Specs & Guidelines

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File Types & Preparation

Canadian Interactive Advertising Standards & Specifications

http://www.iabcanada.com/guidelines-product/ad-standards

Please contact your Postmedia Account Executive if you require further information regarding our Technical Specifications.

Mobile

At the Calgary Herald, our goal is to connect with readers whenever and wherever they are, and to share that opportunity with our advertisers. We are committed to making calgaryherald.com available on the most popular mobile platforms while providing an experience that is just as smooth and satisfying as our standard website. This means more than just another iPhone App: Calgary Herald websites are served in different formats, optimized for different devices, accessible without any special downloads or settings. Users of iPhones, iPads and Blackberry handsets need only point their browsers tocalgaryherald.com to see content custom-tailored for their reading device of choice.

Extended Network

Content TBD

Process

How to send creative material

To ensure ad operations will always use the correct version of the file please zip the files and use descriptive names such as:

  • Language_size_client_campaign_version.zip
  • Language_size_client_campaign_version.swf
  • Language_size_client_campaign_version.gif

If revisions are made and creative is re-uploaded version numbers should reflect the change. Example:

  • En_300x250_gm_cadillac_c01.swf
  • En_300x250_gm_cadillac_c02.swf

The zip file containing the creative can eliminate the size parameter if there are multiple ads within:

  • En_gm_cadillac_c03.zip

When working with flash creative

  • Our Email Firewall sees Flash files (FLA or SWF) as potential viruses. These file types will be delete from emails. Do NOT try to send files to us through email. We can only accept them to our FTP server.
  • If supplying Flash creative for your ad, remember the dimensions and maximum file sizes (see the File Types & Preparation section if you’re not clear). We cannot support sizes that exceed these.
  • Flash ads should have “clickTAG” implemented correctly so we can track the ad properly on our ad-serving system. See http://www.iabcanada.com/clicktag/ for following clickTAG properly.
  • We also need an alternate GIF or JPG version of the ad for users that do not have the Flash plug-in. File size of GIFs and JPGs for all ad units is 40K (see the Specs and Guides section for dimensions, but they will be identical to the width and height of the Flash ad). JPG version of the ad should be provided if your backup ad is only 1 frame.
  • Creative when clicked should always open a new browser window
  • For animation and/or video: three (3) loops maximum. See http://www.iabcanada.com/standards/onlinead_standards.shtml for more detailed specifications.

Deadlines & Delivery

Deadlines

To allow time for testing of the creative files:

  • Standard creative must be submitted to Publisher and notify our online traffic people at least three (3) business days prior to live date.
  • Rich Media and Video creative should be sent to the Publisher and notify our online traffic people at least five (5) business days prior to live date.
  • If Advertiser or Agency is using a 3rd Party Vendor to serve creative, it is recommended creative be submitted to Publisher and notify our online traffic people at least ten (10) business days prior to live date.

Our traffic people will contact the Sender of the creative if there are any issues with the files.

Delivery:

STEPS TO UPLOAD FILES USING OUR FTP
These instructions are for ONLINE ads only. Print material uploaded here will not be reviewed. For print upload instruction, please click here.

  1. Go to ftp.postmedia.com
  2. User ID: postmediauploads | Password:Postmedia1! (case sensitive)
  3. Directory: Once logged in DO NOT create a folder. Just drag and drop the zip file to the root of the FTP site.
  4. Upload creative; include alternate .GIF file for flash ads.
  5. MOST IMPORTANT! Please email PIA AdOps adops@postmedia.com and cc your Local Digital  Specialist (see the Contact Us section) after creative files are uploaded; otherwise, no one will know the files are on the server, nor will they know what to do with them. Please indicate the URL (web address) in the email that the ad is to link to.

Please note: Depending on the FTP client, users can verify if they have uploaded the content through one of three methods:

  1. For some FTP clients, the user will be able to see their uploaded file while they are still in session. (i.e. when they close the session and return to the ftp site, they will no longer see the file(s), but while uploading they can see the files);
  2. For some FTP clients, the log file will indicate a successful upload;
  3. For the majority of FTP clients, the user will know that the upload was successful only if they do not receive an error.
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