Design tips

You can create a tribute in three steps: add your text in each of the six boxes, choose the background and media (photos and video) you want to upload, and select what you want to do next. The sample layout shows where the text and media will be placed for the tribute level you've chosen.

STEP 1

Introduction

This is an optional field. Select a line of text from the pulldown menu or “no tribute line” if you do not want to have text at the top.

Tribute name

Add the name of the entity you want to honor – a person, organization, beloved pet, or other important influence in your life.

Occasion and/or date

List the name of the event you’re commemorating, a special date, or both.

Text

Write a personal message, a poem, a biography, or other special words to honor the subject of your tribute. You may want to close with the names of others who are part of the tribute, e.g., Love, Mom, Dad, Nick, Julie, and Fido.

Donor(s)

List the names of the people who have contributed financially or otherwise to the creation of your tribute.

Creator

This is an optional field, in which you can list the name of the person who created the tribute.

STEP 2

Click the background button to choose one of 25 different backgrounds for your tribute.

Click the multimedia button to make your media selections. If you are creating a level 1 or 2 tribute, you can choose photos of the UT campus. A level 3 tribute enables you to add personal photos. At level 4, you can select a UT photo that is paired with a UT song, such as “The Eyes of Texas”; you can also upload personal video.

STEP 3

Decide what you want to do next: preview your tribute, save your work, or start another tribute. Clicking on “Continue” will take you to the registration page.

Change level

Tribute levels are numbered 1 through 4 and correspond to a specific gift level. For example, a gift of $100 to UT Austin enables you to create a level 1 tribute. With a gift of $1,000, you can create a level 4 tribute. Level 1 includes one photo of the UT campus and a personal message limited to 250 characters. A level 4 tribute includes up to 20 campus photos, personal photos and video, and a personal message of up to 1,000 characters. For more information about the features of each tribute level, visit Choose a tribute.

Frequently Asked Questions

My text is longer than the number of available characters. How can I make it fit?
Each box limits the number of characters (letters and spaces) because of space constraints. You will need to edit your text to make it fit the limit. The only exception is the text box in which you type your personal message. You can increase the number of characters in that box by changing your gift level. For more information, see Change level.

I want to include an image of the UT campus that isn't in the system. Can I add it?
Currently, you can select from 50 photos of the UT campus, and more will be added over time. If you own the rights to an image of the campus, you can upload it into a level 3 or 4 tribute. For more information about using copyrighted images, see Terms of Use.

How do I upload personal photos?
Uploading photos refers to the process of transferring digital files from your camera or your computer's hard drive to the eTribute system. The personal media manager is designed to make it easy; the manager stores all of your personal photos in one place, whether you're creating one tribute or several. But first, you need to be sure your photos are in the correct format.

Converting photos to JPEG files
Personal photos can be added to level 3 or 4 tributes but must be in JPEG file format. JPEGs usually have file extensions like ".jpg" or ".jpeg" Most digital cameras save photos as JPEG files; however, if yours are not in this format, you can use an image-editing software application to convert them. Some of the most popular applications are Adobe Photoshop (Professional), Adobe Photoshop Elements, PhotoDeluxe (Consumer), Jasc's Paintshop Pro, and MGI PhotoSuite II.

Each photo must be 1 MB (megabyte) in size or smaller. If your photo is too large, change the size using one of the applications listed above. Although not required, your photo should be sized to 256 x 256 pixels for best viewing results. Save it under a new file name and upload it using the Personal media manager.

How do I upload personal video?
eTribute accepts only one video clip per tribute. As with photos, format and size are important. The file must be in Quicktime (.mov) format, 10 MB or smaller, and no more than two minutes in length. Most digital video cameras record at 720 pixels by 480 pixels, which is too large to download easily. Video clips on eTribute must be no bigger than 320 pixels by 240 pixels. Use the Personal media manager to upload your video clip, just as you would photos.

I don't have the computer equipment to handle photos or video. How can I add personal photos or video to my tribute?
At this time, eTribute cannot accept personal media in any way other than online through the Personal media manager. Libraries and service businesses such as Kinko's may provide assistance. Some people ask friends and relatives who are comfortable with the technology to help them create their tributes. Another option is to create a tribute using the UT media already available on the eTribute system.