 BASICS Content Regulations Offensive content is not permitted. This includes gang insignia, drug supporting, racist comments, swearing, and self-injury. Also keep content PG-13. Please avoid full or partial nudity. Crediting Please do not claim someone else's graphics as your own. Give credit where credit is due. There is a section in your profile where you can link the creator and any resources used. Image Hosting Please use your own image hosting. Upload all of your images (avatars, signatures, dolls, sheet headers, etc) to a site like Nickpic, or utilize MH's image hosting site. AVATARS & SIGNATURES An avatar is the smaller image displayed to the left of each post whereas a signature is the image centered beneath each post. A tag, a thinner banner often displaying a phrase that describes a character, can also be seen sometimes just beneath a signature. A set refers to an avatar and a signature together (and sometimes a tag as well). Size Regulations Avatars may not be larger than 200 pixels in width and 300 pixels in height. Signatures may not be larger than 600 in width and 250 pixels in height. Tags may not be larger than 600 pixels in width and 100 pixels in height. You may only use one signature and tag at a time. An example of the maximum sizes can be seen below as well as examples of completed sets. (Click the thumbnails to see full size):     DOLLS Dolls are small pixelated images. They are most commonly used as avatars on Magical Hogwarts. Using Dolls If you are using a doll created by somebody other than yourself, you must give the doll maker credit. You can do so underneath your signature or in the credits section of your profile. Note that dolls may not be used without permission of the creator. Doll bases, or the initial image a doll is created on, also need to be credited wherever they are first posted. If you are not familiar with bases, visit the Doll on the Hill Factory and have a look at the bases section. Usually, the maker of a doll should be able to provide you with the required information for crediting. If you are using doll makers, please be careful. There are several unlicensed doll makers on the web. While you may think there is nothing wrong with using these, their content is stolen from certain pay sites, which may charge you money if the theft is discovered. The administration will do their best to make sure that you do not use such dolls unknowingly, but first and foremost, it is your responsibility to check the credibility of any site you use. A dollmaker we can recommend is Lunaii. FACE CLAIMS A model, or face claim, is the individual that visually represents a character on MH. Most often, celebrities (actors, athletes, musicians, etc.) or fashion models are used. Fansites usually have extensive galleries of images that may be used. Bellazon and the Fashion Spot are also common resources many drivers use to locate pictures of their models. Choosing a model It is advisable to choose a face claim in the same age range as your character. All face claims MUST BE AT LEAST 13 YEARS OLD, even if your character is a first or second year. Your face claim should match your character's description as closely as possible. Keep in mind that it is very difficult to find a model that matches your character's appearance exactly, so compromising on a tiny detail (such as eye colour) will make your search much easier and quicker. You should also try to find a face claim that matches the ethnicity of your character. There are some restrictions on your model choice. Taking photos from Facebook, Instagram, or similar sites is not permitted, unless the person is a verified musician, model, actor, etc. We also do not recommend using yourself as a model as feelings have been hurt in the past when in-character actions are confused with out-of-character situations. Also actors from the Harry Potter films are generally reserved for canon characters. If you are having trouble finding a model on your own or would like to take suggestions from others in exchange for a few sickles, you can post a request in our Model Requests thread. Claiming a model Once you have decided on a model, you may claim that individual, ensuring that your character is the only one allowed to use it on our forums. You can do so in the Official Model List thread once your character has been sorted. If there is another character using the model you'd like to use, it's up to you to contact that driver and ask if you can share. SHOPS Once your character is sorted, you have the opportunity to place orders or requests for all kinds of graphics. If you're looking for a certain style or would like a graphic from a certain driver, scroll through the list of shops commonly called HoS (or Hogwarts Official Shops) which you can find in the Avatars & Signatures Board. If you don't want to order at a specific shop, visit the Requests Board to post the details of what you are looking for. Graphic gifts can be posted in the Free Shop. Remember not to place any requests there. Please keep in mind to follow the rules specified in the thread. Ordering Graphics You may only place one order for a character at a time. This is to allow others the opportunity to have sets made for their characters. Also, please do not place orders or requests for characters that are unsorted. It is considered discourteous for someone to spend time creating a set for a character that may not be created. When posting in a [HoS], you must adhere to the rules set out by the shop owner. Each graphics maker on MH has the opportunity to make their own rules which can usually be found within the first post. Applying for Shop Access If you are interested in making and selling graphics in a shop of your own, you can find out how to apply in the Applying for Shop Access post. SHIPPERS, SANDBOXES AND SHEETS Shippers Shipper layouts should not contain images that are wider than 600 pixels. Please avoid the inclusion of unsorted characters in your layouts, as specified in the Shipper Information & Templates thread. Also, remember to give credit for any dolls used. Sandboxes Try to keep sandbox layouts simple. Avoid the use of too many photos, banners, and headers. We want to keep the sandbox accessible to new members and make sure they don't feel the need to make a complicated layout in order to fit in. INFRINGEMENTS Should violations of these rules occur, avatar and signature or shop privileges can be taken away. QUESTIONS If you have any questions regarding these rules or graphics in general, please make use of the Questions & Answers area. |