Arrianna

See, now that is a template. Well done.

If I may make a few suggestions? I would move your images in toward the center a little more along with the "Anime Online" and add a "fade" on the right. All you need is a dark soft brush at a large size and about 40% opacity. Put it on it's own layer and play with it till you like what you see.

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Barronmore

Guys.

A graphics template is just like a HTML template. In a HTML template certain elements (fonts, colors, navagaion bar, etc) stay the same from page to page. It's the page content that changes. That's what makes the template so powerful. You have similar elements on every page that tie the whole site together. It gives it a polished look while still retaining it's individual elements. This entire site is one large template.

A graphics template system is not that hard. Your content can even by quite different. But you need elements that tie all the banners together. Whatever font you use needs to be used in ALL the banners. It needs to be exactly the same, like a logo. If you put a border on the banner, it needs to be the same border on each banner. The image needs to be faded on the right side to blend with the background and make it 'stretch. It's the little elements that need to be carried from banner to banner. Your content can be whatever you want.

Arrianna worked hard to get her template system together. But even if you only use jpegs, and not a master PDF file, you can still make it look like a template system. Arrianna's banners can be broken down into 3 basic elements.

1. The boarder/script. This is the same in every picture. It is what gives each image it's distinctive 'template' look. It gives size and shape to the content.

2. The foreground image. There is a central portrait of some anime character and is the focus of the image.

3. The colored background image. The background image is the same in every banner. Only the color is different. This adds that unity to each banner while still giving each image it's separate look.

That's it. Broken down there is only three elements to the entire banner. Even if elements 2 and 3 were totally removed and replaced with unique content each time, it would still be a template system because of the border/script.

Ky-lyrra's entry is an example of a classic template banner. Great job Ky-lyrra!

A freestyle banner is not a template system. If there is no elements to unify the images together then you just have 5 separate banner images. That is not what the contest asked for and to change it in midstream is very unfair to those who have already entered.

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Ky-lyrra

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Chiefblackhammer

@ Barronmore…..I think you messed your conclusion up. I will show you why and provide a viable example.

True, however the rest of what you say after that (the elements) is flawed in the fact of what you say must be the same. A template can be as simple as saying they all have to be the same size and the text (what it says not the font) must read the same. I offer animepaper as my example.

They offer a “template” .psd for those that wish to make a banner for them. The 2 requirements, the size of the total image and the text (what it says not the font) must remain the same. That doesn’t mean the font, look or any other part of them must be the same. I doubt anyone will say that their site looks unprofessional or that they aren’t using a template system.

By that definition all of mine are “templates” as they all are the same size and the text (what it says not the font) on each of them are all the same. However I consider mine more of a “freestyle” given I only have 2 elements the same and the theme changes. But to say that a “freestyle” entry isn’t a template based on your 3 elements just doesn’t work in what really can be considered a template.

You can argue your point more but frankly it doesn’t matter as it isn’t the point.

What I am saying is the point isn’t what a “template” is but the real question should be what the banner system should be. The “theme” of a template was picked by 1 individual and forced out to the rest of us. While I agree that there needs to be some uniformity I can’t say to what extent that uniformity is. This is AO, not some other site and last I checked we went for the “community” approach.

If we are really going to look at what is fair then we need to start from scratch and first have a poll for what the members of the site really want…when it all boils down it is the members who should decide what the banner system is. They have to look at it and they should get the say. Meaning if it is a template, freestyle or if it is just 1 image we use, it all should be up to them and the site owner.

Of course those are just my thoughts.

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Barronmore

Actually, it's up to DragonBall. The rest of our opinions really don't matter. Why should we have a debate on elements of the site if Dragonball is the owner? He asked for a template and that is what we should be giving him...and that is what I described. A template is more then a size restriction and text.

Even from DragonBall's own description (post #29) each image needs to be similar in theme and feel if it's not a template system. That requires more then just the same size and words. Your images look great but they are not similar in theme or feel.

Animepaper uses an HTML template that includes a single image as part of it's design. I don't see how this page shows a freestyle template. The only thing that changes when I change pages or refresh is the content below the banner/navigaion menu. This is not part of the template, it's the content that the template holds.

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Chiefblackhammer

Sorry Barronmore, Animepaper does not use a HTML template for the banner. The problem is in what I did not realize in using it as an example. That is if you were not logged into the animepaper site then the site uses, instead of the rotating banner, a stationary plain text one, again you have to login to see the actual banner rotation.

I think the fact that we are having a contest for this more then denotes that DB cares about our opinions, otherwise he would ask someone to make a image and use it without our involvement. Plus if the owner ignores the opinions of the people on the site he won't have a site for long, or at least a active one.

Also just because DB asked for similar "themes" and "feels" doesn't mean that the ones provided aren't a template. The question is out of the ones provided what style does he and AO want? I can make a lot more that have the same look and feel, just have to know which one to do that on.

I still disagree about the about the definition of a template, but what is the point of arguing that isn't what this thread is about.

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Barronmore

We can make a thread if you wish.

I don't feel like arguing either. We can leave it with DragonBall to decide.

Sorry about the banner. I didn't meant to imply the banner was HTML itlself, just inclosed in HTML code.

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Dragon Ball

I don't care if it's a template or not. All that I want is that the banners (minimum 4) all have the same theme or style. If I put up the winners banners (and runner -ups later on), it would look best if the current set of banners being used all tie in with each other rather than being all over the place in style.

The reason I don't care whether it's a template or not is because I have no idea how to use them. Something I must sit down and learn someday.

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Ky-lyrra

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Barronmore

Could you explain for us then what you feel 'same theme and style' means to you? Cheifblackhammer's entries are quite a bit different from Ky-lyrra's entries, which are different from Arrianna's entries. Assuming one of them wins and another is runner up your going to have clashing banners if you use them together. They don't' use the same font style or even the same words.

You need to it least give some guidelines, even if it's what font to use in text and what alignment you want it to be at. If not you will not have the 'same theme and style' you want. I'm not trying to be a jerk about this but it is what i've studied for years in both business and web design. You need common elements to tie the banners together if your going to have a cohesive look. Your the customer. Your the fellow who matters, not CBH or me. What does 'same theme and style' mean to you so we know what bounds to work in. If you can't define it for us your going to get our vision of it and it may not work the way you want it to.

just my opinion as always...

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Dragon Ball

Same style / theme for the banners you submit individually. Each participant can have their own themes, fonts and so on.

So if you were to submit 4 banners, then try to keep them all in the same theme. Your theme can be different to other members' themes.

Hope this clears it up.

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