Protocols to Follow

1.  All Graphics, need to be named as such, BG1 (Main Background) BG2, BG3, BG4, BG5,  Div1,  Div2   Main (Main Image)  If for a host, Make sure you Name one with borders with out added text other than your name etc, as EDIT(Font Name)  ie...  EDITArielBlack  This image must have the Same borders and colors as the completed image for HOSTS ONLY.  All Images, should be saved as .jpg  unless it is a glitter or has animation, then .gif and all background images should be seamless.

2. As a rule of thumb,  Select your image, or create your image from scratch. Before you make any borders on this image.  Do the following.

  A.  Figure out what colors you want to use.  Use your selection tool to click on the image the most dominate color you see. Ask yourself, What Color Stands Out the Most?  Then make a 300 x 300 blank graphic and flood fill with that color. Give it a texture you want by using plugins.  Do a seamless.  Make this BG3

  B.  Then select a contrasting color, it should be a lighter shade of color that is in the image.  Make a 300 x 300 blank graphic and flood fill with your light color give it a texture you want by using plugins. Do a seamless  Make this BG2

   C.  Then use selection tool again and find a darker shade in the image.  When making pages, think of the most inner border of the page.  This is where the text goes.  Most leagues out there, use a copy and paste method for their Tourney Rules,  and most of it is a white font.  So you don't want a light background in that area, you want a dark one that looks good or contrasts with the main image itself.  Once you figure that out, then make a 300 x 300 blank graphic and flood fill with that dark color.  Give it a texture, I try to stick with something not busy a solid texture.  Do a seamless  Make this BG4

   D.  Make a gradient image, size 25 x 300  that will off set the total page and make it pop.  This normally goes in the smallest of borders.  The outlines!  You can make this one glitter if you want. Or leave it as jpg all up to you on how you want the page to look.  I only do one color for this as a rule of thumb.  But if you want to alternate colors with 2 different colors,  Please make sure they go with the main image.  Do not pick off the wall colors.  They should make a page stand out.  Do a seamless.  Make This BG5

3.   Next,  select your main image. COPY,  make a 300 x 300 blank graphic,  select all,  paste into selection  to make a smaller image of your main graphic.  Then you can give it any swirl, any texture from there that you want to use.  After you select your texture, or plugin you want to use for the MAIN Background,  Do a seamless. Make this BG1

4.  This is the base way, I  pretty much do every page,  grant it, I don't like cookie cutter type pages, so this needs to be changed with textures,  etc.  Different variations.  But the colors must go well, and make a page POP!

5.  This is when and only when, do you add borders to the image, based on your backgrounds you have created.  DO NOT make borders of different colors that are not in your background images.  This will make the page clash.  The outcome will be tacky, and I will change things, per my suggestions above. Then I will talk to you and explain to you what you did wrong.  Before ADDING HOST NAME TO THE IMAGE,  Name this as EDIT(FontName)  DO not use the same font over and over.  Then ADD host name, to the top of the image,  ie,  Tourney Time with Boop,  with one of the colors that are in your Backgrounds.  Drop Shadow to make it stand out.  Name it MAIN.jpg  or gif if you give it animation.

6.  Make a divider for the page, this should be transparent, not white or black background. If it isn't transparent I will make it so.  If you make a raised button for the divider, that is fine too.  Name it Div1  Or Div2 if you make two of them.  If Transparent, save as Div1.png  if a button of some sorts, save as Div1.jpg

We want, classy pages.  NOT SOMETHING THAT IS THROWN TOGETHER IN A HAPHAZARD WAY.   Think about the image and the look you want for the page.  This is critical thinking time.  Have a plan set in your mind of how you want this to look.  Every Image does not need to be a swirl, squiggly line, off the wall graphic that looks tacky.

Last But not least.  TAKE YOUR TIME, This is not a HURRY SITUATION TO GET THE JOB DONE!  If something is very pressing, that there is a time limit I personally will do those pages.  I can pretty much think on the spot when an order comes in.  I'm programmed in this field of expertise.  

So I will never ask you to do a page, that is needed ASAP, I save those for myself, Lisa or MaryAnn.  

Bottom Line is this,  HAVE FUN, BE CREATIVE, Most of all THINK!  After you are done with images send them to me at CCC_BettyBoop@msn.com  I will check things over, and load the page for you.  If you follow my guidlines as listed above we will not have any problems.  I take a lot of pride in my site, and I pretty much know all the leagues and their likes and dislikes.  

I will give constructive criticism, from time to time, not to be mean in anyway, shape or form, but to guide you in making better images. So, if for any reason you are having a problem with anything, I'm always here to help.  I'm not the type to just assign something to you, and throw you out to the wolves.  

Most important thing to remember, is Not all the time, does every color in a image, have to have a background for it. Think about your two most dominate colors in the image.   They teach you this in art school,  Most dominate, 2nd dominate color.  One is always darker than the other.  Don't pick off the wall colors that don't make any sense.