Archive Standards · Rev. 04

Screening Guidelines

Every submission to TailNumber passes through a technical screening review. These guidelines exist to keep the archive accurate, legible, and useful to spotters, researchers, and operators decades from now.

§ 01

Technical Quality

  • Minimum resolution of 1600 px on the long edge. JPEG, sRGB color space.
  • Sharp focus on the aircraft. Motion blur on props or rotors is acceptable when clearly intentional.
  • Exposure within ±1 EV of correct. No clipped highlights on the airframe.
  • Noise, banding, chromatic aberration, and heavy sensor dust will be rejected.
§ 02

Composition & Framing

  • Aircraft must be the dominant subject and fully contained within the frame.
  • Level horizon. Correct any tilt before submission — no Dutch angles unless the aircraft itself is banking.
  • Avoid heavy crops that remove wingtips, tail, or landing gear.
  • Obstructions (fences, antennas, jet bridges crossing the fuselage) should be minimized.
§ 03

Post-Processing

  • Natural color rendering. No oversaturated skies, HDR halos, or aggressive clarity sliders.
  • Dust spotting, sensor cleanup, and minor distraction removal are permitted.
  • Sky replacements, composited aircraft, and AI-generated content are not accepted.
  • Watermarks should be small, in a corner, and never cross the airframe.
§ 04

Metadata Accuracy

  • Registration must match the airframe shown, in the correct format (e.g. N123AB, G-EUOA, JA8089).
  • Aircraft type uses the manufacturer's designation (e.g. Boeing 737-800, Airbus A320-214).
  • Airline / operator reflects the livery on the aircraft, not the lessor.
  • Airport uses ICAO code where possible. Capture date must reflect when the photograph was taken.
§ 05

Safety & Legality

  • Photographs must be taken from publicly accessible areas or with operator permission.
  • No images that compromise airside security or reveal restricted infrastructure.
  • You must hold the rights to every image you upload.
  • Incident and accident imagery is reviewed individually and may be declined out of respect.

Review Process

Submissions are typically screened within 48 hours. Declined uploads include a short note referencing the guideline above so you can revise and resubmit.