For clarity in branding and marketing, UNC Creative has defined the color as Pantone 542 and declared that the CMYK representation is Cyan 60%, Magenta 19%, Yellow 1%, and Black 4%.

[1] None of the colors match the selected Pantone 542 which would be a hex value of  #6699C2 , RGB of (102,153,194), and a CMYK value of 47,21,0,24.

This results in a Hex code of  #7BAFD4 , the official matching hex code for Pantone 542 C.[2][3] Use of the light blue color at UNC dates from 1795 when the Dialectic (blue) and Philanthropic (white) Societies of the university chose representative colors.

Society members would wear a blue or white ribbon at university functions, and blue or white ribbons were attached to the diplomas of graduates.

[4] Light blue and white have been UNC's sporting colors since the 1880s, when UNC's football team adopted the light blue and white of the Di-Phi Societies as their colors.