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On the Scratch Wiki, custom signatures are user-created signatures that are used in lieu of the default signature. Custom signatures are allowed but are subject to rules which govern their format. Custom signatures also replace the scratchsig (<scratchsig></scratchsig>) tags.
If a custom signature causes formatting issues, does not display correctly, or looks substantially different from a standard signature, it should not be used; consider using the default signature instead.
Creating Custom Signatures
 Warning: | Your signature sub-page must contain only your signature. Adding additional elements, such as line breaks or noinclude tags, may disrupt the formatting on pages where your signature is used. |
Create a sub-page to place your custom signature in. To preserve clear user identification and protect page formatting, the following additional rules apply to all custom signatures:
- It must contain a profile picture on the leftmost part of the signature and link to your own userpage, talk page, and contributions.
- The profile picture must be a 18×18 or 20×20 pixel square.
- The signature must not distract the eye from the message it's attached to. For example, this means:
- Animated GIF profile pictures that are overly flashy are not allowed. If in doubt, use a still image.
- Background colors, excessively bright foreground colors, other images, and excessively bold borders are not allowed.
- Users wishing to specify how to refer to them, including by listing preferred (first) names and/or pronouns, may do so as long as it is consistent with other rules (especially non-distraction and the eight-colon test).
- Links must be self-explanatory (ex. A link that says "talk" must link to a talk page, nothing else).
- Preferred names may also be used as the text of the link to the user's user page instead of their username.
- Nothing unrelated to the Wiki may be added (e.g. a link to your Scratch page is allowed, but not a link to your latest Scratch project, a quote, etc.).
- Signatures must occupy one standalone line only; there should not be any formatting that cuts to other lines, such as offset text shadows.
- All components of the signature must be clearly readable.
- The signature must pass the "eight-colon test":
- Go to the Wiki sandbox (or your sandbox) and add
::::::::~~~~on its own line to render your signature, with timestamp, at eight indent levels. - If, after saving or previewing, your custom signature occupies more than one line when using the ScratchWikiSkin2 skin, it is too long.
- Go to the Wiki sandbox (or your sandbox) and add
- The signature must not affect the automatically-generated timestamp it precedes.
Best Method for Using Signatures
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If you want to make a signature that does not take up much room on wiki pages and are updated on each page as soon as you change it, you can use the method below.
- Create a custom signature page on your wiki profile. (Use something like User:USERNAME/signature)
- After designing and coding what you want your signature to look like, place the code on the newly created page.
 Tip: | Add a br tag (<br/>) before your code to ensure the signature formats correctly when used. |
- Create a second page on your wiki profile to miniaturize your signature. (Use something like User:USERNAME/minisig)
- Place this line of code on the newly created page: {{User:USERNAME/signature}} (Make sure that you use the same URL that you used for the first page.)
- Go into your user preferences page, and place this line of code in the line labeled "New Signature": {{User:USERNAME/minisig}} (Make sure this has the same URL as the second page you created.) "Treat signature as wikitext" should be checked.
- Save your changes and you will have an unobtrusive signature that you can use without worrying whether or not the signature is up to date on all your posts.
Maintaining Custom Signatures
Edits to one's custom signature must follow the same rules above and be done with caution, as changes are reflected concurrently across all pages the signature is placed on. Signatures formatted incorrectly may negatively impact the formatting of all pages the signature is placed on.
Administrators and Experienced Wikians regulate custom signatures to make sure they aren't breaking rules. Reminders will be given in this order:
- The admin or Experienced Wikian will remind the user to fix their custom signature on their talk page.
- Another reminder will be given to the user on their talk page.
- If the user still does not comply, they will be asked not to use their custom signature.
Your custom signature may be changed by an admin or an Experienced Wikian without permission if it breaks any of the rules above. If a signature breaks multiple guidelines, it will be changed to the default.
Example
This is an example of a custom signature for a generic user, using custom link colors and a link to a Scratch profile (for a user which does not exist):
User (talk | contributions | Scratch) 00:00, 1 January 2000 (UTC)
