If we do not have an answer to your inquiry, please Contact us with your inquiry.

OTHER

What are RSS Feeds?
RSS feeds allow you to stay up to date on the latest content available on Sketchoholic.com. It allows you to easily stay informed by fetching the latest updates from your favourite websites. It can save time because you do not need to visit the site over and over. With RSS the possibilities are virtually limitless!

Before you can use RSS feeds you will need to have what is called a "Feed Reader", we recommend either Google Reader or FeedReader. Once you have selected a reader all you need to do is click the orange RSS icon () located on the pages which have this feature available, or simply point the RSS reader to the URL.

Here are some example Sketchoholic feeds which you may wish to try out:

Media RSS
• User Favorites
• Latest Submissions
• Feature Videos
• Newest Videos
• Newest Images
• Browse Forums
• Member Favorites
• Current Contests
• Featured Contests
• Past Contests (Randomly displaying)
  
  

How do I get featured in one of your magazines?
Anyone can be part of our ongoing volumes of digital magazines. From illustrators, animators to photographers, film directors and painters. The selections that are chosen are based on a uninamous voting of a selected art director commitee handled through sketchoholic and Madcap Media Inc, the selection varies per issue. Although we prefer fully finished films, reels, paintings, drawings, digital paints, or films, we do consider unfinished or works in progress if they suit the particular niche of a specific magazine topic. For a guaranteed chance at a mention in our magazine, take part in contests, any contests, we have featured anywhere from 1 - 20 artists based on a single contest. For more information visit the guidelines at the bottom of this faq.

How do I get featured on the homepage in the weekly feature?
Simply add your portfolio images and videos to your profile, we don't have a set criteria that we base our decision on, that means ANYONE can be featured, we want to give everyone a chance at exposure, so you never know it could be you. We will try to feature 3 - 7 submissions per week, trying not to feature the same person twice, accidents happen!!.

How do I get my service, book, company featured in one of your magazines or website?
If you are inquiring about advertising fees, We are currently accepting full page, half page and small banners at the end of each issue. For pricing information please contact info@sketchoholic.com or fill in our Contact Form. We love to review gadgets and proucts that are artists use, if you would like to send us an item to give away as a prize we'll sponsor a special contest under your name. Please stick to the types of services or products that our members would find useful.

How do I Delete my account?
If you wish to remove your account, please write in from the email address you registered with to info@sketchoholic.com, with Subject line DELETE. Please note any contest images that you would have submitted will be indefinitely part of the website, please refer to our terms of use for further information on our policies.

FORUM

Can i subscribe only to threads that I like?
Yes, when browsing the forum threads & topics, you will notice "SUBSCRIBE TO THREAD" link next to each thread. Click this to follow the thread. Once you follow a thread each time anyone replies within that thread you will be notified via your internal mailbox. Click "UN-SUBSCRIBE TO THREAD" to stop following a thread and stop the email notifications.

Do I receive points for posting in the forum?
Yes, you receive points for replying to forum threads, please refer to the points section.

Can I Leave reply to messages?
Yes, you must create an account on our website before you can reply to message threads.

How do I know that someone responded to my threads?
If you are the owner of a forum thread in any of the forum groups and someone replies within your thread, you will receive a notification message in your Sketchoholic mailbox.


COMMENTING

Can I Leave comments on Images?
Yes, under each enlarged image there a space for you to enter your comments. You must be logged in to post comments. You may also leave comments on member profiles, contests and winner images. Do not post inappropriate posts.

Do I need to have a Facebook account to comment on Contests or Images?
Only if you want to comment and share it with the rest of your friends on Facebook. Each page also has a Sketcho Commenting box which you can use instead. Sketchoholic comments will be delivered and linked to our internal profile system and displayed on the homepage of our website.

Will my friends on Facebook see my article comments?
Yes, but only if you leave the box check-marked "Post my comment to my Facebook profile" next to the "Post" button.

Will people be able to click on my Facebook profile from my article comment?
Yes, but what they see is determined by your Facebook privacy settings. Those settings allow you to decide how much information you want to share with your friends or others.

Can I Remove comments from Images or Profiles?
No, but we are working on developing this feature and will announce it as soon as it is complete. If there is a comment that violates our Terms please contact us and give us the specifics of the comment and a direct link.

Do you only want positive comments?
No, we want to encourage discussion about topics in stories. But please be civil. Comments that use foul, derogatory, racist or violent language will be removed.

Why did you add Facebook commenting?
We've found that users wanted to share information amongst themselves and commenting became more civil when a person is easily identifiable with their facebook name.

