Aspect Ratios
Channels broadcast in three different ratios. 16:9 Widescreen, 14:9 Letterbox and 4:3. Safe areas are used to make sure people viewing in 4:3 can see everything they are meant to (e.g. text, astons, credits). All important content must appear in the 4:3 area. A template of this is available at ITV Lover's Mock Resources.

File Sizes / Formats
JPEG format should be used when saving mock designs for title sequences and other 'screenshots'. BMP is too large in file size and GIF is limited to 256 colours. Be considerate for dialup users and people viewing on lower screen resolutions by creating sensible sized (width/height) images. For videos, Real Media is probably the most common amongst forum users.

Types of Mocks
Typically, mocks fall into two categories - those who create a totally new design for an existing channel and those who modify an existing channel's presentation. Although the latter is acceptable, don't fall into the trap of, for example, using the same background but making the font bigger or moving it slightly around the screen.

Being Critical
When showing off your mocks, not everyone will have the same opinion. Repliers can be critical by giving suggestions to improve it or making their own alternatives. Do be aware that not everyone has the best graphics packages or expertise. If you're constantly coming in for criticism, you may like to look at other members' examples to see where you can improve.

If you have a tip for mock designers to appear on this page, please contact me.