The University of Sheffield
About our homepage

Guidelines for submitting homepage images

A major element of any homepage feature is the image that accompanies it. Many of the photos we use on the homepage are taken by professional photographers or are bought in from picture agencies.

However, we're happy to consider any images you may have to use with your proposed feature. Here are a few useful tips to bear in mind when selecting pictures to send to us.

What if I don't have a suitable image?

Don't worry. The University has an extensive image library and there may be a suitable image that could be used to accompany your proposed feature.

Things to consider:

1. Homepage layout

Certain parts of the image will be obscured by elements of the homepage:

  • University logo in the top-left corner
  • Four-line statement (can also be five- or three-line) in the left centre
  • Coloured navigation panel to the right of the image

So make sure that the main focus of your image is in the centre:

homepage_image_guide_600.jpg

2. Composition

Example homepage image

When choosing the subject matter for a homepage image:

  • A single, prominent subject near the centre of the image works best
  • Group shots of people only work in smaller numbers - in larger groups, individuals can be obscured or too small to be recognisable
  • Landscape pictures work better than portrait pictures
  • Background colours should be consistently dark or light to provide good contrast with text used over them
  • Leave plenty of space around your subject - don't zoom in too much
  • Ensure that any third-party logos are not in prominent view

3. Taking the pictures yourself?

  • Use the best camera you have available, preferably a DSLR with a good lens that can take photos at least 5 megapixels in resolution.
  • Don't be afraid to take several shots. It is better that we have a selection to choose from instead of just one or two pictures
  • If there is enough light to shoot a crisp image without a flash then keep your flash switched off. If in doubt take some photos with the flash and some without

4. Usage rights

Images that don't belong to either you or the University can often have usage rights attached to them.

When you submit an image from a third party, can you please pass on:

  • Confirmation that the University is permitted to use the image on its home page and that the image can be edited or cropped for this purpose
  • Contact details of the owner of the image if you cannot confirm the usage rights
  • Details of any credit text that should be included on the image

If you don't supply this information then we may not be able to use your image.

5. Image size and format

There are a few things to bear in mind when it comes to the size and format of the image:

  • Higher resolution is better. We can re-size or crop an image that is too large but we can't scale up an image that is less than 800 pixels wide by 600 high
  • Send us your image uncropped. The more space around the edge of the subject, the more flexibility we have for fitting it into the homepage template
  • We can accept images in most file formats but JPG (or JPEG) format is generally best for photos

Sending your image to us

Once you have an image (or a selection of images) that you think meet the criteria above, please email them to us using homepage@sheffield.ac.uk.