User:Dan da Man36/Signature Guide

Hello! Presumably, you've found this page because you're tired of seeing that boring blue link when you sign your posts. Well, this page is designed to help you create your own, unique signature.

If you're unfamiliar with wiki coding and formatting, then this guide should help you a whole lot. Pages similar to this may already exist, but let's be honest, we'd all like to see something a little more inspired that a little blue link leading to your userpage. This is where this guide differs from such pages; it is designed to be an active center offering help, advice, and inspiration.

What is a signature, and how do I use one?
A signature, or sig for short identifies you as the person that has left a comment on pages such as Forums or Talk Pages. A signature is meant to be unique, and allows other users to keep track of who they are actually talking to. I'm sure you all know that signing your posts is a must, and doing so couldn't be simpler, all you have to do is type ~ or click the http://www.wikia.com/skins/common/images/button_sig.png button at the end of a statement.

The default signature is a simple link to your userpage, followed by a timestamp: Dan da Man36 15:49, October 23, 2010 (UTC)

But a custom signature can be very different. It can include colours, images, symbols, links to multiple pages, and many other things. If you follow this guide in order to create your signature, it should also include a timestamp, making it easier for users to keep track of when your message was posted. For example, my custom signature is: 15:49, October 23, 2010 (UTC)

Making a custom signature
Alright, here's the exciting bit. Even if you're a novice of wiki coding, I'll try to explain everything in this step-by-step section.

First off, this is the wiki's signature policy. Keep it in mind when you make your signature. 
 * All signatures must link to a page in the posting user's userspace, preferably their user page or talk page.
 * Stylizing your signature with colors and fonts is absolutely fine, and even encouraged, but all special text must have the codes closed with  or.
 * All signatures must be followed by or include a timestamp in some form.
 * ALL IMAGES MUST BE NO MORE THAN x17px, TO PREVENT AFFECTING THE LINE'S HEIGHT.
 * All personal images used must be linked from Photobucket or another image-sharing site; all images being hosted on the wiki are fine to use if sized properly.
 * If you are you going to use an image in your signature, it must be transcluded through a template.

Step 1: Design
On a sandbox or userpage, start with what text you want your signature to display.

Example: Dan da Man36 Talk!

Step 2: Linking
Next, incorporate the links you want to use in your signature.

Example:  Dan da Man36 Talk!  would result in: Dan da Man36 Talk!

Step 3: Font, colour and size
This step uses this handy bit of coding:  TEXT 

As you can probably guess, this piece of coding changes the font, or "typeface", colour and size of the text featured in your signature.

These pages are a huge help:
 * List of Fonts
 * Colour Chart
 * Full list of Colours

Step 3.1: Font
Using the coding and help page mentioned above, you can change the font style of your signature by replacing the "FONT" part of the code to any typeface you want.

Example:  TEXT  results in: TEXT

Step 3.2: Colour
Using the same coding as you used to change the font, you can change the colour of your signature by replacing the "COLOUR" part of the code to any colour name or Hex triplet you want.

Before I go any further in this section, I should explain the term "Hex Triplet". Colour names such as "Red" or "Blue" can be used in the above coding, but most of the colour names that are not featured on the Colour Chart, but are featured on the Full list of Colours can't be used. If you want to use a colour from the full list, you have to copy-paste the Hex triplet (the 6-digit code used to represent the colour). For example, "Air Force blue" hex triplet: #5D8AA8, is a colour that is not featured on the smaller colour chart. To use this colour in the above coding, you would have to type "#5D8AA8" in place of the "COLOUR" part of the coding.

Example:  TEXT  results in: TEXT

Example 2: "#FFD700" is the hex triplet for "gold":  TEXT  results in: TEXT

Step 3.3: Size
Okay, this is the least complicated part of this coding. By changing the SIZE part of the above coding, you can change the size of the text in your signature. The size of the font must not affect the line's height, so the maximum size of the text allowed is 2.

Example:  TEXT  results in: TEXT ( Good size. )

Example 2:  TEXT  results in: TEXT ( Bad size. )

Here's a little example of size numbers, using "Arial" as a font. Each size after 2 is not allowed by the signature policy: 1 2 3 <font face="Arial" color="black" size=4>4 <font face="Arial" color="black" size=5>5 <font face="Arial" color="black" size=6>6 <font face="Arial" color="black" size=7>7

Alternatively, tags can be used to alter the size of the text.

Step 3.4: Using this code in your signature
To change the font, colour and size of your already designed and linked signature you've made using steps 1 and 2, this coding has to go in a specific place. It has to go after the | in your link.

Example:  <font face="Forte" color="gold" size=3>Dan da Man36 <font face="Forte" color="red" size=2>Talk!   would result in:

<font face="Forte" color="gold" size=3>Dan da Man36 <font face="Forte" color="red" size=2>Talk!

Step 4: Symbols
Adding small symbols into your signature can make it that much more unique. Below, I have included a small selection of symbols that you could use in your signature. Using the code  <font face="FONT" color="COLOUR" size=SIZE>TEXT , you can change the size and colour of the symbols.

Example: <font face="Forte" color="gold" size=3>Dan da Man36 - <font face="Forte" color="red" size=2>Talk!  ♫

Symbol Archive
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