Banners
baltimoresun.com offers a number of display advertising sizes and options. Please see the chart below for a reference of different ad sizes and the specifications for each type of ad.
baltimoresun.com will create display ads based on your input. You can also create and submit your own display ads. All submitted ads must follow the specs outlined below.
When you purchase a display ad:
- Ads link directly to advertisers web page or customized splash page.
- Ads appear in rotation on section(s) of your choice.
- Campaign reports and statistics are generated at the end of each month.
| AD TYPE | DIMENSIONS | MAX FILE SIZE | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pencil | 970 x 30 | 15K | click here |
| Half Banner | 234 x 60 | 30K | |
| Cube | 300 x 250 | 40K | click here |
| Large Cube | 336 x 280 | 40K | click here |
| Tall Rectangle | 300 x 600 | 40K | click here |
| Wide Skyscraper | 160 x 600 | 40K | click here |
| Leaderboard | 728 x 90 | 40K | click here |
| Newsletter Ad | 728 x 90 | 15K | see leaderboard. |
| FLASH/VIDEO | DIMENSIONS | MAX FILE SIZE | CONTROLS |
| Flash | Any standard ad size | Not to exceed targeted ad size (see above) | Must provide .swf file and a .gif/.jpg for back-up. ClickTag must be embedded in .swf file. See flash specs for details. |
| Pre-Roll Video | 640 x 480 In-Page Flash Player |
15 seconds 2.5 MB maximum |
Original video should be provided in MOV, WMV or FLV format. WMV audio accepted format: Regular WMA Codec. Capped at 2x per user per advertiser per day. 3rd party ad tags accepted. |
| MOBILE | DIMENSIONS | MAX FILE SIZE | CONTROLS |
| Banner Ad* | 120x20 168x28 216x36 300x50 |
<1K <2K <3K <5K |
16 colors, gif/jpg/png, static or animated GIF. Call to action text up to 16 characters. |
| Micro Site | Various | Various | Simple landing page for mobile click throughs, can contain email capture, click to call, locator, header graphic |
| *To run a mobile banner ad, all four sizes are required. | |||
| AD REQUIREMENTS |
|---|
| ACCEPTED FILE FORMATS: gif, jpg, jpeg, swf (must also provide back-up gif/jpg) |
| RESOLUTION: 72dpi |
| ANIMATION: may loop 3 times with a 15 second maximun for each loop. |
| CLICK URL: Click URL must be provided when creative is submitted. Length can not exceed 1,000 characters. Flash files must include clickTag. Click here for clickTag instructions. |
Third-party served ads
Advertisers are welcome to host their ads on their own servers. However, all ads, whether original to the campaign or added later, must still be approved in advance by baltimoresun.com to ensure compliance with production guidelines.
When designing display ads, please do not submit:
- Ads that loop infinitely.
- Ads with fake drop-down menus or other deceptive functionality.
- Ads with "strobing" effects or excessive graphic motion.
- Ads with white backgrounds and no frame.
Design Tips:
- Avoid dark background colors that require white or light text treatments.
- Use Whitespace. Too much information is overwhelming.
- Include advertiser's name
- Highlight a specific offer
- Emphasize benefits (value), not features (information)
- Tie in with a timely product
- Be credible, direct, honest and to the point