MOC Q&A - Post your questions here!

@mrs2a50 thank you! I'll read through the thread.

 

@Saar I used this website https://www.canva.com/color-palette/ to generate a palette off a photo. I did it with different photos to to grab the colors I wanted.

 

Likely this has been answered, but if so I can't find it. If I were to use a template from a different store, but everything else from TLP, how much of the % does the template take? I know I have to maintain 75% of TLP current products. Thank you!!!

 

OOHHHH this is fun!!!!

 

Templates count as 15%, so you are fine with an outside template and everything else being current TLP

 

haha you beat me...I got too wordy lol

 

Thank you much - to both of you!!!!

 

Can you use a retired template from a current designer?

 

I am using one template from SWL and a current kit from Just Jamie is this acceptable?

 

This is my first MOC and I am having SO much fun. I have a few process questions that have come up, thanks for any help!

First, I'm bummed by how bad my layouts look in the tiny 250k versions. I'm used to uploading full quality 1MB 1000x1000 images in my usual gallery home so I might just have unrealistic expectations for how my images will look here. The main issue I'm having is that my photos look pretty blurry in these tiny images, but if I sharpen enough to sharpen up the photo, the rest of the layout takes on an icky, crispy over-sharpened look. Does anyone have any tips for tweaking this process to get the best possible results? I would be very appreciative if someone would be willing to peek at the two MOC layouts in my gallery and let me know if there is probably more I can do to produce better-quality images for this gallery, or if I would be well served to just make peace with how they look

My second question is about managing the alerts system. I had the MOC6 forum as a Watched Forum but then my alerts filled up so fast with every notice of people uploading layouts and such, and I couldn't find the alerts I'm interested in - new challenge threads posted, answers to questions I've asked, feedback on my layouts, feedback on layouts I've commented on. But I am not sure which boxes to check and uncheck to take care of this? I can't quite tell what effects each check box will produce.

 

My first thought is your screen. If you have a 4K screen or the Retina Pro Apple equivilant, it can make your layouts look bad on your end. I use the save for web action here. It adds just enough sharpness for me without being pixely. I don't think your layouts look bad!

 

The watched forum button applies to whereever you hit it. So, if you just want to watch the challenges, then you want to be sure you hit Watch Forum from inside the MOC 2018 Challenges part. Under that Post New Thread.

That one will notify you just of the challenges posted.

As to the other settings: Go here and see how it's set up: That will help you will the notifications.
You will have to unwatch the forums and galleries you don't want to receive notifications from since you are already watching them. And if that doesn't help - post back and we'll get you situated!

 

This isn't directly about the challenge, but it will help me post my challenge page. Even though I flattened all the layers in photoshop elements, then resized to 72dpi 600 pixels wide, the file size is coming up as 1.6 megs. I know that the maximum size for posting is 250k.

Can anyone walk me through in PSE how to make my layout smaller? I go to image, resize, and then switch it to 600 pixels wide @ 72 dpi. There must be a box somewhere I need to check or uncheck? I've never had this problem and posted a lot of layouts.

Thanks!

 

After you change it to 600 x 600 you need to tell it to be 250 kb or smaller.
I'll be right back with a screenshot.

 

Thank you, Courtney! I resize and save photos all the time, so I'm not sure why this one file is behaving badly.

 

Here's some screen shots for you!
Click File - Save for Web. Then, make sure the 2nd box says jpeg. At the bottom make sure it says 600 for both pieces. Then you can play with the quality until it says less than 250 under your photo. I prefer to use that highlighted drop down. Simply type in 250, and the program will calculate it for you!