Technical Specifications

Photography

    • Location: All photos must be taken in Richmond, BC. Entries not shot in Richmond will be disqualified.

    • Orientation: Only portrait (vertical) digital photos are accepted. Landscape (horizontal) images may be cropped and are strongly discouraged.

    • Original Work: Submissions must be original, digital photographs that have not been previously entered in this contest.

    • Online entries only. Submit via the ENTRY FORM.

    • People in Photos: If your photo includes identifiable individuals, a completed and signed waiver form must be included. Incomplete waivers will result in disqualification.

    • COPYRIGHT: The City of Richmond may disqualify banner submission that may, in the opinion of the City of Richmond, infringe on applicable intellectual property (copyright) laws.

    • File Naming: Name each photo file with this format: FirstName-LastName###.jpg (e.g., John-Doe001.jpg). Files not following this format may be disqualified.

    • Resolution: Photos must be vertical, high-resolution images measuring at least 2400 x 6000 pixels at 300dpi. Refer to the supplemental resolution guide for proper sizing.

    • Minimum Standards: Images not meeting the minimum resolution may be disqualified due to print production limitations.

    • Editing Guidelines: Basic lighting and colour corrections are allowed. However, submissions may be disqualified for excessive or artificial edits, including:

      • Unrealistic HDR effects

      • Oversaturated or unnatural colours

      • Photo composites

      • Excessive generative AI retouching

    • AI USE PROHIBITED: Without limitations, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications including Adobe Generative Fill, Midjourney, Firefly, etc. to create banner contest submissions is strictly prohibited. If your entry is suspected as being created with an AI application, you must be able to provide raw digital files for verification of authenticity upon request. Failure to comply will result in contest disqualification.

    • Submit high-resolution JPG files only.

    • Do not submit RAW, TIFF, or PSD files with your entry.

    • If possible, shoot in RAW format (e.g., CR2, NEF, RAF) to retain image quality.

    • If selected, you may be asked to provide a high-resolution uncompressed TIFF or RAW version of your photo.

  • Item description

    • Smartphone photos must be at least 14MP and submitted at the highest available quality.

    • Make images in portrait (vertical) orientation only.

    • Convert HEIC files to JPG format before uploading.

    • Follow the required file naming format (e.g., John-Doe001.jpg) - see above.

    • For help with smartphone settings and file transfers, refer to the Smartphone FAQ on the website.

Digital Art

    • Open to digital illustrations, matte paintings, and collages.

    • Must be created at a minimum resolution of 2400 x 6000 pixels at 300dpi.

    • Artwork must maintain a proportional scale of 8” x 20”. Designs not meeting this may be cropped at the City’s discretion.

    • Online entries only. Submit via the ENTRY FORM.

    • Vector or raster-based formats only.

    • Words/numbers are allowed if relevant to the theme.

    • Colour space: CMYK preferred; sRGB accepted (note possible colour shifts may occur).

    • Acceptable file formats: AI, EPS, PDF, JPG, PSD. Non-Adobe files must be converted to one of these formats.

    • File naming: Use the format FirstName-LastName### (e.g., John-Doe001.jpg). Files not following this standard may be disqualified.

    • AI USE PROHIBITED: Without limitations, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications including Adobe Generative Fill, Midjourney, Firefly, etc. to create banner contest submissions is strictly prohibited. If your entry is suspected as being created with an AI application, you must be able to provide raw digital files for verification of authenticity upon request. Failure to comply will result in contest disqualification.

    • Please note: To ensure that all digital artwork submissions are in compliance with the rules, all digital art will be reviewed using an AI image detector.

Original Art

    • All entries must be original, handmade artworks created by the submitting artist.

    • Mechanical reproductions are not permitted.

    • Collage artworks must only use copyright-free or Creative Commons images. No unaltered copyrighted materials (e.g., from books or magazines) are allowed. All third-party image sources must be credited if not created by the artist.

    • Minimum finished size must follow a proportional scale of 8” x 20”. Artworks not meeting this may be cropped at the City’s discretion.

    • Text elements (words, letters, numbers) are permitted if relevant to the theme.

    • Online entries only. Upload a high-resolution scan or photo of your artwork using the ENTRY FORM.

    • If selected, you will be contacted to submit the original artwork for professional scanning. Original pieces will be returned after scanning.