Home > Lensmaking Tips > Squid Do’s and Don’ts: What’s the deal with Coloring Page lenses?

Today I want to address a very specific type of lens that we’ve seen show up lately–coloring page lenses–and show some examples of how to do it right. (Also what to stay away from). Arts and crafts have been a popular topic for lenses here on Squidoo and we think that’s awesome. I love to see lenses that encourage creativity. I love that Squidoo can be a wonderful resource for parents, teachers and kids of all ages looking for fun craft activities. Lenses featuring “coloring pages” have become a popular trend on the site recently, and while some are terrific, not all of the lenses fit into Squidoo’s content policies, not to mention basic copyright policy and etiquette.

Do » Tips for good coloring page lenses

First things first: A really great coloring page lens would have lots of original content. That means content that you created, whether you wrote it, photographed it or otherwise ‘baked it’ yourself. Lensmaster Pastiche is a perfect example of this and was the first to really own the coloring page niche. She is a Coloring Page Artist and graphic designer, meaning she creates the art you see and shares them with you for free.

You could try your hand at adding your own custom coloring pages that you drew or designed. Or you could print out some pictures, color them yourself, take photos and display them in a gallery on your lens for your visitors to see. Or tell us a little about how you’ve used these printable coloring pages or would like to use them. You should always add your unique perspective to your lens, even if you didn’t create any of the images you’re using in it.

Okay, so how to curate coloring page content that was created by someone else? I understand this is the web, and it’s built on sourcing content from other places and quoting it. But there’s a way to do it right. Here’s how you should link to other people’s images: (PS, this goes for anywhere on the site, not just coloring pages).

Check out this angry birds coloring page. If I were to use this link on my lens, when I clicked on it, my browser would take me directly to CartoonJr.com. I’d see who created the content, view it in its native home, as discover a new resource for more coloring page images. I’d make sure to cite the author right on my lens, too. And one more thing: I probably wouldn’t use the full-size image on my lens, even if I cite it and link to it correctly.

A great rule of thumb for ‘quoting’ images is to use a smaller version, like a thumbnail, and point to the original source for the real deal. That’s an unimpeachable way to add coloring page content to your lenses. This makes for a great lens and gives you a click out from a satisfied reader. (A small step towards improving your Lensrank, no less!)

Don’t »

Now here’s an example of a wrong way to link to someone else’s coloring page. See this link (I left it long so you can see the structure of the link). http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5172/5477042936_1f7a2dac97_b.jpg.

If I were to use this link on my lens, clicking on the coloring page image on my lens would take me to a webpage with just that image. There’s no information on who created the image, no context. The word “Static” in the URL is a good hint that it’s not the right link.

When you post other people’s content, whether it’s images, text, video, audio or something else, it’s important that the creator gets credit for it, both as an explicit mention on your lens and as a good healthy link to the right place that shows the content in its native context. Otherwise, you may be infringing on their copyright in addition to violating Squidoo policy. This is especially applicable with coloring page lenses as they are often copyrighted characters from movies, television or games.

It’s important to tread carefully when using copyrighted content, and coloring page images are no exception. If you follow the guidelines above, if you remember to point to content instead of ‘take it’ and pass it off as your own, and if you balance the page in favor of your own content, you should be in a good place with your lens.

A final note on printable coloring page lenses. There are a lot up on Squidoo right now. Many are great, some are breaking some of the fundamentals outlined above. Some have been warned and will be coming down if they don’t improve. I hope this post will help anyone who is currently running coloring page lenses, or any image-heavy lenses, to avoid getting the lenses unpublished!

Image Credit: http://dirtyprettything.tumblr.com/page/43#222648470