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THE COASTERS ARE IN!!

These 4 inches may serve to reshape your perspective of Johnson County.

Please follow the guidelines below in order to qualify for judging.

If you have any questions on how to submit, please contact Brian Wleklinski for help. Artists don't need to be experienced "graphic designers" to enter. In fact, other non-computer media is encouraged, such as painting, collage, drawing, photography, or even 3D work. All work must be submitted as a TIFF or vector EPS however, so scanning and photographing the work is necessary to be represented on the coaster. Once again, if you need help submitting your work, contact Brian with questions or concerns about getting your artwork submitted.

requirements
shape: a two dimensional circle. Your artwork on the top, with the name and contact info of the NPO, artist, and James Gang on the back.
size: artwork must not exceed 3.5 inches in diameter to allow for the artwork to print properly on the 4 inch coaster.
bleeds: because of the nature of the printing, bleeds (when artwork extends to the edge of the paper as though continuing off) are not allowed. Please keep all artwork within the 3.5 diameter central coaster space.
paper: 60 pt thickness European pulp board.
ink (colors): 4-color (CMYK) process printing.
line screening: Think of line screens similar to gradient fills or color tints. With screen printing on this material, the closer you get to 10%, the more likely your black or red ink tints will not print. They will just print as white, or nothing. At 80% or higher, your black or red ink will most likely print as a solid black or red. If you want to have a mid-tone effect in your creation, it is advised that you shoot for around 65%.
names and typography: inclusion of organization names within the beverage coaster cover art is not required. In fact, typography in the artwork is not required at all, since the name of the non-profit organization (NPO) and artist will be printed on the reverse of all final coasters. However, having said that, an artist may also use only typography to achieve their desired results.
legibility: when you create your coaster cover, make sure that you can view it the way you intended in dim lighting, sitting on a table before you, just like a normal beverage coaster. If you include text, you'll want to make sure that the font is no smaller than 12pt. Do not use any thin bodied fonts unless they are large enough to read in a bar or restaurant environment.

about entering

entry fee: no entry fee for participating in this contest.

originality: submit original artwork not derivative of existing logos or posters already known to support the represented NPOs. The work must be original.

researching NPOs: please be as considerate as possible when contacting and representing any NPOs. Your work will reflect back on The Coaster Project. Please review the NPO list as a possible starting point.

npo cap: we are limiting the number of printed coaster submissions for any one registered NPO to a maximum depending on the quantity of submissions. We strongly encourage artists to investigate the NPO list and consider promoting a less publicly known organization. Feel free to contact any registered NPOs directly, or The Coaster Project staff for more information.

final submission formatting: all files must be saved as an eps or TIFF format. Vector eps images are preferred. Raster images must be 300 dpi and saved as a TIFF. Convert all text to outlines. The Coaster Project staff reserves the right to adjust final selected artwork to meet print and online format standards. Need help submitting the work? Contact Brian Wleklinski with any questions.

legalities: the artists will not receive any form of compensation from The James Gang, the NPOs or participating bars and restaurants. The artists retain the rights to their artwork for use only in their printed and online portfolios. The NPOs do not retain any rights to the artists' created or printed coasters. If an NPO wishes to use the artwork, the organization shall negotiate rights to the artwork with The James Gang after 30 days of The Coaster Project’s official launch date.

The James Gang reserves the right to reuse all final published artwork for purposes of reprint, marketing future incarnations of The Coaster Project, or to cross-promote other James Gang endeavors. The artist guarantees and agrees that neither the artist nor any other person or entity will reproduce or publish the original artwork without express written consent of The James Gang.

Please read the submission form over carefully and do NOT forget to sign and date it.

The artist agrees to include a copy of this completed form for each submission, along with his or her artwork, in compliance with the guidelines listed on this page.

judging

The Coaster Project is a community development initiative to promote Johnson County NPOs. Promotion takes the form of original artwork printed on beverage coasters distributed in local food and drink establishments. This is an opportunity for you to simultaneously promote the objectives of a favorite cause, and create a piece of original artwork.

With this concept in mind, create a piece of artwork that meets the following guidelines. To be accepted for inclusion in the project, the artwork will be judged according to the following criteria:

1. conveys a clear message about the organization publicized on the coaster.

2. displays effective composition (a balance of image, type, and space).

3. is eye-catching in a way that supports the organization’s message.

4. meets the above technical specifications for creation and submission of the hardcopy and electronic versions.

The Coaster Project staff will select judges for the competition.

end result

results: The Coaster Project staff will notify all artists of their status as soon as possible whether your submissions have been accepted or denied. After the judging is complete, you will receive an email notification as soon as we have tallied up the results from our panel of judges.

Selected submissions chosen by the judges will be published on beverage coasters and on this Web site.