VSS is seeking outstanding creative visual images for the 2026 meeting. There are two separate graphics competitions: the Website Banner Competition and the T-Shirt Design Competition.
The winning image of the Website Banner Competition will also be used for the program covers, onsite signage, PowerPoint slides, bulk emails, printed materials, and other places where needed.
The winning image of the T-Shirt Design Competition will be used on the VSS 2026 T-shirt and may also be used for other purposes, such as tote bags, pens, hats, and mugs/water bottles.
You may submit more than one image for consideration and you are allowed to enter images in both competitions. You may submit the same image to both competitions as long as the file format requirements can be met.
Images may be related to scientific content, the Vision Sciences Society, or St. Pete Beach and the surrounding area. The image may include the VSS logo or be an alteration of the VSS logo.
The winner of each competition grants VSS unlimited rights to copy, publish, edit, print, and use the images for any purpose, including publishing images online and on other electronic and hard-copy media.
Winning images are chosen by a vote of the VSS Board of Directors.
Submissions for Website Banner Competition must be received no later than September 17, 2025.
Submissions for the T-Shirt Design Competition must be received no later than January 15, 2026.
To submit an image for consideration, you must have been active in VSS within the last two years.
Website Banner Competition
The Website Banner Competition is a contest to select an image that will serve as the brand, or theme, of the annual meeting by providing imagery that will be used throughout the VSS meeting. Although the winning image will be used for many purposes, to enter the competition you need to submit proposed images for the primary website banner and the secondary page website banner. Other items will be created using variations of the winning image.
Your proposed primary website banner design will replace the current banner on the VSS website home page. Your secondary page website banner will replace the banner shown at the top of this page. At a minimum, your proposed banner image should include the name of the society and the dates of the meeting.
To enter the Website Banner Competition, please submit two full-color raster images in .jpg or .png format.
The primary website banner image must be 3070 pixels by 534 pixels.
The secondary page website banner must be 3070 pixels by 178 pixels.
If your image is chosen as the winning design, in addition to the banner image, you will be asked to provide variations of your image for use on the printed program cover, signs, and other purposes.
The winner of the Website Banner Competition will be awarded $500 USD and will be recognized in the meeting program, on the meeting website, and at the Awards session at the VSS meeting.
Deadline to submit an image for the Website Banner Competition is September 17, 2025.
You must have been active in VSS within the last two years to submit an image.
View Previous Program Covers and Banners
T-Shirt Design Competition
The T-Shirt Design Competition is a contest to select an image for the VSS t-shirt. The image may also be used on other items that require line art.
Two images are needed for the t-shirt: one for the back and one for the breast. The maximum print area for the back image is approximately 11 inches square; the breast image print area is 3″ square. You can submit one image for both purposes or separate images. The images will be printed on black t-shirts and white t-shirts, so the image must be usable on both black an white backgrounds.
The images should include at least the name and year of the meeting (eg: VSS 2026), but may also include other information, such as the meeting dates and location.
T-shirts are printed using a silkscreen process, so the image must be line art that uses a maximum of four spot colors (solid colors, not composite colors). Large areas of solid colors are discouraged as these are more difficult to print and result in an image with a plastic feel that is not comfortable to wear.
To enter the T-Shirt Design Competition, please submit a PDF of your proposed design showing your images as they would appear on a white background and a black background.
If your image is chosen as the winning design, you will be asked to provide your artwork in a scalable vector graphic file, such as Adobe Illustrator or compatible.
The winner of the T-Shirt Design Competition will be awarded $500 USD and will be recognized in the meeting program, on the meeting website, and at the Awards session at the VSS meeting.
Deadline to submit an image for the T-shirt Design Competition is January 15, 2026.
You must have been active in VSS within the last two years to submit an image.
How To Enter
Email your images to as an attachment. One email per submission, please. Specify which competition you are entering in your subject line. Include a brief description of your image that the board will consider when reviewing the submitted images.
Schedule
Deadline to submit an image for Website Banner Competition: September 17, 2025
Website Banner Competition image chosen by: October 1, 2025
Deadline to submit an image for T-shirt Design Competition: January 15, 2026
T-shirt image chosen: by February 1, 2026