CONTESTS

Contest Comments...How do I leave one and Delete one?
Anyone can leave a comment within any contest thread. Simply click on JOIN CONTEST button to view the details of the contest, then click READ & POST COMMENTS link to drop to the section where you can read and post comments for the particular contest. You must be logged to leave comments. Please obey the terms of use and post clean threads. Each person may only delete their own comments, if you are a moderator you may remove any comment you wish.

How do I Vote...explain how contests work
Anyone can vote on a contest, but you must be a registered member of Sketchoholic to log the vote as part of the persons points structure. The more votes a person receives the more points they will earn and the higher their ranking will be. Each contest has 3 timers, the first timer is activated when the contest begins, that is when people start to upload their submissions, once that timer runs to zero, you will see a new timer that will allow you to vote. Once this timer runs down to zero, usually that is when the contest will be over and the contest will be archived to the PAST CONTESTS section 1 hr after it is over. The author of the contet decides when the voting begins and ends.

How do I delete a contest, it doesn't allow me
Only Moderators may delete contests, because of our points structure in place many users gain levels on Sketchoholic by entering and participating in contests, having their work recognized by their peers and being voted on. We want to allow everyone the ability to EDIT and Create contests, however we must be cautious when it comes to removing contests as it would also change the number of points you have. If you have a good reason to delete the contest please contact us with your request, you may always EDIT the contest and change the start dates or other variables to make it the right contest for you.

A contest I was running is over but there was a tie. How do I handle ties?
Simply view the contest from the contests side or click MY CONTESTS & SUBMISSIONS link from your welcome login page. Then REVIEW CONTEST you want to break the tie for. You will see a red ANNOUNCE AS WINNER button on every contest submission. To break the tie, click the button on the submission that you want to be the official winner. You can only do this once and you cannot undo!.

Why are my images corrupted or do not appear after i upload them?
You may upload only certain types of file formats and sizes to the contests. We limit the size to make sure the site is not too slow for other members. Please make sure you read and follow the restrictions written on the upload box within the contest detail pages. You don't have to refresh the page in order to see the images, simply upload the image and the page will update itself automatically to display the latest submissions.

I am located outside of North America, how do I know what time contest starts in my timezone?
We tried to do our best to make sure the website can be used internationally. When a contest is created, you have the option of choosing your timezone, the counters for Start Contest, Start Voting, End Contest will adjust themselves accordingly after you Submit the page. Within the contest descriptions you will see the START and END DATE of the contest with EDT, PDT, GMT times.

Why can't I see who submitted the Images or how many votes there are?
In order to maintain fairness, we needed to make all contest submissions anonymous until the contest is over and you vote on your favorite image. This way the underdog has as much of an equal chance to win a contest as any celebrity artist would. Any person can vote as long as they create a free account on Sketchoholic, (Sketchaholic). Once a contest is over, everyones names and votes will appear to everyone even if they have not voted. You can access old contest through PAST CONTESTS link.

Can i hold my own contest?
YES, Contests are held by anyone at anytime. To Hold a contest you must be a registered member of Sketchoholic.com. Don't feel timid, you don't have to stream live and talk during the contest. Simply create a contest, follow the steps and choose a fun topic. Even if you don't draw, others may, and you will earn points!. You don't have to be a celebrity artist, the great thing about sketchohlic is that our community is here to help you learn while having fun.

I am Voted #1 in the TOP 3, why am I not featured on the home page as the winner?
Winners are determined two ways, when you are voted in by the members of the website and by the officlal author of the contest. The author of the contest has the power to override the TOP winners and decide on the OFFICIAL WINNER. If the author chooses not to ANNOUNCE the official winner, the person voted as Top #1 by their peers will be featured on the home page as the winner.

How does Contest Commenting work?
Any user may place comments on any contest by scrolling to the bottom of a contest, and entering their comment in the COMMENT BOX. You must be logged in to leave comments. Once a comment is posted, only the owner and the moderator may remove that comment. If a comment is deemed inappropriate it will be removed by the Moderator, and an email will be sent to your website mailbox, notifying you of this action. Also note that if a contest is deleted and you commented within that contest, your comment will also be deleted.

How do I collect my prizes after winning?
The prizes for the contests are the responsibility of the contest author, please mail him directly or read the rules of the contest. Do not contact Sketchoholic for missing items and or unclaimed prize if we were not the originating authors.

I keep having to log into Ustream Chat when i refresh the contest pages, why is that?
The chat is with ustream not us, when you refresh the page after uploading to a contest, the login connection is lost with ustream and that is why you have to keep re login.
Unfortunately there is little we can do to change this unless we create our own chat. We are working on a solution that will resolve the refresh issue.

