Technical Specifications for Marketing Your Messages

• 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. Larger files for social media are preferred.
• Accepted formats: .jpg, .png (for signage); vector files (e.g., .ai, .pds, .indd) for artwork.
• On this page, view the required dimensions (in pixels) and ensure the resolution is 72 dpi or higher.

• Send vector (original/native) files along with your .jpg or .png.
• Adhere to the UNT Style Brand Reference Guide for external-facing publications.
• Include:
  • The font names you have used.
  • Editable text (not flattened in the image)
  • Be sure you have sufficient contrast to meet accessibility guidelines. Contrast Checker or the U.S. GSA Section 508 requirement. For example, light text color on a light background won't pass.
• 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?

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.' Tell the readers what you want them 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.

In your email request, please include the full URL associated with your QR code, if you're using one.

The UNT Styleguide asks us to 

• Use cardinal numbers for dates and years (not ordinal numbers, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th).
• 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, Art Annex, Room 123).
• Use UNT Style for degrees, which means including the periods between abbreviations, e.g., B.A., B.F.A., M.F.A. and Ph.D., etc.
• UNT Brand Reference Guide PDF, Fall 2025

• Size: 1920w x 1080h pixels, 72 dpi
• Format: JPG or PNG only
• Do not submit 8.5" x 11" posters — they cannot be used.
• Keep text to a minimum — treat it like a billboard, ideally, seven words or fewer for people on the move! 
• Passersby have 12 seconds to read your message before the next image slides in.
• Leave at least a 72 pixel margin all around for text. Keep your text inside the margin, but color and design can extend to the edges. 

• Use large, readable type. Use the Contrast Checker to ensure your message is readable for accessibility.

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

• 

For social media, send the caption that goes with your image.

• A compelling hook to grab attention,
• Context or a story explaining the post,
• Relevant keywords for searchability,
• Names of people in the photo, if relevant,
• A clear call-to-action (CTA) to drive engagement, and
• A couple of appropriate hashtags
• Alt Text: ADA-compliant image descriptions for social media should be concise (under 125–250 characters), descriptive, and convey the image's context without starting with "image of". Focus on essential details, such as actions, settings, and relevant text, rather than overly flowery language.
• Images without captions and alt text will not be posted.

Send a minimum of one 72-dpi color image (.jpg or .png); the larger, the better — the minimum dimensions are 330 x 330 pixels. Images larger than 700 KB will be compressed to upload to UNT's web content management system.

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.

• 

• 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.
• 

The Instagram reels are 1080w x 1920h pixels. When you create, the areas in white and blue are the safe zones for the reel. The CVAD banner should be in the white or blue areas. Areas marked in light gray can include color, design or edges of photos, but not text, because Instagram blocks them in the Explore feature. The square in cyan is what shows in the Explore feature.
Margins:
 – 108 pixels down from the top and
 – at least 320 pixels up from the bottom,
 – 60 pixels from the left edge, and
 – 120 pixels from the right edge.

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.

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? 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.