The Yearbook Blog

Yearbooks.biZ (that’s “biZ” not “com)is where you can find new ideas to keep your creative juices flowing. Just because this is our final card, doesn’t mean we don’t have more to share. At Yearbooks.biz you’ll find sample covers, endsheets, themes, spreads, divider pages, sales tips, writing lessons, and much more. Go ahead–take a look. Just tell everyone you’re doing “research.”

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “Z” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

No, thank you, we don’t need a tissue. x-height is a typography term referring to the height of the body of lowercase letters, not counting ascenders or descenders. Typically, this is the height of the letter x in the font (hence the name–now do you get it?), as well as the u, v, w, and z. Why is it important? When two typefaces are set in the same point size, one often looks bigger than the other. Why? Because bigger x-heights make a typeface appear larger. Differences in line weight and character width also affect the letters’ apparent scale. When choosing fonts for captions, by-lines and other smaller bodies of text, checking x-height can help with readablilty.

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “X” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

If you’ve been paying attention in math, you know it’s the horizontal axis on a graph. How is it relevant in Yearbook Land? Well, designing on a grid is basically using a graph. If you know the X axis of an element (what pica the bottom of the element rests on), you can line up other elements on the same line or equidistance away. It’s very handy when using internal margins less than a pica wide. Both Adobe InDesign and HJ eDesign have places to input the X (and Y) values for individual or multiple objects to ensure exact alignment.

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “X” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Pop Quiz! Can you name the 5 W’s? Do you know how to use them in copy and captions?

• Who is it about? Include first and last names and grade.
• What took place? For Captions, include what they were doing before, during and after the photo.
• When did this take place? Don’t include the year–we already know that!
• Where did it happen? Was it on campus/off campus? Although, you never have to say at “HJ High….” We know that, too!
• hoW did the events come about?

Remember that you use some, but not all, in the opening sentence of your copy and captions. Then, cover the rest in the remaining copy or in other captions on the spread.

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “W” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Granted, we trust you are all responsible and thoughtful students, but sometimes yearbook programs do things that just make you say, “What were they thinking?” Things like allowing student to put grisly hunting pictures in their senior ad or use a quote from Hitler for their personal statement. Some schools have even landed in the news for seemingly insignificant things, like the female senior in Florida who wanted to wear a tux for her senior portrait and the superintendent said no. All this leads to one point: have policies for your book to avoid controversy. A few suggestions:

• Dress code for senior portraits?
• How would the yearbook handle a student’s death in the middle of the year?
• What kinds of pictures can be used in a baby ad?
• How does the yearbook select the person for a dedication?

The more you have in writing, the less likely you’ll need to scramble for an answer when the situation arises.

We already told you why we don’t like orphans (if you forgot, just look at the O card). Now, we are delighted to tell you why we hate widows, too. What is a widow? It’s the last line of a paragraph that falls on the beginning of the next page or column, thus separated from the remainder of the text. The moral of the story: Don’t leave a sentence hangin’. Make sure it always has some company so it isn’t left stranded at the the top of the page all alone.

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “W” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

We all have one–although some of us have”American Idol” voices, and some of us have only-for-the-shower voices, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. Each yearbook, each theme, each body of copy has a voice/personality, too. And each year, the voice of your yearbook should be different from the year before. It should reflect the individual voices of students, teachers and administrators on campus as well as the voice of the yearbook staff. How do you do that? Follow these tips:

• Get more individual voices in the book by including more quotes
• Include profiles of people who have stories to tell, and let them tell their story in their own words
• Create secondary packages that are quote-based. For example, ask a question (What’s your best friend’s most annoying habit?) and print the 5 -7 best answers
• Run quotes along the bottom of your class pages to incorporate as many voices as possible

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “V” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

You know how sometimes you just don’t get it, and someone says, “Do I have to draw you a picture?” Well, sometimes a visual is a much more powerful form of communication. How does that translate in yearbook language? Easy! Try graphics to enhance your story.

• Create graphs to show comparisons (Number of students who use iPhone, Blackberry, flip phone, slider phone, etc.)
• Use large graphic numbers to show participation (Fall Play/Musical spread–number of actors, stage hands, set designers/builders, choreographers, musicians, lighting technicians, sound technicians, etc.)
• Make tables or grids for scoreboards instead of just lists

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “V” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Isn’t it funny how you can talk to your friends, text, IM, pass notes, and generally blab for days non-stop but then when you sit in front of a computer screen to write, you get brain freeze? Relax! Writing is just talking, um, written down. So have fun with your words and let the creativity flow during a class brainstorming session. Or have small group competitions for story ideas, headlines, and extended coverage that relate to your book’s theme. So, if the book is “Here’s Looking at You” try:

• Seeing is believing
• See what we mean?
• Worth a second glance
• A view from the top
• Looking good
• Now see this
• A sight to remember
• Visions of victory
• Stare down

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “V” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Tired of orange/yellow gym photos? Over/under exposed photos? Here are some tips to get your photos to shine in the perfect light!

• Automatic settings do not always give you the best exposure.
• Be aware of your light sources. Light behind the subject gives a dramatic silhouette effect while light to the side often gives long dramatic shadows.
• Use a minimum ISO of 200 for daylight shots and minimum 800 for evening or dimly light interior shots. Note: The higher the ISO, the more “grainy” the photo.
• The slower the shutter speed (1/60 of a second), the more exposed the shot or the less light necessary. The faster the shutter speed (1/500), the less exposed the shot and the more light needed.

