APU Has a robust digital signage platform with over 60 signs installed at 7 of our campuses.  To help ensure consistent content quality, we have create some basic content and design guidelines that should be met before submissions will be posted to the system.  After reading the guidelines below, you can click here to submit your digital signage request.

 

SIMPLICITY

Each post is only visible for 12-15 seconds, so we advise keeping your text under 30 words.  Too much text or too many images on a digital flyer will clutter your message and decrease readability.

Basic information that should be on all posts:

• The name of the event
• When the event will take place. Include day, date, and time.
• Where the event will take place.
• Who is the contact person or organization for the event? If you use a phone number, be sure to include the area code.

 

SIZE

All digital signage posts must be sized at 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels (widescreen, 16x9)

 

FORMAT

All posts need to be saved in the following formats:
Still Graphic: JPG, TIF, GIF, PNG, WMF or BMP
Video: ASF, AVI, MPEG, MPG, WMV, MOV, MP4, M4V
Powerpoint: PPTX

 

COLOR

Consider the colors used in your post carefully. Make sure there is strong contrast between your background colors and the text colors to ensure readability.

 

TEXT SIZE

The text on your digital flyer needs to be readable. Use large font sizes so your message can be read without the need to stand close to the screen.  Try at least 60-80 pt. for headlines and at least 36 pt. for the other text.  To see if your design is readable at a distance, stand at least six feet from your screen when viewing the flyer at 100% of the viewable size. If you can’t read it from a distance, then re-size the text accordingly.

 

OBJECT LINES

Use bold lines when designing objects for digital signage. Lines that are too thin do not display well and may appear broken or look invisible.

 

IMAGES

If you use an image in your design, its resolution should be at least 72 dpi (dots per inch).

• Note: the actual size of the image you use is important. A small image at 72 dpi will pixelate when enlarged. Instead, begin with a large image and scale down as necessary.
• Files containing pixelated images will be returned. It is better to have no images at all than to have pixelated or otherwise distorted images.

 

It is also your responsibility to ensure the follow: 

1. Any images used in the display design are either copyright-free, or
2. You have obtained written permission to use the image.

 

The guide “Finding Public Domain & Creative Commons Images“, produced by the Harvard Law School Library, can assist you in finding and correctly attributing public domain and Creative Commons images for your project.

 

SAVING YOUR FLYER FOR SUBMISSION

All flyers to be posted on digital signage must be be saved as image files and sized at 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels with a resolution of at least 72 dpi.

 

Saving a .jpg in PowerPoint

1. Go to File –> Save As
2. Give your file a descriptive name.
3. Choose “JPEG File Interchange Format” from the “Save as type” list.
4. Choose “Current Slide Only” when asked what slides you want to export from the presentation.

 

Saving a .jpg in Keynote

1. Go to File –> Export To –> Images…
2. Under Slides select “From 1 to 1”
3. Format should be “JPEG (High Quality)”
4. Click Next
5. Give your file a descriptive name
6. Click Export