User:Shokora/MarioWiki:Image Use Policy

=Image use policy=


 * No techical language
 * Written to work in conjunction with help:image (and Help:Screenshot)
 * Only what you can/can't do with images. The rest is for Help:Image

The guidelines on this page should be followed closely when uploading, modifying and using images for this encyclopedia.


 * Unused images/userpage links (when deleting)
 * reuploading

What to avoid
First things first, please do not attempt to upload (or link to using a URL) images which include the following. Such images will be deleted.


 * Inappropriate content, which includes nudity, blood and violent weapons.
 * Uploading inappropriate content is a level four offense and, depending on the severity, the uploader may be banned without warning.
 * Images containing sensitive personal information about a user, such as a home address or telephone number.
 * Potentially libelous content, which is made with the intention to disrupt or make fun of other users.
 * Content which may pose a copyright infringement (see section).

The following kinds of images are not permitted for use on the wiki's articles. Unless said images are claimed as a personal image, they must be deleted.


 * Duplicate or lower-quality versions of existing files.
 * Fanmade or "unofficial" images which are intended to be used on articles.
 * Images that aren't vaguely related to the Mario franchise of games, spin-offs and media. For example; uploading a photo of a real life dog and placing it on the dog article.

Accepted file types
Before uploading, it is important to check whether the file type (also referred to as an extension) is acceptable to upload. The wiki currently accepts four different file types for images. You can what find out what the file type is by looking at the letters after the dot in the file name. These letters may appear either in capitals or lowercase, however this does not affect the usage of the image. The Super Mario Wiki accepts the following: PNG, JPG (or JPEG), GIF and SVG. The difference between each type and recommendations for usage is explained below.


 * JPG/JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) – These file types are desirable for photographs, film/television screenshots, as well as posters and flyers. Game artwork released by Nintendo is often found in this format. If you find an artwork in the JPG format, please upload it without changing the file type (unless you wish to reupload an existing PNG file).
 * PNG (Portable Networks Graphics) – These types of files are lossless, which means that they do not lose quality when making edits such as cropping and resizing (unlike JPEGs, where a large amount of quality could be lost while editing). PNGs are ideal for game sprites, models and screenshots, as well as images with transparency. Sometimes, bitmap (.BMP) files are produced when taking screenshots from game emulators. As these files are not able to be uploaded to the wiki, all Bitmaps should be converted and uploaded as PNG files.
 * GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) – These support animation, such as a moving sprite of an enemy as they appear in an RPG game (example). GIF files may also be used for basic, low-resolution logos and drawings with a small number of colors (if you are unsure, it is best to upload it as PNG instead).
 * SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) – These are more difficult to correctly produce than other types files. SVGs are made up of shapes, rather than pixels. This means that the image can be scaled to any size, without blurring or loss of quality. They also tend to appear sharper and clearer than other file types. However, SVGs are not fully supported by the wiki's MediaWiki software. Any relative path (like 'm', 'l', 'c', etc.) will lead to bad thumbnail rendering. If you're not sure if your SVG has relative paths, it's better to save the image as PNG.

Any other image types cannot be uploaded here. The wiki also accepts OGG and OGA extensions, which are used exclusively for media files. When uploading a new version of a file, remember that the image must be of the same file type. However the capitalisation does not have to be the same. For example, an existing ".PNG" can be reuploaded with a ".png" and vice-versa. JPG and JPEG files can also be reuploaded over each other without problems.

File names
A file should be given a straightforward and meaningful name. This will make the file easier to use, and appear more professional. Searching for and recognizing the file can also be more effective with an appropriate name.


 * In general, names should include the title of the game/show/etc. (or an abbreviation), what kind of image it is (profile art, screenshot, box cover, sprite etc.), and what the image is showing (i.e. the name of the character pictured, the name of a level a screenshot is taken from, something notable about the image's contents, etc.). This is not a strict standard: the order can be changed and different images may require more or less information. That being said, aiming to have those three pieces of information is ideal, but as long as a file name is accurate enough to be useful for understanding what the image is and how it could be used on the wiki, it will be allowed. For example, a name like "Screenshot-82.png" is vague and nonspecific, while "Super Mario Bros screenshot - Bowser, Mario and a Podoboo.png" is too cumbersome for a file name; instead, "SMB screenshot end of 1-4.png" or "SMB Bowser screenshot.png" would both be appropriately succinct yet informative name choices.
 * Unless said content is in another language, such as the German Club Nintendo comics or official romanized Japanese names, please use English for file names so everybody can understand them.
 * Do not use symbols (stars, hearts, etc.), foreign characters and alphabets (i.e. Japanese kana or Greek letters), accented letters (é, ü, etc.) and other specialized characters. These are often difficult for users to type, and may even render as unicode rather than the proper symbols, making the image even more difficult to understand and use.
 * Names should be serious and professional. As such, inappropriate or offensive material must be avoided. Words should not be intentionally misspelled or garbled, and any other attempts at humour, mockery or sarcasm are best saved for personal images.