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “U” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Yes, we know, YERDS and Advisers are very under appreciated, but there are other individuals on campus who deserve some appreciation, too — whether it’s a note, a gift card, or a nice acknowledgement at a staff meeting.

• The custodian (who cleans up the classroom after the pizza parties on your late work nights)
• The secretary (who answers a million and two questions about yearbook)
• The counseling department (who runs off all the class lists and always knows what class someone is in)
• The IT person (who answers all your panicked phone calls when the computers are whacky)
• The bank clerk (who collects all the money from book sales, ad sales, parent ad sales, and fundraisers AND pays your bills on time!)

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “U” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

How do you make this year’s yearbook unique from all the books of previous years? Use the following 5 brainstorming questions when developing your theme:

• What will be different about the year? (i.e. construction, new clothing requirements, new administration, etc.)
• What outside influences have affected the school? (economics, new boundaries, changing demographics, etc.)
• Describe your school using one adjective.
• Describe the people who attend your school in one word.
• What is the first thing you notice when coming on to campus?

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “U” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Not a laughing matter, but can result in a lot of smiles. Tweets, Tweeps and Retweets are the basis of communications on Twitter, the social network site second in popularity only to Facebook. If you are not using this powerful tool yet, here are three reasons to become a tweeter:

• Status updates of 140 character or less. No Farmville, Mafia Wars, or “What Shoe Are You?” news feeds to sort through (like that other site). Just the facts in every tweet (post).

• Thousands of professional designers, photographers and artists post tips, tricks and tutorials free for you to view and use as mini-lessons.

• Great way to communicate with other yearbook staffs, professional YERDS, and your school community about what your staff is currently working on, coming events, and yearbook sales.

• While you’re there, follow The Yearbook Ladies at Twitter.com/YearbookLadies

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “T” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

OK, we know today’s students were born with a computer mouse in their hands, but when it comes to school technology, you’re pretty limited due to necessary restrictions from the school district. That’s why establishing a positive relationship with your school and/or district IT person can make a HUGE difference in the success of your year. As soon as possible each August, contact the school or district IT person and discuss the following:

• Any newly installed firewalls
• Installation of all software necessary for page production (including fonts, Adobe Flash, and any supplementary program software)
• Permissions
• Yearbook server locations, accessibility and size

Then, remember to nurture this relationship throughout the year with a birthday card, a thank you note, or an offer to buy lunch. It’ll go a long way in keeping your computers glitch-free!

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “T” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

It’s the single page following the front endsheet, and it needs to convey some important information, both visually and verbally. Your theme graphics from the cover and front endsheets need to appear in some form on this page, and all of the following:

• Theme title

• Year of publication

• Yearbook name

• Volume number

• School name

• Complete address (street, city, state, zip)

• School telephone number

• School fax number

• E-mail and/or website address

• Enrollment

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “T” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Just because it is a sub head, it doesn’t mean that it is any less important than the main headline. Here are all the reasons why the sub headline can be the star of your copy package:

• They help to make the typography on your spread interesting.
• Gives further information as to what the copy will be about
• They can be fun to write, which makes them fun to read.

Here are some examples from some of our Showcase books (available on yearbooks.biz):

• Small Town Fun: So Much to Do, So Little Square Footage (Aberdeen HS, Washington)
• Seeing is Believing: Old Saint Nick Pays a Visit to Pleasant Grove (Pleasant Grove HS, Texas)
• Victory!: Competition or Not, Students Feel Like Winners (Robinson MS, Virginia)

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “S” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

We’re not talking about sandwich condiments, but yearbook spreads and how important it is to design in spreads. Even if you’ve only allotted one page per topic, you can improve the design of your book by combining both topics into one double-page spread. You can do this by

• one headline and copy package that covers both topics

• graphic elements that cross over both pages

• consistent color scheme

• picture packages that contain photos from both topics

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “S” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

Woohoo! It’s April and your book is done! Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the year. But wait? What about all the stuff that happens after April? If only there was a way to include that in your book, too. Well, you can… with a Spring Supplement! You can include…

• Spring Sports scoreboards or even Spring Sports!
• Senior Trips
• Spring field trips
• PROM! (That’s right, I said, “PROM!”)

And since it only takes 2 weeks to get your supplement back from Herff Jones, you can pretty much include everything!

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “S” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

(Pronounced pie-ka) It’s the measurement of all those little squares on your layout grids. One pica has 12 points in it. Pica measurements are represented like this: “5p6” (or “5 picas and 6 points” or “5 1/2 picas”). But what IS a pica? According to Dictionary.com, a pica is…

• “A printer’s unit of type size, equal to 12 points or about 1/6 of an inch.”

• “An equivalent unit of composition measurement used in determining the dimensions of lines, illustrations, or printed pages.”

• “A type size for typewriters, providing ten characters to the inch.”

• “An abnormal craving or appetite for nonfood substances, such as dirt, paint, or clay.”**

(**Okay, that last one has nothing to do with yearbooks, but thought you might want to know!)

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “P” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…

A picture is worth 1,000 words…but only if it captures a moment, contains action/emotion, and is cropped correctly. So, remember the “ABCs of Photography” when shooting/choosing photos:

• Angle - A view from above or below provides a stronger center of interest or different perspective than a straight-on shot, while a wide angle or fish-eye lens can create a dramatic effect.
• Balance - It’s all about the rule of thirds. This is achieved when the center of interest lands in the upper, lower, left or right third of the photo.
• Candid - Great photographs tell a story, whether through physical action or at the peak of emotion. Avoid shots of students smiling or waving to the camera.

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “P” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

We’d love to hear from you! Share your questions, comments, and ideas below…