PROFILE & USAGE

What is my Direct Link to the website that I can share with my friends?
Your public profile can be accessed by typing in www.sketchoholic.com/your_username. The public profile displays only the information that you have added to your account. Some Headlines that you will see if you have filled in your sections are Friends, Winning Submission, Current Contests, Past Contests, Images, Videos & Blogs. Click here for an example of a filled in profile of www.sketchohoilc.com/username . Remember, the usernames are case sensitive, make sure you type in the correct username.

Can I create Albums and upload Images and photos to this site?
YES, each member may create & organize albums and add images or photos within them. You receive 1 point of each image that you upload to our website, if you remove an image, a point will also be removed. When you upload images they are automatically screened by our staff, if they are deemed inappropriate they will be removed from your account by our moderators. Please refer to the terms of use before uploading your images, you should only upload images that you are the owner of. All images and albums are automatically displayed publically within the ALBUMS, CATEGORIES, ART RATING sections for everyone to preview, comment, "share", "like" and vote on. If you don't wish to participate in these activities, please do not add images on this website. Within the ALBUMS section the images albums are displayed randomly, your albums can be rated, viewed im a popup slideshow and a flipbook interface.

To create an album login using your login and password, click MY PHOTOS. From there you can assign images into public categories for everyone to browse throughit should be self explanatory. Your pictures and albums also appear on your public profile at www.sketchoholic.com/your_username. Send this link to your friends and everyone can view your images in the flipbook manner as well.

Can I upload videos onto this website?
YES, each member may upload videos onto our website, and/or embed Youtube + Vimeo type videos on their account.(Which are preferred). You receive 1 point for each video that you upload and are removed 1 point for removing one from your account. Only upload videos that are relevant to the website, abuse will not be tolerated. When embedding videos you do not have to own the rights to the video, only when you upload your own mov, flv, mp4, wmv videos from your computer is when you must own the copyright of the video. To upload a video login using your login and password, click VIDEOS. From there click + Add a Video link and follow directions.

How do I stream my webcam for others? (temporarily removed)
Ustream.tv allows you to create your own Live web channel on the Internet and stream to your audience. It is Free and only required you to have a Webcam or Iphone. With Sketchoholic, you embed your live stream and use our contests features to hold contest for your members where they can interact and vote on the best submissions.

First create an account, once you have your account and login, click MY BIO & USTREAM link within your PROFILE. Simply Paste your USTREAM or LIVE STREAM <Embed> code to setup your own video stream within the my bio page and it will display automatically as a window when you create a contest. You must then log into your ustream account anytime you want to BROADCAST your webcam or desktop and that stream will be displayed to everyone within the contest page You also have the option of pasting in your Ustream CHAT or Social Media Ustream for people to communicate through.

How do I see my Public Profile?
Click MEMBERS from the top navigation menu, within the Keyword search field enter your username. You will locate yourself within the result, click on your thumbnail to access your public profile. Alternatively enter www.sketchholic.com/your_username, it is case sensitive.

How do I know if my album images are showing to everyone?
Click ALBUMS from the top navigation to browse through albums, browse through albums to locate yours. Alternatively enter www.sketchholic.com/your_username, and you will see your albums here. Alternatively, login to your account, click MY ALBUMS link from the login page. If your images are properly assigned, you will see them as small thumbnails under your Internal Albums. Another way to find your album, is to search for your username within MEMBERS tab, then click on your thumbnail to take you to your profile page, there you will see all albums and images you've added.

I uploaded the Images, but they do not appear in my album
At times you will upload Images and forget to assigned them to your Internal album. If you do not, you will not see your images publically unless you assign them to an album and UPDATE the EDIT IMAGES page. Go to MY PROFILE > MY ALBUMS > UPDATE & BROWSE IMAGES then from the dropdown make sure you are on --Display all my images--. If there are any unassigned images, you would see them here. You may use the dropdown to navigate between your internal albums.

I tried submitting another image by uploading it and it would not let me
Bu default you may only submit one image per article entry, this is to avoid spam and redundant uploading of images. If you upload an image and there is already another image on the article it will be overwritten.

How do I change my System Preferences & Mail Notifications?
When you create your account you choose if you wish to receive mail notifications from our system based on activities that occur on the website. To change this option, Login to your account, from the MY PROFILE page click Site Preferences and change the options then SUBMIT the page.

What Notification messages will I receive?
Our website will send you email notifications to your external registered mailbox if:

• Someone ads you as their friend
• When the administrator deletes a contest you created
• When someone sends you a message on our website
• When someone rates your image album
  

TECHNICAL

Why does your website not work? Why does is do this and not this?
Our website is built on a stable platform and has been performing great for 99% of our members. If you are the 1% that is having issues with certain portions of our webite, please use the Contact Us form and provide as much in depth information about your problem as possible, include screenshots if you can. We cannot divulge technical answers due to the complexity of the responses and security. We are continuously adding to Sketchoholic and are taking your suggestions one by one. If we don't respond to you regarding your suggestions it's most likely because the answer is found within this FAQ or we are going through all of the inquiries one by one.

