Guidelines on Designing it Yourself

GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING IT YOURSELF

These guidelines are to help you abide by University Communications and SGA standards when designing promotional graphics yourself. If you are submitting a fi le for Student Publications to print, they cannot edit, modify, or change any graphics in the fi le. Be sure that your design meets these requirements before asking them to print it. Any reprints you make from a design you created will count towards your print allotment.

COPYRIGHTED ARTWORK Although students are encouraged to create their own artwork, sometimes jobs will call for an exact photo or illustration to be used. If an image is going to be used, make sure you at least alter 30% of the image. This can include changing the colors, adding eff ects, or cropping the image so that the work is considered derivative. Although the “30% rule” is used by the graphic design industry, it is by no means bound by law, and, if you are asked by the original artist to remove the image, you must fi nd an alternative. The best rule of thumb to follow is that if you see an image with a watermark or signature, or a known artists’ livelihood is dependent on this artwork, it is best avoided. Logos used by companies should be avoided unless you have expressed permission to use them. That said, it is best to go with images and graphics used by stock companies or images that already have derivative works (for instance, screenshots of a movie would be used for DVD covers, movie posters, Facebook banners, animated GIFs, etc.)

SGA LOGO The SGA logo must always be included in the design. Please pick a design from the following webpage: sga.fsu.edu/logos.shtml The SGA Logo should be at the top most layer, and not have any fi lters, blend modes, or eff ects applied to it other than a Drop Shadow, Outer Glow, or Stroke (whereas the Align Stroke Outside is applied). The SGA logo must take up at least 1/32 of the image.

NATIVE AMERICAN AND FSU IMAGERY The Seminole pattern, Chief Osceola’s death mask, feathers, and war paint are all trademarks of Seminoles Athletics. Refrain from using and printing these images. The Vires, Artes, and Mores torches are registered trademarks of Florida State University, and should also not be used. Finally, the Glades typeface (the iconic one used by Seminoles Athletics) is not to be used, as it is owned by Nike.

FILE FORMATS Student Publications can use a variety of diff erent formats, but typically they are PDF, JPEG, or PNG. The general rule is the larger your image, the clearer it will print. All Student Publications graphics are printed at 8.5’’ x 11’’ in 300 dpi. Please make sure you export your fi les accordingly in order to have them printed properly. Handbills and posters should also be submitted in the same dimension, as Student Publications staff scales them accordingly.