Crowdsource storymap aspect ratio of image

[NBurling]

Hi I'm building a crowdsource storymap.  We hired an illustrator to create the image for the splash screen.  Before I began this process I inquired about the size and aspect ratio for the image and was told that the art must be at least 2000x1000 px and that the software would adjust to the image (at least that's my memory)  I have uploaded the draft and it cuts it off on the sides.  Is there something I can do to fix this?  Help! Here's a link to the storymap.

https://arcg.is/1CHH4z  I'm attaching a screen grab of the full image. 

[RupertEssinger · Accepted solution]

Very cool image. As story maps can be displayed all sorts of different devices and different web browser window sizes, images that you use for cover pages will get cropped at the sides at certain display sizes/shapes. So that the cover image always fills the available screen area and look as good as possible, we don't provide a 'Fit' option for cover images in the same way that we do for images in, for example, the 'main stage' area of Map Journal and Map Series. For this reason, it is best if cover images don't contain text, diagrammatic/infographic elements or other essential visual elements, especially at the sides. In the case of your image, some of the state will be cropped on the right hand side at some display sizes/shapes.

Hope that helps.

Rupert

[NBurling]

Do you think it would help if I made the image a different shape?  I'm worried that the people who live in the East side of the state will be unhappy.

thanks.

[RupertEssinger]

I think your image size is OK. Whatever size your image is, it usually won't appear in full because it gets cropped inside the display window. Image content, like WA state in your case, that you want to be mostly uncropped should ideally be in the center of the image. I personally don't think people will mind if the state appears cropped in your image. It's a fun illustration of the story content and intention and I don't think readers will always expect to see it in full. 

Rupert

[RupertEssinger]

For example, here's a really nice story map from our friends at the USDA NRCS. The cover page image looks OK when the story is maximized on a wide-screen monitor, but the graphical elements on the left and right, and the birds head, get cropped if you resize your browser window to simulate viewing it at non-maxmized browser window sizes or if you view if on a mobile device:
http://nrcs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=d3c4df707a98448d87b6cda7a0dbddcc 

[NBurling]

I think that my concern is that even on my computer monitor I can't see the entire image.  I understand that it may not work on a small screen like a phone but I'd love to figure out how to make it at least fully display on a computer.  

[RupertEssinger]

Ideally if you don't want the WA state map to be cropped you could see if your illustrator could make a version of the image where the state is smaller and more centered in the image. The size and shape you are using, 2000x1000  is OK: it is approximately the same shape as a wide screen monitor. You could also make some test images yourself of different sizes to see how they get cropped. But the bottom line with cover page images used for Story Map Crowdsource, Cascade and Map Tour is that the images will get cropped because we fill the available display space with the image so you shouldn't count on the sides or top/bottom of the image always being fully visible.  Your image is very cool though. You could also use it, for example, in tweets promoting your story, and or on a web page on which the story is promoted. 

Rupert

[NBurling]

All on her own our illustrator offered to resize the image  if it would help.  Your message implies to me that it isn't the size so much as the centering of the state in the illustration but would a different size make any difference in the display?  By the way on my home computer with a wide screen monitor it displays beautifully!  And let me add how much I love Storymaps and all the various choices that you offer.  I think this project is going to be a really fun addition to our state's library summer offerings.