Deadline: November 16, 2009

If you’re looking for the downloads for the Layers Back Page Design Contest from the November/December 2009 issue, visit http://www.istockphoto.com//layerscontest.php. As soon as the current contest expires on November 30, we’ll post all of the contest information from the November/December issue here on this page.

The Mission

In the “How’d They Do That?” cover story in the September/October 2009 issue of Layers magazine (p. 30), we learn about augmented reality (AR). Most of the AR examples mentioned in the article use a printed marker to trigger the AR experience. Your mission is to create an AR marker for a fictitious movie appropriately titled The Marker. You can give your movie any theme you desire (i.e., science fiction, action/adventure, drama, comedy, etc.). For marker examples check out the one for District 9 at www.multinationalunited.com/training.

The Judging

The judges will be looking at the creativity of the marker, along with the quality of the overall design and artwork. Keep in mind that you don’t want to use any copyrighted material from actual movies. (Note: Please proofread your designs, or have someone proofread them for you. Typos have a negative impact on the judging.)

The Prize

The grand prize winner will receive a 1.5-TB Guardian MAXimus quad interface hard drive courtesy of Fotolia. Fotolia offers more than 6 million incredible royalty-free photos and illustrations at amazingly low prices. Fotolia is also throwing in $200 in credits for the grand prize winner to use at www.fotolia.com. Just imagine all the wonderful images you can download to your brand-new hard drive to use in your design projects. All total, that’s around a $630 value!

The Deadline

Deadline has been extended to November 30, 2009. The winner will be announced in the January/February 2010 issue of Layers magazine.

For a complete listing of contest rules, click here.

Q. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ENTER?
A. This competition is open to any Adobe® Creative Suite user age 18 or above by date of submission. No Purchase Necessary. However, employees, content providers, and affiliates of Layers, Kelby Training, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), and their families are not eligible to enter.

Q. WHAT ARE THE ENTRY FEES?
A. None. You may enter a total of one piece per contest period.

Q. WHAT CAN I WIN?
A. The grand prize winner will receive a 1.5-TB Guardian MAXimus quad interface hard drive courtesy of Fotolia. Fotolia offers more than 6 million incredible royalty-free photos and illustrations at amazingly low prices. Fotolia is also throwing in $200 in credits for the grand prize winner to use at www.fotolia.com. Just imagine all the wonderful images you can download to your brand-new hard drive to use in your design projects. All total, that’s around a $630 value!

Q. WHEN IS THE ENTRY DEADLINE?
A. This deadline for this contest has been extended to November 30, 2009

Q. WHEN WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?
A. The winner will be announced in the January/February 2010 issue of Layers magazine.

Q. HOW DO I ENTER THE COMPETITION?
A. You must fill out and submit the Entry Form. Layers is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate entry information, human error, technical malfunction, failures, omission, interruption, deletion, or defect of any online systems, computer equipment, servers, access providers, or software.

Q. WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
A. Any images submitted for judging must be the sole creation of the entrant. All entries become the sole property of Layers magazine and Kelby Training, Inc. and will not be returned. False and/or deceptive entries or accounts shall render entry ineligible. Layers magazine and Kelby Training, Inc are not liable for any copyright infringement on the part of the entrant. Modifying, enhancing, or altering someone else’s existing artwork (with the exception of images provided by Layers magazine for use in the contest) does not qualify as an original creation; however, stock photography may be used and modified in your entries. Entries must not defame or invade publicity rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any personal or proprietary rights of any third party.

Q. WHAT APPLICATIONS CAN I USE TO CREATE MY ENTRY?
A. Any Adobe application, including (but not limited to) Acrobat®, After Effects®, Audition®, Dreamweaver®, Fireworks®, Flash®, Illustrator®, InDesign®, Lightroom®, Photoshop® (including Elements and Extended), Premiere® (Elements or Pro), and Soundbooth™. Non-Adobe applications such as Corel® Painter™, Smith Micro® Poser®, Autodesk® Maya®, or 3rd party plug-ins may be used to create your artwork.

Q. HOW MANY PIECES MAY I ENTER?
A. An individual may enter one piece per contest period.

Q. WHAT FORMATS DO YOU ACCEPT FOR SUBMITTING MY IMAGES?
A. .JPG, .GIF or any similar format.

Q. WHERE DO I SEND MY ARTWORK?
A. You must submit a completed registration form by clicking here. Layers magazine and its co-sponsors, affiliates, and agencies are not responsible for damaged attachments, or for late or misdirected submissions.