I have a suggestion
That's great, we built this site with your suggestions, please forward your suggestions in detail to info@sketchoholic.com or use our contact form.

The website logs me out, why?
There is an inactivity period after which the system will log you out. We urge you to have all your contest information ready when creating a contest, this way you will not loose all of the information you have entered if you happen to take longer than 20 minutes. Your login however is based on a 2 week cookie, our system will remember your login for two weeks within a single browser unless you login. You won't have to login over and over.

My Macintosh is not showing the site properly
Certain applications loaded within a Mac might conflict with the full screen video mode or cause the video player to load in the wrong place on the screen. This problem typically occurs within the Safari or Opera browsers; viewing the site with a Firefox browser should fix the problem.

AVATARS

Collect Points and Climb up the ranks with your Avatars, If you have any ideas on how to make our avatars work for you, or how to make the site for interesting and exciting, use our contact form or info@sketchoholic.com today. We are still adjusting the point stucture, and may at anytime adjust the points, take a look at the images below to learn about the 10 levels.

LV1. 0 Points	LV2. 40 Points	LV3. 100 Points	LV4. 200 Points	LV5, 300 Points	LV6. 450 Points
LV7. 600 Points	LV8. 750 Points	LV9. 900 Points	LV10. 1000 Points	LV11. 1350 Points	LV12. 2200 Points
LV13. 3000 Points

How to Submit Artwork for Consideration
All Images are automatically added for magazine consideration when they are uploaded to our website. Create your free account, click IMAGES & ALBUMS from the menu links and create your album, then add your images. We must ensure that the entire submission process is automated and trackable. Please read carefully below regarding the format of the images - as it is vital that you submit images with a high enough resolution.

Once you upload your images, ensure you attach a Title/description to your image, and the medium or software used.

Any image for magazine consideration should be print resolution (as large as you can possibly render or scan). A guideline is 2657 pixels wide and/or 3636 high, 300 DPI (portrait), or 3636 pixels wide and/or 2657 pixels high, 300 DPI (landscape). Your image aspect ratio and layout will dictate the final resolution. DO NOT upsample your images to achieve higher resolution. If you cannot reach the desired full-page resolution, just send in what you have and we will adjust it accordingly.

Image formats may be JPG, PNG, GIF saved for High Quality, under 3 megabytes in size.

Please DO NOT put any watermarks, company names, URL's or any other text on images you upload. All images will be fully credited with information you provide on the bottom of the image if they are chosen in our magazine. If you deface you images with any redundant text your image may not be accepted. It is acceptable to sign your image.

The last few pages of each magazine have placeholders for artist profiles, We're giving you the chance to write your own paragraph and promote yourself, your business or any links you want. Since we distribute the magazine via the web for free to companies in genres of design, 3d, art, video game and film studios around the world, some members find this useful. This bio profile should be less than 300 characters with spaces, or roughly 55 words and will be added to the magazine once you are chosen to appear in the magazine. Please check URLs, spelling and grammar. It is always suggested you create a bio for your own website profile by EDITING YOUR PROFILE on this website.

Once you are selected to appear in our book, we will contact you via your account or to your email address and offer you an official invitation or letter of acceptance. Our magazines are currently only offered as E-Magazines, and will soon be available for IPAD, Kindle, PDF readers with a possibility of having it as hard copy prints.

Some tips for you, You should feel free to "hand edit" your images as much as you like. 3D renders should be viewed as if they were raw photographs -- they should be hand edited, colour corrected, sharpened, and edited to improve their quality as much as you can.

We have provided a monitor calibration image (colour calibrate gamma 2_2.jpg) to help you set up your monitor. You MUST display this image at 100% in a program that does NOT alter the gamma (not Photoshop). We have provided the image as a 100% quality JPG image so that you can view it in any web browser. You should adjust your monitor controls so that the difference between the solid and dithered areas are minimal. Ideally you should be able to make all the solid squares match the surrounds -- however this is not possible on most monitors in which case you should adjust your monitor so that most of the mid range is matched. You should sit back from the monitor and squint to blur your vision to best judge the match.

Do not convert your image to CMYK and do not over-sharpen it for print. We will be applying CMYK conversions and other filters that are optimal for the print process we have chosen. It is probable that we will be employing the most recent direct to plate and stochastic screen processes for printing. You should concentrate on providing images that look excellent on screen and let us perform the optimal preparation for print.