In connection with our upcoming Straight Key Month & Anniversary in January we are calling upon members to provide QSL card designs for this very popular special event.
2022 will be the 16th anniversary of SKCC's founding. Our annual Straight Key Month will start on January 2nd, directly following ARRL Straight Key Night. As in recent years we need a QSL card design for the special event call sign K3Y. ("K3Y" because it resembles "KEY", as in straight key.)
If you've ever designed a QSL card, or have any interest in giving it a try, please consider making a card for K3Y.
Designs will be uploaded to the event webpage where members will vote for their favorites starting on Dec. 15th. The most popular design will become the official K3Y QSL card of our 16th Anniversary Straight Key Month.
If enough designs are submitted, we will feature twelve of them in the SKCC print calendar for the new year. The calendar will include upcoming events of interest to club members; also, telegraphy and radio-related historical dates, and astronomical data. You can see the calendar for the current year here:
https://www.skccgroup.com/k3y/k3y-docs/SKCC_Calendar_2021.pdf
Calendars for prior years (since 2014) are archived in the SKCC Group here:
https://groups.io/g/SKCC/files/SKCC%20Print%20Calendar
There were many popular entries submitted for past events that did not win the top spot. Designers of these cards are invited to update them for 2022 and resubmit.
IMPORTANT! Please follow the design guidelines below.
Required image design specifications:
The following text elements must be included in the design:
You can combine text elements, for example: "SKCC Straight Key Month & 16th Anniv.", etc. You can include additional text if desired.
The back side of the card, including QSO format, will be provided by us.
Please follow the guidelines carefully. If you have any questions, please check with me before starting your design. (The most common mistake is with image size and ratio.)
Submit your designs by Dec 14th at the latest. Designs received before then will be displayed on the K3Y page in the order received. You can revise a submitted design any time until Dec. 14th, so there is no need to wait until the deadline.
You can submit several different designs. However, please don't submit multiple entries having minor variations. For example: the same basic design with differently colored backgrounds. Similar designs will split votes between themselves.
If you include graphics or photos that are not your own, they must either be public domain, or you must have permission from the original owner. Please advise us if you are using graphics or photos that are not your own.
By submitting a card design you agree that SKCC has the right to use it for the K3Y QSL card, webpages, anniversary logo, mug graphic and calendar. Also, a variant of your design may be used on K3Y DX QSL cards.
Please send any questions or comments to me at af2z[at]skccgroup.com or post a follow-up in the SKCC group on Groups.io, and I will get back to you. Also send your card images to me. I will confirm receipt and have them uploaded to the webpage.
Have fun!
Drew — AF2Z
K3Y Planning Group