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Entries can be submitted in the following formats:
Unmounted printed samples: ad tear sheets, pages or spreads, brochures, annual reports, posters, books, etc. (pieces over 18" x 24" must be submitted as digital files).
Digital files: RGB (not CMYK) JPG format with a maximum width of 1024 pixels and a maximum height of 768 pixels (72dpi). Digital files will be projected for the judges.
Motion/animation entries: Submit motion/animation entries on 3/4" U-matic NTSC, Beta SP NTSC, DVD NTSC (viewable on a standard DVD player) or CD-ROM. Include 10 seconds of black, no slates or bars. Single entries must be on individual cassettes/disks. Series should be edited together on one cassette/disk with 4 seconds of black between each entry. Computer-based formats such as QuickTime or Flash should have a maximum screen size of 1024 x 768. Tape Form B to the outside of each disk/video case.

Please do not send any pieces of art you want returned. NO ENTRIES WILL BE RETURNED. No exceptions. CA is not responsible for damage or loss of any entry. All entrants grant Communication Arts the right to reproduce work selected in the 2009 Illustration Annual on the Communication Arts Web site and in materials used to promote the magazine and/or future related promotions.

Preparation of Packages
Send entries, unmounted, in flat packages only, no mailing tubes (they frequently arrive damaged). Address packages to 2009 Illustration Competition. Non-United States contestants should mark each package "Materials for Contest Entry. No Commercial Value." No provision will be made by CA for U.S. Customs or airport pickup. International entries should be sent by international courier. All entries must be received by March 6, 2009.

Forms and Entry Fees
Form A and the entry fees must accompany your package of entries. Make checks payable to Communication Arts. Non-United States contestants must send an International Money Order or a check in U.S. funds drafted on a U.S. bank. We also accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express. No bank transfers.
Form B (or a facsimile) must be taped to the back of each entry. If the entry is a campaign, a Form B must be taped to each piece. If a piece is to be entered as both a single entry and part of a campaign, a duplicate piece with its own Form B and entry fee must be submitted.

Mail entries to:
2008 Illustration Competition
Communication Arts
110 Constitution Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025-1107 U.S.A.
(Via United States Mail, FedEx, UPS, etc. Entrants submitting from outside the U.S. please use an international courier)

Notification of Acceptance
Only accepted entries will be notified on or before May 9. Complete credits and any additional material necessary for reproduction will be requested at that time. No additional fees are required. Award of Excellence certificates for the illustrator, client and art director of each accepted illustration will be mailed in September 2009.

Questions
If you have any other questions or want to request a call for entries, you can reach us by:
Email: competition@commarts.com
Fax: (650) 326-1648

 

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When is the deadline?
Deadline: March 6, 2009

Do you grant extensions?
Yes, usually, but you should attempt to get your work here by the deadline date.

Do you accept work on disk?
Entries can be submitted as digital files (JPG format with a maximum width of 1024 pixels and a maximum height of 768 pixels). Digital files will be projected for the judges. Digital images with a vertical format must have a height no greater than 768 pixels. If your work is a multimedia project you may want to submit it to our Interactive Design competition (the deadline is January 16, 2009).

Can I submit multiple entries on one CD?
Yes. Make sure to submit one B-form for every entry and reference the file name on the B-form. If you are submitting a series please end all file names with sequential numbers (example: myImage1.jpg, myImage2.jpg, myImage3.jpg) and enclose each series in its own folder.

Will my entries be returned?
Because of the number of entries we receive, it is not possible for us to return any of them.

I have a poster bigger than 18" x 24," can I send it in a mailing tube?
We don't recommend it; mailing tubes (and the posters inside them) usually arrive damaged. If you must send a poster, send it in a flat package.

If my entry is accepted, what will you use for reproduction?
If your work is accepted we will request the most appropriate reproduction materials at that time. Reproduction materials will be returned after the magazine is published.

The entry form states, "Do not send original pieces of art you want returned."
What does that mean?
It simply means that you should not send your ONLY original illustration, or black and white print because they will not be returned.

What do you mean by "unmounted"?
We get thousands of entries and they would get very heavy if every entry was mounted on a board. If your entry is very flimsy and you feel it must be mounted on something, please back it with lightweight paper.

I have a single brochure/poster/self-promo piece that has several illustrations on it. Why is it a series and not a single entry?
The judges of the illustration competition are only judging the images, not the typography, design or art direction (entrants who want the design or art direction of their pieces to be considered should enter them in the CA Advertising and Design competitions) Each illustration is a single entry. Therefore, a piece with several images must be considered a series. There is a maximum of five images in each series; if a piece is entered and there are more than five images on it, the five that are to be judged must be marked in some way.

Where do we put creative credits?
Creative credits will be requested if your work is chosen for inclusion in the magazine.

We're waiting on the check from our accounting department. Can we have an extension?
Please send your entries now, with a note saying that the check is coming under separate cover. Or simply pay by credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Where do I put the B form if I'm submitting digital files?
Put disk in a case and tape the B form to the case.

Is there a category for student work?
The Illustration competition has an Unpublished category for student work.

I don't know which category to put my piece in?
Just send it in with a brief description of the project, we'll put it in the most appropriate category.

How does the judging takes place?
The five jurors work in screening teams of three with one of CA's editorial staff working as the sixth juror. Each category is distributed in half so each group screens one half of the entries. Print entries are spread out on tables by category. Most categories require several room setups. Each juror views the entries independently. Any juror can put an entry into the final voting by picking it up from the table. Digital entries are selected by checking an "in" or "out" column on prepared scoring sheets. For finals, all five jurors work as a single team. In one hall, print entries are again spread out on tables by category. Two paper cups, one white and one red, with slots cut in the bottom, are placed upside down to the right of each entry. White cups are for "in" votes, red cups for "out." Each juror votes with different colored ceramic tiles by putting his or her tile in the appropriate cup. After all the jurors finish voting on print, they move to another hall for digital files. Again, voting is done by each juror checking the "in" or "out" column on scoring sheets. Meanwhile, in the print hall, if the votes do not total five, a check of the tile colors tells the CA staff which juror has inadvertently missed that piece and he or she is called back to vote. After the judges make their selections, their votes are tallied. A simple majority is usually required for a finalist to be selected a winner.

When will we know if our entry was chosen?
If your entry is chosen we will notify you on or before May 9, 2009. Because of the number of entries we receive, we can only notify people whose work is accepted.