The Clark School's Digital Signage

Access the templates »
(But we're not responsible for the results if you haven't read the directions!)

Our digital signage system is an evolving one. Please be aware that requirements, abilities, and processes will change over time. We will work to keep everyone informed of significant changes, but if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

The essential things you need to know:

For now, submissions to the system will be limited to PowerPoint files (you may, of course, import static images into a presentation).

Fonts
The typefaces used in the Clark brand identity are Garamond and Gotham, with Gotham being used more heavily. (Gotham looks something like Futura.) Gotham has been installed on the sign system.

If you do not have the Gotham font and are using the templates, it's OK! PowerPoint will substitute a default font (probably Arial) when you open the the template files. As long as you don't highlight and change the font in the font menu, the slides should display properly when opened on a system which has Gotham installed. (We'll make sure the text still wraps well, etc.)

Submission Rules

1. Material must be submitted by noon on Thursdays. Signage will be updated the next day (Friday) after editorial review. If you are faculty or staff, please submit your materials before noon on Thursday to your center, department, institute, or program communicator.
2. Communicators only: E-mail your unit's compiled materials to clarksigns@umd.edu.
3. Communicators: Please name your file with your deptartment/center/ program/institute's abbreviation and the expiration date of the material, e.g.:
   mtech_121511.ppt
   (From MTECH, good until December 15, 2011)
   
   Faculty and Staff: Please submit files to your communicator with your name or your lab's name and the expiration date of the material, e.g.:
   smith_121511.ppt
   space-hw-assembly_121511.ppt
   (From Professor Smith and from the Space Hardware Assembly lab, both good until December 15, 2011)
   
4. If advertising an event, material should have at least a week-long life span (i.e., don't submit it to us the day before the event).
5. All material will be reviewed, and may be corrected or slightly altered for copyfitting, quality, or technical reasons.
6. We reserve the right to reject submissions (but we will of course contact you to discuss why and what to do next).
7. We would rather have no photo than one of poor quality. If you need help or advice with preparing imagery, please contact us.
8. If you do design your own material, either try to stick to the spirit of the brand identity (we can help with that), or you may use an established look (for example, the MTECH hexagons or the Whiting-Turner Lecture Series image).
9. We cannot put academic posters on the system. They would not be readable. We encourage you to work with someone in this case to create something appropriate that will spotlight the research on the original poster.
10. Any Clark School event may be advertised (including student activities).

PowerPoint Settings
The templates are set up with all of the proper settings (including the custom colors added to the type color palette), but if you create your own material you MUST follow these rules:

1. Page/Document size must be 17.778x10.667 inches.
2. Type should not be less that 36 points, but you may use 32 if there is no other way to fit the copy.
3. Do not use fonts that didn't come with Windows XP, or they will not display on the system. (See the note on fonts below.)
4. Generally, slides should be timed to 10 seconds each. If you have more text than usual, you may go to 15; an intro screen or similar may be cut to 5.
5. Page transitions must be Fade Smoothly, Fast speed.
6. Transitions must be set to Advance Slide Automatically After 10 Seconds (be careful - in one palette you must type 00:10, because if you type 10 it's 10 minutes).
7. In Slide Show>Set Up Show, settings must be: Browsed By an Individual (window), no scrollbars, play all slides, and Advance Automatically Using Timings if Present.

Access the templates »