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Content Submission and Proofing Protocol

Submitting approved, accurate and comprehensive content and following a streamlined proofing process is critical for effective communications. The below mandatory protocol outlines how to work with Institutional Communications.


Content Submission Protocol

Content consists of text, photography and logos/artwork. Submitting content that follows the content submission protocol allows Institutional Communications to gain a holistic understanding of your objectives, messaging and vision in order to create and deliver an effective product tailored for your target audience.

Text

All text should be provided to Institutional Communications in a Word document. If you have comments or notes for the Institutional Communications team, such as formatting preferences, photo usage, etc., please provide this information in red text throughout the document or use the comment feature.

Writing Tips

  • Determine your audience(s). Are you trying to connect with current or prospective students, parents, faculty, staff, the general public or any combination of these? Make your message clear and understandable so that it will resonate with those who are intended to read it.
  • Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure the content addresses your key messages.
  • Review the UWF Editorial Style Guide to ensure your writing style is consistent with the guidelines of the University.  
  • Consider the intended shelf life of your publication or advertisement when writing content. The longer your content remains current, the more copies you can print or the more times you can run your ad. When appropriate, consider driving readers to a website where information that changes frequently can be updated regularly, rather than including those details in your content.
  • Verify your facts:
    • Check spellings of names.
    • Check titles of people, departments, centers, etc.
    • Ensure all URLs work and that you are using the shortest URL available.
    • Check addresses and phone numbers.
  • Carefully edit and proofread your project and have others in your unit, department or division review before finalizing.

Photography

All photography should be provided to Institutional Communications in an email attachment or zip file and should be at least 300 PPI (Pixels Per Inch). Photography should not be embedded within other documents or presentations or downloaded directly from social media sites or online image searches.

Institutional Communications maintains an extensive photo library as a resource for University divisions, colleges and departments. We encourage you to connect with us to see if we may have what you need if you cannot supply your own photography. Please also visit the UWF Brand Portal for photography tips, resources for shooting your own photography and information on UWF’s photo/video release policy.

Logos and Artwork

The official University logos, marks and nameplates are the primary identifiers for the University of West Florida. Institutional Communications will follow all logo standards as outlined in the brand portal in order to maintain consistency. If a partner logo needs need to be included, please provide an EPS file. An EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) file is a graphics file format used in vector-based images. EPS file names end in .eps, rather than .jpg, for example. If possible, please also provide partner logos with terms of use and brand standards.

Content and Strategy Approval

All content and strategy must have approval from the appropriate department or division head before it is submitted to Institutional Communications.

Proofing Protocol

Once the project is designed/developed, Institutional Communications will provide one proof for review and feedback.

Please follow the below guidelines when providing edits to the proof:

  • All revisions must be provided in writing, via a single email.
  • Edits to PDF files must be made using the highlighting/comment feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Please do not make changes within the PDF, as the designer will not know what text was changed.
  • Consult with all involved in the project that have final approval and collect all edits to send in one email. Do not send incomplete edits or one-off edit emails. Each individual email is considered another round of proofing.

If an additional proof is requested or if the above guidelines are not followed, the project will automatically jump to the bottom of the team’s queue, which will result in a delay in the project (typically between 72 hours to two weeks, depending on workload and priorities).