Here are some items commonly requested in the "Other Requests" section:

- desktops
- headers
- pips
- skins and layouts

For those types of requests, we have a set of requesting guidelines that have manifested themselves as forms that you can fill out before you make a request. For other graphics, we have a harder time creating a form and, thus, what information you need to share will need to be worked out between yourself and the person from whom you're requesting. If you're requesting something more obscure, like a flyer or a book cover, make sure to check in on your thread frequently as your artist may have questions for you and the sooner you are able to answer them, the sooner your request will be filled.

- flyers
- book covers
- manipulations
- minor photo edits

DO NOT CHANGE THESE CODES! That includes changing colours, fonts, or sizes. Keep this as simple as possible for everyone!

Desktop Standard Request Form Code:


Guided Request Form:
this form is provided only as a reference for what information goes where

Size: Desktops come in several standard sizes. For standard monitors, most people will use either 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864 or 1280x1024. Widescreen monitors require other resolutions. Either way, for windows users, simply right click a blank area on your desktop and select Properties from the cascading menu that appears. Choose the "Settings" tab. There, you will find a slider toggle labeled Screen Resolution. The numbers under the slider represent your screen resolution.
Images: Depending on the type of desktop you are requesting, you may want images on it. If you would simply like a person - like Kiera Knightley - on your desktop and you want the artist to choose any old photo they like, simply state that here. If not, however, please provide links to the images you would like to have used on your desktop.
Color Scheme Preferences: If you have preferences for the color(s) you would like used, please supply that information here.
Quotes: If you have text or quotes that you would like present in your desktop, say so here
Desktop Orientation: This section is important!! If you are a Windows XP user, please let your designer know if you keep your Start Bar on the top or bottom of your screen and where you keep your icons (left - right - top?) If you know how, you might want to supply a screenshot of your current desktop in this section so that your artist knows what parts of the canvas you will need to be able to read through, etc... Really, this is just to prevent people from putting a face where you want to put your icons
Additional Information: If you have any other information for your artist, this would be the place to supply it - information regarding any specific "looks" you're going for - something tech or something vector based, etc...

Sample Request:
this is a fictional request based on the above forms and should only be used as a guideline for what your request will look like.

Size: 1024x768
Images: None
Color Scheme Preferences: Bright Pinks & Oranges. Something fun and sunny.
Quotes: Sparks (as in the band, not the side effect of hitting to stones together)
Desktop Orientation: Screener. Generally, I keep my icons to the left of the screen and I don't usually have this many, so you have pretty much all of the screen real estate.
Additional Information: I'd like this to be more vector based. It could be vexel as well, that's just fine, but I would like the appearance of a vector design. Really, i'm just looking for something a little fun and retro. Like a target commercial, just better

Header Standard Request Form Code:


Guided Request Form:
this form is provided only as a reference for what information goes where

Size: Please include the size of your requested header here. If you are working from a layout that someone has already created for you, please check to verify that the header is going to fit nicely and not stretch the page.
Link to Place to be Used: YOUR SITE NAME HERE This section helps to save our artists time (and sanity) by making sure that the request they are filling actually exists. It is also great for giving the artist a chance to get a feel for your site or your current skin. Sometimes, a request can't really give a person a feel for what you're looking for and having access to the site is a great way to get that feel.
Type of Site: Graphics Site, RPG, LJ, etc... The type of site can have a big impact on the way that we make a header, so it's important to let people know. Now, if it's just your personal website and it really is a lot of things, that's OK too, just let us know
Images: If you have any images you would like used on the header, this is the point to let us know. For instance, if you're looking for a "beachy" feel, this would be the place to say, "I'd like to have a beach ball, a beach chair, maybe a seashell. Here are some of each. If they don't work, you can use other images, that's OK, too."
Text: If you have any text you would like on your header, please let us know. Also, please specify between the site name and any quotes that you may be hoping to include. It would be rather awkward if we made the quote giant and the site name tiny Also, make sure to double check your spelling and capitalization. Our artists will enter your text on the header exactly as you show it here, so if you misspelled it, we're just going to assume you did it on purpose.
Mood of your Skin: Is your RPG really dark, or maybe this is for your live journal and it's a cheery place? Let us know here so that we don't do something really off base.
Color Preferences: This is important!!! If you are asking an artist to match to an existing skin, it is very very important that you provide them with the hexidecimal color codes for your current skin colors so that they can match the site skin exactly. If you're creating a new skin based on what they give you, it's OK just to give them a more generic scheme, like saying "browns"
Additional Information: If you have any additional information to provide us with, this would be the place to do so.

