MarioWiki:Image use policy

The following guidelines are strongly encouraged when uploading images for use in articles for this encyclopedia.


 * In most cases, images should be in PNG format and uploaded to the Super Mario Wiki via the Upload file page.
 * JPEG format is generally only desirable for "live action" pictures.
 * GIF formats are only desirable in the case of animated pictures.
 * BMP files are forbidden. They should be saved as PNG.
 * SVG is not fully supported by our 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.
 * Images cannot be too large:
 * Images should be optimized and not exceed 5 megabytes in file size.
 * Images' dimensions should be in the original size and never exceed 5000 pixels in width or height.
 * Images cannot exceed an area of 12.5 million pixels or about 3500x3500 for a square image.
 * When taking screenshots, note that some emulators can alter the display beyond what the actual hardware supports. Screenshots with a resolution close to that of the actual hardware are preferable, but upscaled shots are tolerated if there's no high-quality alternative available. However, video filters (such as 2xSal) and forced aspect ratio changes are not acceptable in any form.
 * When uploading a file, there are a few things to take into consideration when choosing a name:
 * Be sure to give it a meaningful name which describes its content, and more importantly, its use on the wiki. For example, "Screenshot-82.png" is vague and nonspecific, whereas "SMB3 W3-2 Cheep-Cheep.png" is informative and specific, and thus more meaningful.
 * Unless subject material is in another language (i.e. the German Club Nintendo comics), please use English for the file names: this will ensure everyone will be able to understand.
 * When using shorthand, please choose clear abbreviations. For instance, "SMW2:YI 1-4" is instantly understandable, whereas "SMW2W1L4" is not nearly as clear.
 * While being fun and creative with file names is allowed, overly childish, conversational and off-topic/tangential names should be avoided. For example, "Frog Mario clears W3-9.png" is preferable to "Silly Froggy Mario always saves the day.png".
 * Words should not be intentionally misspelled or garbled.
 * Please avoid inappropriate and offensive material in the file names.
 * Don't use symbols (stars, hearts, etc.), foreign characters/alphabets (i.e. Japanese kana or Greek letters), accented letters (é, ü, etc.) and other specialized characters. These are often difficult to type for many users and may even render as unicode rather than the proper symbols, making the images even harder to understand and use.
 * When in the process of uploading files, the syntax for automatically appears in the summary box. This should be formatted correctly, and repeatedly not doing so in considered an offense. A  or  should be issued to users that repeatedly upload files without correctly formatting the template.