Technical Specifications for Marketing Your Messages

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Submission Checklist
File Size & Format
Artwork/Asset Requirements
Text Guidelines
QR Codes
UNT & AP Style Guidelines
Digital Signage for the Art Building
News Story
UNTCVAD Facebook
UNTCVAD Instagram
UNTCVAD X
UNTCVAD YouTube

Submission Checklist

✅ File Size & Format

  • Files over 700KB? For webpages, please compress your images (directions here) or email them to cvad.Information@unt.edu for assistance. Images for the digital signs or social media can be larger.
  • Accepted formats: JPG, PNG (for signage); vector files (e.g., AI, PSD, INDD) for artwork.
  • On this page, view the required dimensions (in pixels) and ensure the proper resolution.

✅ Artwork Requirements

  • Please send vector (original/native) files along with your rasterized files, such as .jpg or .png, to avoid potential delays in processing your request.
  • Include:
    • Font names used
    • Editable text (not flattened in the image)
  • Show your CVAD pride with CVAD branding on your project (poster, flyer, image, etc.; use the CVAD color bar! Did you know it spells CVAD in Morse code?

CVAD Color Bar of various colors that spell CVAD in Morse code.

✅ Text Guidelines

  • Avoid using ALL CAPS (except for acronyms or rare emphasis). Keep accessibility in mind — screen readers interpret all caps as yelling. When ALL CAPS work:
    • Short titles, acronyms, or logos
    • High-contrast designs with proper spacing, but add extra spacing (tracking)
    • Keep it short; do not use it for whole paragraphs, lists, long passages or instructions
    • Use ALL CAPS strategically
  • Be sure to include a call to action, such as 'RSVP,' 'Join us,' or 'Don't miss it.' Include what you want the reader to do.
  • Be sure to use UNT Style for degrees, which means including the periods between abbreviations, e.g., B.A., M.F.A. and Ph.D., etc.

✅ QR Codes

  • Include the full URL associated with your QR code for accessibility and verification.

✅ UNT & Associated Press Style Reminders 

  • Use cardinal numbers for dates and years (not rather than ordinal numbers: st, nd, rd, or th).
  • Capitalize the first letter of all months (not all caps).
  • Abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. when used with dates.
  • Spell out numbers one through nine (in text, not dates).
  • Use full building names and room numbers (e.g., Art Building, Room 123).
  • Be sure to use UNT Style for degrees, which means including the periods between abbreviations, e.g., B.A., M.F.A. and Ph.D., etc.

✅ Digital Signage Submissions for the Art Building

  • Size: 1920w x 935h pixels, 72 dpi
  • Format: JPG or PNG only
  • Do not submit 8.5" x 11" posters
  • Keep text minimal — treat it like a billboard, seven words or fewer for people on the move! 
  • Passersby have eight seconds to read your message before the next image slides in.
  • Leave at least 96px (1 inch) margin on left, right, and bottom edges. Keep your text inside the margin, but color and design can extend to the edges.

  • Use large, readable type

  • Be sure to include a call to action, such as 'RSVP,' 'Join us,' or 'Don't miss it.' Include what you want the reader to do!

Building Names: Refer to the Art Building — not CVAD Building — and Art Annex — not CVAD 2.
Capital Letters: Avoid using all caps except for emphasis.
Color: Use color-blind–safe palettes.
Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast by using a contrast checker.
Dates: Use cardinal numbers for dates — except in proper nouns.
Day of the Week: Omit day names (e.g., Monday, Tuesday) and use only the date.
Months: Abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.; spell out all other months — April 2, 2025.
QR Codes & URLs: Accompany QR codes with their corresponding URL.

Room Numbers: Use the Art Building maps for room references. For example, Art Building, Room 123. Exception: the corridor area outside the Cora Stafford Gallery doors is located in the Art Building, Room C103. You may use "Art Building, Room C103, Cora Stafford Gallery Foyer."
Special Times: Use “noon” or “midnight” instead of “12 p.m.” or “12 a.m.”
Times: Indicate time ranges as “5–7 p.m.” — not “5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.” — and always use lowercase a.m. and p.m. with periods.
Type Size: Use a type size of at least 28 points.
URLs & Email Addresses: Write them in CamelCase, e.g., Jonas.Smith2@unt.edu.
Word Count: Minimize words whenever possible — signs rotate every eight seconds.
Year: Include the year of your event at least once somewhere in the text of your sign.

CVAD News and Views website story

Send a minimum of one color image (.jpg or .png); the larger, the better — the minimum dimensions are 330px x 330px. Images larger than 700 KB should be compressed to upload properly.

UNTCVAD Facebook 

  • Write your caption. Facebook limits it to 63,206 characters, but keep it short for better engagement. Email it with your image.
  • Write your Alternative Text to describe the image(s). This is an ADA requirement for people who are visually impaired or blind. Try to keep it to 125 characters or fewer. Email it with your image.

  • Single image dimensions: 1125w x 630h pixels or larger, keeping the same aspect ratio (.jpg or .png). The minimum font size is 28 points. Be sure to leave space for the UNT CVAD banner in the image you submit; CVAD will add the banner.

UNTCVAD Instagram • New Grid!

  • Write your caption. Instagram limits it to 2200 characters. Email it with your image.
  • Write your Alternative Text to describe the image(s). This is an ADA requirement for people who are visually impaired or blind. Try to keep it at 125 characters or fewer. Email it with your image.
  • 1080w x 1350h px (or larger with the same aspect ratio): .jpg or png. This is the minimum size accepted for the CVAD Instagram posts. Note: Images of artwork depicting nudity, especially nipples, are often rejected by Meta. The minimum font size is 28 points. Be sure to leave a 50-pixel margin on the left and right of your image (don't place text there); Instagram crops it in feeds and on reels. Be sure to include space for the UNT CVAD banner in the image you submit; CVAD will add the banner. (145 px above the banner, 1100px below the banner.)
  • Example of the new grid.
    Example of the new grid

UNTCVAD X (formerly Twitter)

Posting is paused due to low engagement over 24 months. We direct the Twitter audience to our Facebook, Instagram, and CVAD News and Views website.

UNTCVAD YouTube

The video must have open captions of the audio portions and a visual description. To meet ADA requirements, an open-captioned transcript and a Word document with visual descriptions are required. Under Title II, publicly available videos, whether for entertainment or informational purposes, must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. In addition to the video file, the following elements are necessary for a successful upload: 1) a title (no more than 100 characters), 2) a general description paragraph about what viewers can expect in each video, and 3) a visual description paragraph for the blind (2 & 3 combined cannot exceed 5,000 characters).

Note: Did you know? On average, videos with captions tend to increase watch time compared to those without them. Adding captions to your videos expands your reach to a wider audience, allowing more viewers to access and enjoy your content, from those who are deaf or hard of hearing to those who prefer to watch with no or low volume. Source: YouTube: Add Subtitles and Captions

Adding Closed Captions: We can help

Do you need help transcribing speech to text? Email CVAD Marketing at cvad.Marketing@unt.edu to have it done for you.

Send a link to your video (.mp4) from Dropbox, OneDrive or another sharing platform in the text box of your news web form. Checklist for creating accessible videos.