Sample Request:
this is a fictional request based on the above forms and should only be used as a guideline for what your request will look like.

Size: 785x200
Link to Place to be Used: bitterepiphany.com
Type of Site: Personal Site
Images: none
Text: bitterepiphany.com (site name) cheeky graphics (sub-title)
Mood of your Skin: I like sunny, fun, cheerful things
Color Preferences: I love pinks and bright fun oranges.
Additional Information: The skin will be based off of the header you create, so no need to try to match it to the current skin, but I am looking for a simmilar vector based feel. Something simple. Maybe some big friendly stars?

Pips Standard Request Form Code:


Guided Request Form:
this form is provided only as a reference for what information goes where

Size: As a rule, there is no "standard" size for pips. However, the standard width is 150 pixels. Height can vary from 25 to 40 or even larger but it's a good idea to stay somewhere in that range. If I were you - I would request 150x35.
Link to Place to be Used: [url=URL OF SITE HERE]SITE NAME HERE[url] Providing the name and url of your site both makes certain that you have requested pips for a real site, that you don't already have pips for this site and gives the artist a chance to get to know your site.
Total Number of Pips: Please give the artist the total number of pips here so that, in the end, they can make sure that you're all on the same page.
Text, Color & Image Pairing: This is a bit tricky. In most cases, pips are intended to match, but not to match completely - therefor, its important to provide the colors, text and any images you may want on the pips in pairs rather than seperately. Check the Sample Request for the best way to do this. Also, as usual, double check your spelling. We'll do our best to catch any obvious mistakes but, ultimately, we're going to assume that you meant to write "purfect" instead of "perfect."
Additional Information: If you have any additional information about the feel of the board, the function of the pips, etc... please let us know here.

Sample Request:
this is a fictional request based on the above forms and should only be used as a guideline for what your request will look like.

Size: 150x35
Link to Place to be Used: [url=http://www.the-dark-arts.net/]the dark arts[url]
Total Number of Pips: 5
Text, Color & Image Pairing:

admin - #FFCC33 - no image
staff artist - #33CCFF - no image
senior artist - blue (you can pick which one) - no image
junior artist - #FF99FF - no image
member - #66FF99 - no image

Additional Information: I'd prefer if the pips matched the skins and you used the colors I gave you ask the text colors but do whatever you think will look best with the skin on the site.

Skins and Layouts are a bit difficult to provide a form for but we have provided guidelines for the type of information that your artist will need to have. Please check in on your request often - a few times a day, if possible - to make sure that all of their additional questions are answered.

Its important to let your artist know approximately the width you would like the site to be. While most people, in this day in age, use a 1024x768 or larger screen resolution, Windows XP systems still ship at 800x600 and many people do still use this resolution, therefor, you may want to consider keeping your sites width - if it is goiing to be an absolute width - under 785 pixels. You should also consider the height of your header. A header that is taller than 400 pixels can make your page content disappear beneath it for people using smaller resolutions.

Another issue to consider is the type of layout you're looking for. Do you want to use a sidebar? Perhaps a horozontal navigation bar across the very top of the site or perhaps beneath the header but above the content? Would you like your navigation bar, wherever it may be, to be done with clickable images (mapped or otherwise) or would you prefer to use plain text? What links need to be included in this navigation bar?

Do you want a static background image or would you prefer it to be a tiling image? A solid color? Is it important that your site be "image lite" - relying mostly on tables filled with solid colors?

Do you have a prefered page font, size and color? Do you want your links to be always underlined or would you prefer that they only underline on hover? Do you have colors you would like used for your text? Do you want links to be a different color from the basic text color? Would you prefer that the artist choose these things after the skin is designed?

All in all, when requesting a layout or skin, there are a lot of things to be considered and being as clear as possible, while giving your artist as much leeway as possible, is really important.