[SOC] *** K3Y QSL Card Design Contest ***

[Quikhooligan]

/Sneek a peek at the QSL designs on their current 2020 calendar.////WOW! Super looking QSLs. Some with great photographs of telegraph key
collections.///
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Calling all SKCC Members! 

In connection with our upcoming Straight Key Month & Anniversary event we are once again running a QSL card design contest...

2021 will mark the 15th anniversary of SKCC's founding. Our annual Straight Key Month will start on January 2nd, directly following ARRL Straight Key Night. As usual we are asking members to provide QSL card designs for this very popular event, for which we have again been granted the K3Y call sign. (K3Y because it resembles "KEY", as in "straight key").

If you've ever designed a QSL card, or have any interest in doing so, please consider making a card for K3Y. 

Designs will be uploaded to the event webpage where members will vote for their favorites starting on Dec. 15th. The most popular design will become the official K3Y QSL card of our 15th Anniversary Straight Key Month.

If enough designs are submitted we will feature twelve of them in the SKCC print calendar for the new year. The calendar will include upcoming events of interest to club members; also telegraphy and radio-related historical dates and astronomical data. You can find the calendar for the current year here:

https://skccgroup.com/k3y/k3y-docs/SKCC_Calendar_2020.pdf

Calendars for prior years (since 2014) are archived in the SKCC Group here:

https://groups.io/g/SKCC/files/SKCC%20Print%20Calendar

There were many popular entries submitted for past events that did not win the top spot. Designers of these cards are invited to update them for 2021 and resubmit.

IMPORTANT! Please follow the new design guidelines below.

Required design specifications for card images:

- JPEG high quality format
- Image size 1650 x 1050 pixels, or better (with same ratio)
- Width-to-height ratio 5.5 x 3.5 (to avoid cropping)
- Horizontal layout
- No text within 1/4" of edges (because it may be trimmed)

At a minimum, the following text elements should be included in your design:

"K3Y"
"Straight Key Century Club"
"SKCC"
"2021"
"Straight Key Month"
"15th Anniversary"

You can combine text elements, for example: "SKCC Straight Key Month & 15th Anniv."

The back side of the card and QSO layout will be provided by us.

Please follow the guidelines carefully. If you have any questions please check with me before starting your design.

Submit your designs by Dec. 14th at the latest. Designs received before then will be placed on the contest page in the order received but can still be modified and revised up till the submission deadline.

You can submit several different designs. However, please don't submit multiple entries having minor variations. For example: the same basic design with differently colored backgrounds. 

If you include graphics or photos that are not your own they must either be public domain or you must have permission from the original owner. Please advise us if you are using graphics or photos that are not your own.

By submitting a card design you agree that SKCC has the right to use it for the K3Y QSL card, webpages, anniversary logo, mug graphic and calendar. Also, a variant of your design may be used on K3Y DX QSL cards.

Please send any questions or comments to me at af2z[at]skccgroup.com, or post a follow-up in the SKCC group on Groups.io, and I will get back to you. Also send your card images to me. I will confirm receipt and have them uploaded to the webpage.


Have fun!

Drew - AF2Z
K3Y Planning Group