UCLA College Holiday Card Design Contest

All full-time, regularly enrolled UCLA students are invited to submit their designs for the UCLA College Holiday Card design contest. The winning designer will receive a $500 ASUCLA gift card and their design will be used by the Deans of UCLA College.

Please read the contest guidelines and restrictions below or download here.

Designs can be submitted through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 2, 2019 to collegecomm@support.ucla.edu

College Greeting Card design contest guidelines

  • Only full-time, regularly enrolled UCLA students may submit an entry, with preference given to undergraduate students with majors in the College. Each student is limited to one entry.
  • Important Dates:
    • Submissions are due by 5:00 p.m. Monday, December 2, 2019.
    • Finalists will be chosen by UCLA College Office of the Deans.
    • The winning design will be announced in December.
  • With the exception of UCLA College logos and designs provided at college.ucla.edu/contest, which you have the option to incorporate in your design, all designs must be your original art or design work. By entering the contest, you are representing that your submission is your own work and that to your knowledge it does not infringe upon the copyright or other intellectual property rights of others.
  • Designs should be submitted in CMYK color.
  • Check UCLA College logos (college.ucla.edu/contest) for official UCLA College logos artwork.
  • Keep in mind:
    • The objective is to create interesting, new greeting card design concepts. It is not to reinvent or redesign the official UCLA word mark logos and design marks.
    • Designs may include original illustrations of the UCLA campus and buildings.
    • Designs may not include official UCLA logos other than those provided in the UCLA College Logos Artwork Library at college.ucla.edu/contest.
  • Designs may not include:
    • Mash-ups, parodies or references to colleges or institutions other than UCLA.
    • Adult references (sex, drugs, alcohol, profanity, gambling, et cetera).
    • Any elements that incorporate the copyright, trademark or other intellectual property of any third party.
    • Any images of or references to any individual, alive or dead.
  • Maximum of one entry per person.
  • Submissions will be screened by UCLA Trademarks and Licensing, UCLA College Communications for merit and feasibility. Finalists will be chosen by UCLA College Office of the Deans.
  • UCLA College Communications reserves the right to make changes to the winning design before printing, including changes to content, image size or ink color.
  • By submitting your design, you grant permission for your design to be used by UCLA College Communications, including but not limited to UCLA College website, social media accounts, and marketing materials.
  • “UCLA” and related names, marks and images including images of campus (hereinafter, “UCLA Marks”) are the trademarks of The Regents of the University of California (“The Regents”). All rights with respect to any designs, logos or artwork which you may create that includes one or more UCLA Marks or that is used in conjunction with the UCLA Marks shall be deemed the sole and exclusive property of The Regents. In this regard, any designs, logos or artwork so created by you shall be deemed as work made for hire and shall be owned by The Regents. In the event that such designs, logos or artwork do not so qualify, if necessary, you agree to assign to The Regents all right, title and interest to and in such designs, logos and/or artwork including all copyright and trademark rights associated therewith. You are not permitted to make any copyright claims to any designs or graphics that are used with or otherwise include the UCLA Marks.
  • UCLA College Communications reserves the right to review and approve the final decision.
  • The winning artist will enter an artist agreement with College Communications prior to production of the winning greeting card.
  • The winning design will be announced in December. The creator of the winning design will win a $500 ASUCLA gift card.
  • The winning card will be used for the 2020 or 2021 Holiday season.

Submitting an Entry?

Prepare your artwork using the instructions below:

    1. Keep all designs in CMYK color mode.
    2. Create a high resolution version of your design at the intended printing size, 5” x 7” with 0.25” bleeds. Keep all layers separate. High resolution is 300 pixels per inch at the intended printing size. If your submission is chosen as the winner we will require this high resolution file.
    3. Create a 150 dpi flattened copy of your design.
    4. Select a Photoshop card template (available for download below in landscape or portrait).
    5. Drop your flattened design on the Photoshop card template.
    6. Your submission should be 1650 x 2250 pixels and 150 dpi in CMYK mode.
  1. Keep all files in CMYK color mode.
  2. Convert all type into outlines.
  3. Save your design as an Illustrator .ai file. If your submission is chosen as the winner we will require this file.
  4. Select an Illustrator card template (available for download below in landscape or portrait).
  5. Drop your design onto the card template selected.
  6. Export your card template file with your design as a jpeg with the following settings (quality 9; color model CMYK; Resolution depth – medium).
  1. Prepare your art at 100% of the size you intend it to be printed on the card.
  2. Clearly mark your contact info on the back side (name, email and telephone).
  3. Attach a cover flap so art is not subject to damage in handling.
  4. Submit your flat art to College Communications, 2300 Murphy Hall, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

If you prefer to scan your art for submission

  1. Scan your art and drop the scan onto the Photoshop template.
  2. Your submission should be 1650 x 2250 pixels and 150 dpi in CMYK mode.
  3. If your submission is chosen as the winning entry, we will require the original art for a 600 dpi press quality scan.