Image titles which do not follow the above guidelines should be moved to a more suitable name.

File size
Any images should not exceed five megabytes in file size. The wiki's limit is actually ten, but it is still strongly advised that files are uploaded at five or less. Image dimensions are restricted to no more than 5000 pixels in width or height. An image cannot exceed an area of 12.5 million pixels (including transparent areas), as the file won't be able to be viewed through a thumbnail after being uploaded (the thumbnail error does not apply to JPG/JPEGs). If you have found an image that you wish to upload, but it goes beyond these resolution limits, then you may need to optimize it. Image resolution can be scaled down to an appropriate size using image editing programs such as GIMP.

Compression
Compression is a process performed to reduce an image's file size. This can reduce load time on articles where the images appear. JPG files should not be compressed, as some image quality is normally lost. PNGs and other image types can generally be compressed without issues.

Note: Compressing an image is not the same as scaling down the resolution (making the image dimensions smaller).

Image editing programs like GIMP can automatically compress the image when saved. Dedicated programs for image compression are also freely available, such as PNG Monstrous.

Copyrights
Stuff about licensing and fairuse.

Image content from game guides
Official guides, such as those published by Prima and Shogakukan, are a significant resource of game imagery. However due to copyright concerns, there are restrictions on the types of content which can be uploaded or linked to here. The following content is not allowed:


 * Full page scans. Even though pages may contain desirable information which can act as supplementary material for articles (such as confirmation of an official name), they should not be stored or linked from this website. Instead, users should follow the citation policy to simply refer to the publication and page number. Short quotes taken from the guide and added to the reference are an acceptable alternative to uploading the page.
 * Level or area maps. Our objective is to be an encylopedia, not a walkthrough. Content showing a level or area's layout are not permitted: the information should be described through summarised text and screenshots instead.
 * World maps that include strategic information, such as secret locations or annotations. However, world maps which are simply stylized as an artwork (such as File:World Castle SM3DW.png), without conveying any strategic information are acceptable.

Any prohibited content will be deleted, with prior notice to the uploader. The following types of game guide content are acceptable to upload:


 * Front covers.
 * Game artwork which hasn't already been sourced from other official media.
 * Screenshots cropped from pages within a game guide,although screenshots which have been properly captured using an emulator are preferred.

Uploading modified images
The MarioWiki aims to be the most complete and reliable resource for information about the Mario franchise. We want visitors to the website to expect that all images are accurate to official media distributed by Nintendo and other areas of valid coverage. The following modifications are not allowed for any image which is to be used on our articles:


 * Poor attempts at editing or removing an image's background. This includes leaving behind defects or negatively affecting the original image. If an artwork is sourced with a background already attached, such as most of those coming from game guides and manual scans, it is preferred that the background is made white and blank. However, this should generally only be done by users who are experienced in image editing. If in doubt, just leave the background attached.
 * Attempting to redraw or reproduce an official artwork in any way.
 * Overlapping and arranging game elements together, such as character artwork and backgrounds, to create a fan-made scene. However, it is acceptable to arrange screenshots and sprites next to each other for comparison. (two examples).
 * Screenshots showing fan-made builds of games, including custom palette swaps which may be available in some emulators.

Specific subjects which require more in-depth explanations are within the sections below.

(Review order of sections)

Modifying colors on artwork
Adding false colors and custom shading to an official image is not acceptable. For example, recoloring an artwork of a gold Power Star to make a Silver Star, with the intent of using it on the article would not be allowed, as the resulting image is considered "fan-made", and thus unofficial.

Sometimes when an artwork is scanned from a physical source, such as an official game guide, the colors may appear paler in the digital scan. It is acceptable to make small adjustments with an image editing program in order to try and match the colors as close as possible to the original image.

