Campus Digital Displays

About W&L's Digital Signage System

Washington and Lee subscribes to the Rise Vision cloud-based digital signage software that displays important messaging, news and information on screens throughout campus. It is important to note that some displays are privately owned and maintained by individual departments, and others are public displays maintained jointly by the Office of Communications & Public Affairs and Information Technology Services.

W&L administration, faculty, staff and students may submit graphic images and videos for inclusion on the public displays, and such materials are subject to an approval process based on the criteria listed below. Please read this page carefully to ensure that your content meets university specifications for public digital displays.

Displays marked as semi-private will consider the addition of Rise content on a case-by-case basis. The Office of Communications & Public Affairs will consult with the owner of the screen on the addition of proposed content.

Public Displays
2 South Main, 7 Courthouse Square, Center for Global Learning Atrium, Center for Global Learning Fire Stick, Dining Services (Brief Stop), Athletics Administration Offices in the Duchossois Center for Athletics and Recreation, Elrod Commons, Gaines Hall, Information Technology Services, Lenfest Center, Leyburn Library, Natatorium, Newcomb Hall, Payne Hall, Wilson Hall.

Semi-Private Displays (Will consider some content)
Athletic Training Room, University Facilities (several displays), Harte Center, Williams School (several displays in Huntley and Holekamp), IQ Center, ITS Offices, Law School (several displays), Watson Pavilion

Private Displays
Admissions, Alumni House, Dining Services (Café 77, Fieldside, Marketplace)

Digital Signage Content Submission Guidelines

Consideration for the inclusion of your digital content will only be granted by following the guidelines and specifications presented below.

  • Submissions will only be accepted from Washington and Lee administration, faculty, staff or students. Student submissions must first gain content approval from the Office of Student Affairs through Laura Ulmer, Director of Student Activities.
  • All digital content must be submitted at least three business days before the preferred posting date.
  • Content may run on the displays for a maximum of 14 days. Be sure to specify a preferred start and end date for your digital display content.
  • Submissions for digital content similar to a prior posting will not be considered for a period of one month following the end date of a prior submission. Additionally, multiple postings promoting the same event or function will not be accepted.
  • If you are utilizing images in your submission, please ensure that you have received the proper copyright permissions. Copyrighted and trademarked material may include but are not limited to logos, digital images, photographs, paintings, movies, videos and written works. For more information, please visit the W&L policy for the use of copyrighted works.

Digital Signage Specifications

Every public Rise display on the W&L campus is oriented horizontally with a 16:9 aspect ratio. All digital content featured on the public displays must meet the following specifications to be approved for posting.

  • Must have a 16:9 aspect ratio (1920 pixels x 1080 pixels / 16 inches x 9 inches) with a minimum resolution of 72 DPI (DPI of 150 or more is preferred). File size should not exceed 7 MB.
  • Color format should be RGB and images should be submitted as a .jpg or .png format and motion graphics or video should be in .mp4 format.
  • Videos and/or motion graphics may not be longer than seven seconds in duration
  • All designed graphics must have a background (no transparent backgrounds allowed).

Digital Signage Approval Process

Every public digital signage display is an immediate reflection of Washington and Lee University and each posting must be approved. There are minimum specifications for inclusion, including the content featured and how it is presented.

Your submission may be denied for the following reasons:

  • Must be formatted properly (see the specifications above). Low-quality submissions will also be denied.
  • Content should not contain typographical errors.
  • Content must pertain to a campus event or service at the university. Content advertising or promoting external sources or organizations will not be accepted.
  • Content may not be commercial or political in context.
  • Content may not include copyrighted material without obtaining proper permissions.
  • Classifieds are strictly prohibited.
  • Content may not promote or condone behavior that violates university policies, or local, state or federal law.
  • Content may not include text or images that may be incendiary or might provoke negative reactions.

Digital Signage Best Practices

Your submission for the digital displays could be denied because it doesn't meet the university's graphic standards. Save yourself time by following these simple guidelines for producing a top-quality graphic that conveys your message.

Use a font that is easy to read
The fonts that are the easiest to read are sans-serif. They are rounded and usually thicker than a serif font. Examples of sans-serif fonts are Arial, Helvetica or Verdana. Examples of serif fonts that you should avoid are Times New Roman, Garamond and Palatino.

Sizing is crucial
Many digital signage displays use text that is far too small to read. Studies show that most displays are viewed from a distance of 7-10 feet. Given this information, all text should be sized at least 25-point for proper viewing. Make your headlines larger (For example 40-point if your text is 25-point) or make them stand out by using bold type or a different color.

Use contrasting colors
Using contrasting color palettes-light text on dark backgrounds and dark text on light-is even more key in digital signage design when the audience is some distance from the screen. Research shows that contrasting color palettes are the most effective way of getting your message seen. This is logical; if your text stands out against the background, naturally it's going to be easier to read. As a rule of thumb, use the 60-30-10 rule. The dominant color can be used in 60% of the design, the secondary in 30% and the last color should only be used in 10% of the design for accenting purposes.

Orient your information for maximum effect
Leave a "safe space" around the outside of your graphic. Don't take your images or text to the edge. Leave some space so there's no risk of your content getting cut off.

Use the 3x5 text rule
When considering how much text to use, use the 3 x 5 rule. As the name suggests, this is where you stick to three lines of text with a maximum of five words per line, or the other way around. This will ensure your message is always succinct and easy to read by an audience, even within a short timeframe.

Organize by hierarchy
Your digital signage design may have a piece of information that's more key than the text that follows. This is often achieved by the use of a strong headline or a photo or graphic that will tell the story without using words.

Digital Signage Resources

Don't know how to create a graphic for the Rise digital display system? Feel free to access these resources to help.

  • Contact the Help Desk to inquire if Information Technology Services can provide you with a license for Adobe Express and Adobe Photoshop.
  • Utilize the free version of Canva.
  • Download this Powerpoint document which includes a plethora of pre-approved template options.

Still have questions? Please contact Brian Laubscher, director of internal communications, at blaubsch@wlu.edu or x8956.

Submit Your Digital Signage Content

Up to date on the university policies for digital display content and ready to submit your digital resource for inclusion on the Rise display system? Simply submit your request through the Web Help Desk.