Banner Specification -- Deliverables Overview

Mar 31, 2010

AD SPECIFICATIONS OVERVIEW
We utilize several forms of advertising space such as traditional banners and broadcast e-mail. Your advertising contract defines your advertisement space and position. The deliverables for each type of advertisement space vary. See the following table.

Run-of-site	Graphic Options Anim \| Flash \| Html			W x H (pixels)	Max file size³	Required Deliverables
Leaderboard (P09)	X¹	X²		728x90	40kb	GIF/JPG, URL, Alt text
Vertical (P10a, P10b, P10c)	X¹	X²		180x150	40kb	GIF/JPG, URL, Alt text
Broadcast	Graphic Options Anim \| Flash \| Html			W x H (pixels)	Max file size³	Required Deliverables
Letter from the Editor Leaderboard (LFTE_P09)	X¹			728x90	40kb	GIF/JPG, URL
PopQuiz (PQ_P09)	X¹			728x90	40kb	GIF/JPG, URL
Communities & other Sponsored Sections	Graphic Options Anim \| Flash⁵ \| Html			W x H (pixels)	Max file size	Required Deliverables
Position 8 (P09)	X¹	X²		300x250	Flexible⁴	GIF/JPG, URL, Alt text
Position 9 (P09)	X¹	X²		728x90	Flexible⁴	GIF/JPG, URL, Alt text
Position 10 (P10)	X¹	X²		180x150	Flexible⁴	GIF/JPG, URL, Alt text
Inline (DCIL_01)			X	450x100³	Flexible⁴	Message text and optional 70x70 graphic
Mobile	Graphic Options Anim \| Flash \| Html			W x H (pixels)	Max file size³	Required Deliverables
Position 11 (P11)				216x36	4.5kb	GIF/JPG, URL, Alt text
Mobile Inline graphic only (MIL)				216x36	4.5kb	GIF/JPG, URL, Alt text
Mobile Inline text w/graphic (MIL)			X	216 wide*	4.5kb	*Graphic inset 70x70 pixels
Mobile Inline text only (MIL)			X	216 wide	4.5kb	Text

1 Animation limits: Animation must finish in 15 seconds or less. The banner may loop as many times as desired, as long as the animation finishes in 15 seconds or less. Mousing over the ad can restart animation or initiate some form of interactivity. The ad is not permitted to fold-out. The ad is not permitted to have video or audio.
2 Flash banners: If using Flash, please refer to our Flash section for important notes and instructions for the required deliverables.
3 Maximum file size (kb): One kilobyte = 1024 bytes. We monitor file size very closely, in the interest of download time. We do not accept banners that exceed the maximum file size. Sorry, we do not make exceptions, but we are happy to provide tips on reducing file size.
4 Flexible file size: For added design flexibility, sponsored sections may use a total of 140kb for all banners, allocated as the sponsor sees fit. Each banner position is counted separately, regardless if the artwork is used twice.
5 Animation limits for sponsored sections: Mousing-over or clicking the ad can begin user interactivity as determined by the sponsor. On mouse-over the ad is not permitted to fold-out or have video or audio. Clicking can invoke a fold-out, video or audio.

To ensure browser compatibility, we accept only banners that require the Flash 8.0 or newer plug-in, the most commonly available plug-in among our users. We are highly conscious of page load times for our end users, and we work hard to ensure that page load time is minimized. Banners that do not conform to specifications cannot be accepted for use on the site. If this is the case, we will return the artwork to the advertiser for revision, which may result in a delay. Our banner file size limits are enforced by position; please refer to the Ad Specifications Overview for maximum file size limits.