Q. HOW WILL ENTRIES BE JUDGED?
A. Judging will be conducted by the Layers magazine creative and editorial teams.

LAYERS BACK PAGE DESIGN CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES – NO PURCHASE REQUIRED

HOW TO ENTER: To enter, fill in the online form found at http://www.layersmagazine.com/designcontest-entry and attach your submission.
No purchase required for entry. The deadline for entries has been extended to November 30, 2009. You may submit one (1) entry per contest period. Contest Entities (defined below) are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate entry information, human error, technical malfunction, failures, omission, interruption, deletion, or defect of any telephone network, computer online systems, computer equipment, servers, access providers, or software, including any injury or damage to participants’ or any other persons’ computers relating to or resulting from participation in this Contest; inability to successfully transmit your entry; theft, tampering, destruction, or unauthorized access to, or alteration of entries; entry submissions that are processed late or incorrectly or are incomplete, garbled, or lost due to computer or electronic malfunction or traffic congestion on the Internet or any website. Proof of entering information and submission is not considered proof of delivery or receipt. The submission of entries online within the allotted time shall be the sole responsibility of the entrant; Contest Entities are not responsible for lost, unopenable, misdirected, or late entries, failure to deliver or delays in delivery. All entries become the sole property of the Contest Entities and will not be returned or acknowledged. False and/or deceptive entries or accounts shall render entry ineligible.

WINNER SELECTION: Grand Prize Winner will be selected, based upon originality, creativity, style, and relevance to theme. The selection of the Grand Prize Winning entry shall be within the sole and absolute discretion of the Contest Entities, whose decisions shall be final. Contest Entities are under no obligation to publish any submissions, in their sole and absolute discretion.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to any Adobe® Creative Suite user eighteen (18) years of age or older as of date of entry. Employees of Kelby Media Group, Layers magazine, and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (collectively “Contest Entities”), or any of their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, and their families, are not eligible to participate. All federal, state and local laws and regulations of the United States apply. Void where prohibited by law. In the event that the Contest is challenged by any legal or regulatory authority, Contest Entities reserve the right to discontinue or modify the Contest, or to disqualify participants residing in the affected geographic areas. In such event, Contest Entities shall have no liability to any entrants who are disqualified due to such an action. By entering this Contest, entrants accept and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Contest Entities, which shall be final, binding and conclusive on all matters.

PRIZES/VALUES: The grand prize winner will receive a 1.5-TB Guardian MAXimus quad interface hard drive courtesy of Fotolia, plus $200 in credits to use at www.fotolia.com. All total, that’s around a $630 value. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Taxes, if any, are solely the responsibility of the Grand Prize Winner. No substitution, transfer, assignment or cash equivalent of prize permitted. Failure to return any required documentation so as to be received within fourteen (14) days of prize notification will result in automatic prize forfeiture. If prize is forfeited for any reason, an alternate winner will be chosen in accordance with the above-mentioned guidelines.

NOTIFICATION/TERMS: Grand Prize Winner will be notified by electronic mail. Grand Prize Winner’s name may also be posted at http://www.layersmagazine.com/designcontest-winners and/or in Layers magazine. If Contest Entities are unable to contact the Grand Prize Winner to notify the Grand Prize Winner that he or she has been selected as the Grand Prize Winner, or if any notification is returned as undeliverable, for any reason beyond Contest Entities’ control, the prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate. Grand Prize Winner may be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility / release of liability and publicity release (granting Layers magazine the right to publish the entrant’s submission) so as to be received within fourteen (14) days of issuance of notification. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the award of the prizes to an alternate. The return of the affidavits/releases of liability within the allotted time shall be the sole responsibility of the Grand Prize Winner; Contest Entities are not responsible for delays in delivery. Entry constitutes entrant’s representation that entrant owns all rights in the submitted work and entrant’s permission to print entrant’s name and submission in Layers magazine and/or the World Wide Web, and, as to Grand Prize Winner, to print Grand Prize Winner’s name and winning entry in Layers magazine and/or the World Wide Web and Grand Prize Winner’s consent to use his/her name, submission, photograph, and/or voice recordings and likenesses for advertising or publicity purposes in all media, without additional compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. This Contest shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Florida state law, and the venue for all controversies will be exclusively in state or federal court in Tampa, Florida. All federal, state and local taxes are the exclusive responsibility of the Grand Prize Winner.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY: All entrants including the Grand Prize Winner hereby release the Contest Entities and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, wholesalers, retailers, officers, directors, agents, employees and all others associated with the development and execution of this Contest from any and all liability with respect to, or in any way arising from, this Contest and/or award, acceptance or use of the prize, including liability for personal injury, death, damages, or monetary loss, and including the risks of travel and of attendance at public events.

PRIVACY: Any personal information supplied by entrants to Kelby Training, Inc. and to Layers magazine will be subject to Kelby Training, Inc. and to Layers magazine’s privacy policy and terms of service located at http://www.layersmagazine.com/privacy. Additionally, by opting into specific offers from the Contest Entities, your personal information will be subject to each entity’s respective privacy policies and you agree to receive additional e-mail communications from those entities.

WINNER LIST: For the names of the winners, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to “BACK PAGE DESIGN CONTEST”, c/o Layers magazine, 333 Douglas Avenue, Oldsmar, FL 34677. (Vermont and Washington residents and residents of any other states where this requirement is proscribed by law may omit stamp.)