Envato Sites Style Guide
Posted on 22. Jun, 2008 by Valerie in General
For style, spelling, grammar, etc., the Chicago Manual of Style and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary are used, with the following customizations for Envato based on the conventions used in the Photoshop help documents.
Summary
- PS Menus and Palettes—Prefer capitalization to any kind of formatting (bold, italics; em, strong, b tags, etc.), as it will probably be removed later by the editors.
- Italics—(1) Use if you are referring to a word as a word or letter as a letter (see Summary item #4 for an example). (2) If you want to emphasize a word.
- Spelling—Use American spellings if you can. This is something we’ll correct for you, however, so don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the conventions of American grammar and spelling.
- Keyboard Shortcuts—use a + between commands but a hyphen if using the word click, as in Ctrl-click. Shortcuts should be spelled as they are written on your keyboard keys.
See the full style guide below for a couple more items and examples of the above items.
Style Guide for Spelling and Formatting—Items and Examples
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Keyboard shortcuts are capitalized and spelled Ctrl, Shift, Command, Alt, Enter.
- Use the + key to separate shortcut commands but a hyphen with the word click.
- Capitalize the keyboard letters you refer to.
Examples:
- “Now press Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse your selection.”
- “Ctrl-click the handle layer to select its pixels, go to Select > Modify > Expand, and use a value of 1px. Then in a layer below the handle layer, fill your selection with white. Then press Ctrl+D to deselect and then press the right arrow twice to move it to the right. This is just to give our handle a bit of a thin white highlight.
Photoshop Menus, Palettes, and File Paths
- ONLY capitalize (no bold, italics or other emphasis) when you’re speaking directly about the PS menu/palette settings, but lowercase if you’re speaking generally: Opacity/opacity.
- Put the keyboard shortcut in parentheses following the capitalized menu/palette name: Pen Tool (P).
Examples:
- “We’re using two types of Inner Shadow (one using Inner Shadow and one using Inner Glow). Also we have a subtle Gradient Overlay and a Drop Shadow and a bit of Satin. I’ve chosen these to try to make the object look 3D by using shadows at the edges curving away and a radial gradient to make it look like light is hitting the middle. The satin is just to add a bit of extra something!”
- “Choose File > Automate > Crop and Straighten Photos.”
Capitalization
DO capitalize:
- Photoshop, PSDTUTS, and acronyms like CSS, OK, PSD
- Web, Web site, Internet
- Font names
DON’T capitalize:
- Colors
- The word e-mail.
Numbers
- Spell out numbers from one to ten.
- Use numerals for all PS settings and instructions.
Examples:
- “Use the Rounded Rectangle Tool (Shift + U) in shape-layer mode, enter a Radius of 10px.”
- “In fact, there are three gradients drawn in and three 1-pixel lines used.”
Discussing Type: Speaking of Words and Letters
When you’re referring to a word or letter as a word or letter, use italics rather than bold or other emphasis.
- “Draw a big L-shape in the top left. Then write the word love.“
Naming Layers and Files
- Use double quotes, not single quotes for layer names.
- Capitalization is up to you.
- Periods go inside the quote marks.
Examples:
- Name this layer “Smoke.”
