New Banner Comp Discussion

[barbieq25]

Please use this thread for all discussions of the new banner for our revamped Fans Forum.

Competition entries should be posted here.

[TheBad1]

A flying visit ... logo images can be static, on rotation like the last time or there's a hack so that people can choose a logo from their profile page ...

... I thought I'd note it in case it has any bearing

[Helen]

I'm this type of person who feels badly if there's only one winner. I really like the idea of the rotating logos like we have now. Maybe we can have three winners again?

[Goonfella]

Well I think it all depends on the quality of the entries. I would rather have a single winner that really shows off the forum nicely rather than 3 rotating banners that are just average. Not that you guys make average images of course! ;D

I`m sure we`ll get some real beauties though so I think it would be nice to see all the best ones like we do now.

[Sargon III]

Is the size of the banner (width especially) limited by 500 in proboards forums?
I know I know I am just asking.

[delpart]

Well actually for the black skin, up to 850 would work. I really need to test what happens to the default at that size. I was thinking we had the standard 920-950 for some of the framing, but most of the site is percentage based and center justified ... So I'm not entirely certain.

Rough timing for me atm. for digging into some of it to confirm more than a passing observation on that.

In reply to the skins in general, the default buttons can be replaced like shown in the black skin as well. Could be done in a ton of ways. I'm just not a fan of the shadow/outline text they opted to use. Though the icons incorporated with the buttons is nice for pattern recognition to clue in as to basic function.

I know that's another discussion entirely. However. The reason for wishing to express it is if anyone has of mind to create more or less a "theme" based on a header on any levels, you may wish to keep this in mind as I think we'd all like even the default skin to be morphed and tweaked a little.

So, lets see. I think we could look at a full sized header as an option. 850 is pretty safe, up to 950 maybe but I cant confirm this straight off. 950 allows for side slider and some room on the sides for someone using a 1024 display for that that is worth. With allowance for some basic layout changes some people use.

The height should be kept to about 200 or so though. Much bigger and it really starts to push the page down too far for people not running the older aspect ratios. I still prefer 16x10 aspect but most people are forced into the penny pinching 16x9 screens anymore. They claim cheaper to produce etc. Its an industry lie. It was simply cheaper to make pure 16x9 screens ...

Being half blind though I'm still at only 1050 height. With start bar etc, the page can be hurt by over-sized headers ...

Okay, food for thought. The signature sized plates may or may not be a good fit here.

Since WB is the only person around who's mucked enough with the code so far I will see what he might be able to add about the default skin and making minor change there to get a layout match even if we dont modify the buttons etc just yet. At least then, BBQ can make modification to the size for the header.

I never said how tall? 200 to 225 max? I'm thinking 200 is enough.

Righto. I hope that makes sense. If not, let me know what I can define or clarify, point to examples etc.

[barbieq25]

Thanks Delpart for the clarification. So 850 x 200? I was only going off what Lance had previously.

Welshy?

I'm with you Helen on the voting. What if we decided that in order to be the rotation an entry needs at least 3 votes? On the other hand that could make the voting really messy too. Unless someone knows a good way of doing this? I was not able to set up the poll properly last time, if you recall, so I will need some help with that, please?

[TheBad1]

Technically you could make the banner as wide as the forum but personally between 850 and a 1,000 sounds right to me. (I've changed the PM bar in readiment ...)

I'm happy to go along with whatever is decided all round. (Size, rotation of etc)

[barbieq25]

ok, cool, I will amend the rules to 850-1000 x 200-250.

[Goonfella]

I think that`s a great idea. I`ve seen some awesome headers on other websites/forums across the top of pages. It will make this PDN forum that bit different from the main forum , which is nice.

[barbieq25]

Ok so how do we know what size the forum is?

Check out Sargon's image! Wow!

[Helen]

That's one awesome image! Love the tiled, 3D cubes in the background and the gold work, Sargon.

[blackpenny]

Okay, I'm out. I can't possibly top that.

I'm kicking around a couple of ideas, I just have to see if they turn into anything.

[barbieq25]

I'm still struggling for ideas...

[Goonfella]

You`re not the only one!

Great image Sargon.

[Pixey]

Argh! I'm with the rest of you after seeing Sargon's entry
Ho hum - I'll try to come up with something even if its whimsical

[TheBad1]

@ Sargon ... that is really quite spectacular. After the weekend I thought I was going to have, didn't turn out like I'd anticipated - this is really awesome to come back to.

After trying it on a test board my personal thoughts are that @ 250 x high is 50 pixels or so too much for the comp. ... but it scales down superbly. Looks great on the red skins and ebony skin. Personally I think it looks better in B & W on the latter.

Brilliant

[Sargon III]

Thanks everyone, I think we are going to have some excellent banners, and mine will be nothing among those, BP please don't quit just submit your work, you don't know what would happen, each person has his/her own taste, and the voting time will decide the result.

I was thinking the same thing as Welshy about the height, so I squashed it to 900 X 200, and it didn't affect the quality that much, and I tried to make it even smaller but lost the quality very much.

This is the new size, I hope it is still good, I will keep the one that I have posted in the comp thread.



This is all about comps, not just the design, ideas and subject but also to consider other things like size and dimensions...etc, so people when they vote they put that in those mind.

I wish if it is possible during the vote time to provide a screenshot of the forum and how it look with each banner, but it is too much work.

[barbieq25]

Officially Sargon, you just gave me a heart attack. I cannot even work out the simple poll without stuffing it up. I hope someone will help me with this when the time comes.

The other thing I really like about the last banner comp is that we all gave critique so that fault could be remedied if so desired.

Yes, you are right, Sargon, not too much loss of quality.

Also agree in not giving up. I have a few things in mind. One thing I did do was do a google search on logos to get some ideas. I find this way I come up with something very different from the original most of the time

[blackpenny]

I was just kidding about quitting, if I end up not submitting an entry it's because I spend too much time thinking and not enough doing, or get distracted by something else. I do have some ideas, whether they work or not, we'll see.

Still, stunning entry, Sargon!

[Helen]

Pixey, that's so darned cute! I love fluffy little things like that. Gosh, this is going to be hard to choose.

[Sargon III]

@ barbie, so sorry, I wish I could help you with the poll, but I have never setup a poll before so my knowledge in that is zero, but to get a screenshot of the published banner to the forum is quite easy with FireFox Complete Page Save As feature and view it offline, or just paste the banner on a screenshot, I can do that if you guys are interested to see the headers on different skins, of course just the top part of the home page, and put the links under each entry to view the image.

@ blackpenny, ok great thanks

@ Pixey, that is so cute , I agree with Helen