Although making major changes to artwork colors is disallowed, recolors may occassionally be seen among officially released images. For example, these two pieces of artwork showing Bowser were made for Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels respectively:

A full-colored version of an artwork may appropriately replace a monochrome variant of the same subject from the same game appearance: we should not display both versions.

Transparency


Transparency is applied to images in order to remove an existing background, such as a white square which surrounds the object of an image. The image can then be placed on a colored background, such as an infobox template, without displaying the white square. JPEG files do not support transparency. PNGs do, but we have a standard which must be followed. In July 2011, a proposal passed which restricts giving transparency to an artwork unless it has no visible outline or pixelation when displayed at full size against a black or neutral-coloured background (please refer to the image on the right for comparison). Any poor transparency will be reverted. Users are not encouraged to try and modify artwork with transparency, as attempting to create acceptable transparency can negatively affect the outline of the artwork It is also not acceptable to replace JPG/JPEG artwork with PNGs that have been modified with transparency. This rule does not apply to PNG artwork which already have transparency when retrieved from an official source, such as a press release or an official Nintendo website: this is referred to as "official transparency".


 * Sprites and models: These are graphics which can be moved on the game's screen and be made to look like independent objects, such as a playable character or enemy. For the correct terminology, sprites are two dimensional and are generally drawn using large pixels. Models are three dimensional, such as those used in Super Mario 64. We recommend giving transparency to sprites and models, as the aforementioned transparency guidelines only applies to artwork. Sprites and models normally have larger and less detailed pixels; thus able to give perfect transparency.


 * Sprites and models should also be tightly cropped to the very edges (without leaving empty space around the border), as this is suitable for consistent display and usage in tables on articles. The image will also be displayed more clearly in galleries.

Cropping and separating sections of a complete artwork


Sometimes official artwork of an article subject in a certain game appearance may only be known to exist within a group artwork or promotional image, rather than an official solo artwork. For example File:SMA3-Japanese Flyer.jpg contains unique artwork of many different characters and enemies arranged together as a scene. In such cases, users may have the incentive to crop the desired section of the full image to focus on a single subject, and then upload it as a separate character artwork for use on articles. This is strongly discouraged: the main reason being that it's not a good look when we have the full image being split up like a jigsaw puzzle and placed on pages as separate images. The complete artwork may still be used in the character galleries: normally within a subheader under "Artwork", titled "Scenes" or "Group artwork", whichever may be appropriate to the given situation.

Unless the complete artwork can be properly and professionally edited to look like a complete solo artwork, then it should not be used as an image separate to the scene it came from. For example, the Beanie that appears in Yoshi's New Island was not given an official individual artwork. However, it is shown in the complete Big Beanie character artwork. Because the isolated Beanie image is of acceptable quality, the background was already blank and the original image was not affected, it is acceptable to be uploaded as an individual character artwork.

In contrast, cropping an image is not allowed when the subject is already the main or part of the main focus of the image. An example of this is the artwork of King Boo from Luigi's Mansion. Even though a Bowser suit can be seen behind King Boo, cropping the image to only show King Boo is not acceptable, as the image is already focused on this character.

Cropping screenshots
Cropping to focus on a small portion of a screenshot, such as a character, is normally acceptable. The portion should have a use on the article relating to the specific subject being focused on, such as the respective game section on a character article, as well as the respective character gallery page. The actual game gallery page should preferably only show complete, uncropped screenshots.

Emulators and screenshots
Emulators are the most ideal way to source quality screenshots for the wiki. However, with the many types of emulators and internal settings which are available, it is very easy to upload an unacceptably modified image.

When taking screenshots, note that some emulators can alter the display beyond what the actual hardware supports (see Help:Screenshot for the preferred image resolution for each type of hardware and system). Screenshots with a resolution close to that of the hardware (referred to as "native resolution") are preferable, but upscaled screenshots (such as those from YouTube) are tolerated if there's no higher-quality alternative available. However, video filters (such as 2xSal) and forced aspect ratio changes are not acceptable in any form.

Any captured screenshots which contain a black border ("letterboxing") on any side of the image at the native resolution of the game should be cropped to remove all borders. If a screenshot needs to be cropped to remove black borders or have transparency added (if a game element overlaps the border), note it in parameter #4.

