Before You Submit

Making the Odds Ever Be in Your Favour: surviving the heraldic submissions process
 – Konstantia Kaloethina

Please contact a herald to assist you in the submissions process. They will have valuable experience that can help you avoid potential problems with your submission. If you can’t find a herald locally,  contact Blue Tyger Herald for a referral.

Your submission must obey the Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory (SENA), Administrative Handbook, and other applicable Laurel and Brigantia policies in order to be accepted; failure to do so can cause your submission to be returned. This means that, among other requirements:

  • the official forms must be completed, including ALL contact information;
    • Note that Laurel no longer requires the Date of Birth or Gender sections to be completed, but all other areas must be filled out.
  • the contact information must be legible;
  • all necessary documentation must be included; and
  • the correct number of copies of both the form and the documentation must be made.

Submissions that do not meet requirements may be administratively returned for revision.

NOTE:

  • The only sources for documentation that do not require photocopies are listed in Appendix H of the Administrative Handbook. This also applies to documentation to support armory submissions.
  • Sources to avoid are found in Appendix F of the Administrative Handbook.
  • Branch names and devices require petitions – see the Admin Handbook for more information.
  • Resubmissions are free if we can track down the earlier submissions, so please try to give us as much information on the prior attempt(s) as you can.

Digitally-filled Forms

Digitally filled forms, and those printed from a color printer, are acceptable for submission with the following caveats. If you are not an experienced graphic artist, you should consider using the tried-and-true method of traced artwork colored in with markers.

  • Alteration of the form is grounds for administrative return. Examples include, but are not exclusive to:
    • Do not paste over or obscure the shield or badge outlines.
    • Do not paste over sections of the contact information area.
    • Ensure that all areas of the form print, including the lines in the contact information area.
    • Ensure that the form is printed at full size – some graphics programs will clip the edges or resize the form.
  • Armory submissions that are printed on a color printer should use “primary colors”, which will scan as being the representative color. Inexpensive inkjet printers often have difficulty printing a strong enough color to scan correctly – browns appear red, reds appear purple, purples appear pink or brown, etc. If the submission colors do not scan correctly the armory may be administratively returned.
  • Armory submissions that are to be sent via email must be 300dpi, 8.5×11 in size, and in .jpg format. This is generally only available for resubmissions, and ONLY by prior arrangement with Blue Tyger.
  • There is no requirement that forms be filled out digitally. Hand drawn and hand colored submissions are by far the majority of submissions received.
  • There is no standardized color palette to use in armory designs. Web-safe colors are recommended.

Tips and Reminders

Names

  • Your submission must include a summary of the name documentation. This article will help you format your summary properly.
  • You must include photocopies or printouts of all non-photocopy resources used in your name documentation. If you are printing a website, you must include the URL. If you are photocopying book pages, you must include the title page. See the Admin Handbook for more information.
  • Do not use tape, glue, or staples.
  • Multiple submitters in the same household can consolidate their payment and paperwork into one packet.

Armory

  • Please use Crayola Classic Markers or an equivalent (e.g., Rose Art) in heraldic tinctures.
  • Do not use highlighters, as most scanners won’t pick them up.
  • Do NOT use crayons, paints, or wax-based colored pencils – they were banned as of December 2010.
  • If possible, do not color the black portions of the black-and-white copy – leave it as an outline drawing, like in a coloring book, with enough internal detailing that we can tell what it is.
  • Medium-nib pens are preferred for the outline art, as the slightly wider lines scan better.
  • Do not attach printouts of armory images to the form with glue or tape – ensure that the art is directly on the form.
  • Avoid heavily shaded or pixelated art. Clean outline drawings are easier to identify and less likely to be returned for lack of identifiability.
  • Can’t draw? Try the Book of Traceable Heraldic Art or the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry.
    • Important caveat: Inclusion in these collections does not make a given graphic automatically registrable.
  • Do not use tape, glue, or staples.