers Electronics & Technology industry.
- Color family
- gray
- Industry
- Computers Electronics & Technology
- Brand popularity
- Top 26% of indexed brands
- Website
- scopus.com
Design analysis
The Scopus logo is a wordmark-led identity where the custom-drawn logotype carries the full weight of recognition. The letterforms are geometric sans-serif with subtle humanist details — note the slightly tapered strokes on 'c' and 'u', the open aperture of 'o', and the distinctive curved tail on 's' that suggests forward motion. A small abstract mark sits to the left: a stylised bird in profile formed from a single continuous line that doubles as a magnifying glass, reinforcing the search-and-discovery metaphor. The mark is constructed on a strict grid, with the icon's height matching the x-height of the wordmark and consistent clear-space rules. At small sizes (favicon, mobile app icon), the icon separates cleanly and remains legible down to 16px, while the full lockup requires roughly 120px width before the wordmark degrades. In the academic database sector — where competitors like Web of Science and PubMed rely on institutional crests or dense monograms — Scopus's clean typographic approach feels modern and accessible, signalling a user-first digital product rather than a legacy archive.
Logo colors, measured
Colors extracted from the logo image itself (background removed), with share of the mark each color covers.
Click a chip to copy its hex code.
The single measured colour, Orion Grey (#53565A), is a cool, mid-value neutral that reads as both authoritative and interface-friendly. In a category dominated by blues (IEEE, ACM, PubMed) and deep reds (Elsevier parent brand), the grey avoids chromatic clashing when embedded in third-party library portals or browser toolbars. It meets WCAG AA contrast on white backgrounds for body text sizes, and its 10% logo-area footprint suggests the mark is designed to sit quietly inside dense research UIs rather than dominate them.
Variations & downloads
Color variants generated from the vector source — free to download for identification, editorial and research use.
Visually similar logos
Nearest neighbors in visual embedding space — marks that share shape and structure with the Elsevier logo, regardless of color or industry.
Brand web palette
Colors Elsevier uses across its website — the broader brand system around the logo.
About Elsevier
Scopus is an abstract and citation database offered by Elsevier, renowned as the largest of its kind. It provides access to a vast range of peer-reviewed literature from various fields like science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities. With Scopus, researchers can easily search for and access high-quality research articles. Additionally, Scopus offers a preview feature, allowing users to explore its capabilities and benefits. To make use of this feature, individuals need to be registered users of Scopus. It's worth noting that Scopus will soon discontinue support for IE 9 and advises users to upgrade to the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome for optimal performance. Scopus also provides many other valuable resources such as free author profiles, metrics for non-subscribers, comprehensive content coverage, source lists, and book title lists. For those interested in subscribing to Scopus, they can get in touch with the sales team to speak with their local representative
Questions about the Elsevier logo
Why does Scopus use a bird icon in its logo?
The bird is a stylised scopus (hammerkop), a wading bird whose name the database adopts. The single-line drawing also forms a magnifying glass, visually encoding the product's core function: precision search across vast literature.
Has the Scopus logo changed since launch?
The current wordmark-and-icon system was introduced in a 2018 brand refresh aligning Scopus with Elsevier's updated visual language. Earlier versions used a heavier serif logotype and a more literal bird illustration; the redesign simplified both for digital legibility.
What color is the Elsevier logo?
The dominant color of the Elsevier logo is Orion Grey (hex #53565A). The closest Pantone match is Cool Gray 11 C.
How many colors does the Elsevier logo have?
The Elsevier logo uses 1 primary color: #53565A.
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The Elsevier logo is a trademark of its owner, shown here for identification and design research. Color data is measured from the public mark by LogoLabs; analysis is editorial commentary. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.