Emulators may contain options to remove layers of gaming visuals. Images featuring such modifications may be uploaded in the following circumstances:


 * When active sprites are removed to show a background or an empty game area, for instance in an RPG game (this is most ideal to show a representative area image for articles, without the characters and dialogue shown).
 * Removing a layer which covers another game element. For example, removing a layer showing letterboxing can sometimes reveal extended image elements.

When any layer modifications are made to the normal hardware output, then the specific change must be noted in parameter #4 on that screenshot's filepage.

(visual)

Not acceptable when ...

Leaving sprites glitched, leaving

Sometimes a full object can "ripped" (sourced from the game's code) in an emulator, such as a complete worldmap which would normally be seen only in parts during normal gameplay. Remember that not all areas of a full image was intended to be shown during gameplay. Therefore the unseen parts of the image (most likely the edges) may not show any unique visuals, and just may be a coded copy of nearby areas. For example, the complete ripped world map of Super Mario World can show an extension of the ocean. But there is little benefit in showing repeated ocean tiles within an image of the world map, especially if they aren't shown in-game.

Use of images in infoboxes
An infobox aims to show a profilic image which best represents an article subject, along with other standardized information (for example; a "latest appearance" for the subject, RPG battle statistics, which year a company was founded, etc). Being the first thing that readers would most likely notice on an article, it is important to ensure that the right kind of image is being used within the infobox. The following may be read as a guide to which images may be used: collective user agreement may divert from these recommendations for individual cases.

Character and item infoboxes
Infoboxes for character and object pages should use the latest artwork showing its most common or standard appearance. Apart from situations where there is no standardized artwork available (namely characters who have appeared in very few titles), character infoboxes should not show artworks stylized for sports appearances, such as driving a kart, holding a golf club, etc. Similarly, other series-specific artwork styles (such as the distinctive Mario & Luigi, Paper Mario and Yoshi's Woolly World styles) should not take the place of a more standard appearance of that character or object. For subjects which consistently appear throughout games (Bowser, Luigi, Goomba, Super Mushroom, etc.) a contemporary and standard 3D artwork should always be available anyway.

Artworks coming from games which are pending release cannot replace an older infobox image until that game is actually released. We enforce this so there is consistency in updating the character or object's "latest appearance" on the infobox only upon game release. And remember that we should only provide artwork from games and other media which are within our coverage. For example, updating Link's page with an artwork from a game outside our coverage (such as from a The Legend of Zelda instalment which is unrelated to Mario) would not be acceptable.

Artwork or model?
For character and item infoboxes not showing RPG statistics, a representative artwork of good quality is normally preferred over an in-game model. Newer game systems may show very detailed models, and through general user agreement, may take the place of an older artwork (if that artwork is considered less representative of the character). For example, the character Kalypso was introduced in Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast, where she was given an artwork which is specialized for that game (featuring barrel rockets). However, the model from her Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy is more representative, showing a more neutral appearance. If no artwork or quality model is available, a screenshot from a recent appearance may be used instead.

Series pages
Series pages should primarily show the logo which is currently or most consistently used throughout that series. If the series' logo has changed over time, then more than one logo may be displayed with the most recent one at the top, while noting from which games each logo was used for. See the Mario & Luigi series page for an example of this.

Company pages
Unlike series pages, company infoboxes should only display the most contemporary logo, with a caption stating from what year the logo has been used. Previous logos may still be displayed elsewhere, such as the page's gallery.

Game pages
As most of our website traffic comes from North America, games must display the box artwork issued in that region (unless the game is exclusive to Japan or regions other than North America). If the artwork used on a box differs significantly between North America and another region (for instance, Paper Mario: Sticker Star), then two box artworks may be displayed within the infobox. However, if the differences between regions are small, then it is not necessary to display more than one box art. Examples of minor differences include how the PAL box of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team uses the same artwork, but adds "Bros." at the end of the title. Or the Japanese box ofMario Party 10 shows Bowser holding a white gamepad, instead of a black one as seen in other regions.

Level pages

 * Level article images
 * 3D levels/2D levels

Showing things which identify a level, such as a special obstacle which is the focus of the level

RPG enemy infoboxes

 * Types of image per infobox. Eg. Rpg enemy infobox should use the sprite? When using battle stats, use the sprite rather than the artwork

Game infoboxes

 * showing two box arts
 * Level article images
 * 3D levels/2D levels

Showing things which identify a level, such as a special obstacle which is the focus of the level


 * Types of image per infobox. Eg. Rpg enemy infobox should use the sprite? When using battle stats, use the sprite rather than the art