Yearbook Vocabulary (A-Z)

Alternative Coverage

Coverage that allows yearbook staffs to tell their students' stories in multiple ways. Can include surveys, Q&A, top ten, quizzes and charts.

Angle

The overall approach to a story, as opposed to a one-sentence statement or thesis.

Ascenders

Letters that rise above the baseline of type

Baseline

An imaginary rule where lines of text sit

Bleed

When an element or picture is taken past the external margin on the page, extending off the page.

Body Copy

The text of the story on the page.

bold

A typeface with thicker strokes than regular. Is used for emphasis to make certain words and phrases stand out from surrounding text and is often used for caption lead-ins.

candid

an activity photo in which the subjects are informal, spontaneous and un-posed.

caption

the text that explains the who, what, when, where, why and how of a photo.

Clip Art

Artwork that is used to enhance the yearbook page or cover.

Closing

The last few pages of the yearbook, typically where the yearbook staff shares the final reinforcing message about the theme of the yearbook.

Colophon

An inscription page found at the end of a yearbook listing details that pertain to print specifications of the book.

Color Print

a photograph in full color

Column rule

Tool line used to separate columns of type or other elements.

Contrast

Vertical separations on a spread that allow the designer to know where to place elements.

Copy

Text in a book

Copyright

The exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, or video.

Copyright infringement

The use of material without first obtaining permission from the owner.

Cover

Thick cardboard (binder board) covered with printed or silk-screened materials that protects the pages. Usually includes the first representation of the theme or concept, as well as the name of the book, the name of the school and the year.

Coverage

Topics that will be featured on individual spreads as well as how the topics will be highlighted.

Crop

To eliminate (opaque, mask, cut or trim) portions of an illustration or photo to fit a specific area or to capture only a portion of the photo on a yearbook page.

Custom Template

Original page template created by the school.

Deadline

Date when something is due (i.e., covers, stories, layouts).

Descenders

Letters that fall below the baseline

Depth of field

A process that isolates your subject. Less of this is great for one to three subjects. More of this is suggested for establishing or group photos.

display or decorative type

Type sized to 14 point and above.

Divider

A single page or double page spread used to separate each section of the yearbook. Most staffs try to reinforce the theme

Dominant photo

Photo that is two to two-and-a- half times larger than any other picture.

Dots per Inch (DPI)

Measurement scale for resolution of output devices such as monitors, laser printers and image setters. The more of this the device is able to print per inch, the better reproduction to the original.

Double page spread

The left and right side pages of a yearbook that are visible at one time

Duotone

Process whereby an original black and white picture is printed in black, plus one additional color for a special effect.

Endsheet

Heavy sheet of paper that attaches the book to the cover. These can be printed or left blank.

Exposure

The amount of light collected by the sensor in a camera during a single picture.

Eyeline

To link a spread, this is established across the spread above or below the center to give movement to the reader's eye. Elements are hung or set on the one-pica line.

Fair use

A ruling in the court that would allow you to use material that is copyrighted by someone else without paying royalties.

Focus

The sharpness of the subject.

Folio/folio tab

The page number or page numbers and page identifications in a printed book, usually placed to the outside.

Font

A complete set of type characters or typeface in a family, used consistently within a section.

Framing

Surrounding the subject by other objects such as people or things to shift the focus to the subject.

Ghosted Photos

Photos with an overall light appearance so that words or autographs can be printed over them and still be readable.

Gutter

Crease in the center of the book between two pages. Usually one pica on each side.

Halftone

Reproduction of a continuous-tone image made by a screen pattern to convert a color image into various size dots to create a reproducible one-color image. This is easily seen if you look at a printed photo with a magnifying glass.

Headline

The large text that introduces the story on the page.

Hex Color Code

An alternative to RGB colors, it uses a hexadecimal to describes a specific color. The first value pair refers to red, the second to green and the third to blue, (#RRGGBB). It uses sixteen distinct symbols, most often the symbols "0"-"9" to represent values zero to nine, and "A"-"F" to represent values ten to fifteen.

Hue

Each primary color (red, yellow, blue), secondary color (violet, orange, green) and tertiary color (red orange, yellow green, blue violet or blue green, yellow, orange and red violet) at its full saturation.

Index

A complete alphabetical listing, along with corresponding page numbers, of all students, teachers and administrators featured in the yearbook.

Internal margins

Spacing between columns on a spread. A one pica separation between elements is most common. Other separations may exist but should be part of an overall plan.

Job Number

The item assigned by the publishing company to the school. This item must appear on every piece of artwork or photograph submitted to the plant to be scanned.

JPEG

Most common file format used in digital photography. When the image is saved, data the human eye probably won't see is removed. This is called compressing the file.

Kerning

Adjusting the letter spacing between pairs of letters in type.

Ladder Diagram

The overall map that shows the placement of every layout in the yearbook. The more complete and detailed a this is, the easier it is to complete the book.

Lead in

The sentence or paragraph that catches the attention of the reader; the first few words of a caption, usually emphasized in some way, such as all caps.

Leading

The amount of white space between lines of text. The standard of this is the point size multiplied by 1.2.

Libel

A published or broadcast false and defamatory statement that damages an individual's reputation.

Low resolution

A scale of measurement that applies to the size needed to print and enlarge graphics and images.

Margins

The border that creates a frame around a spread. Consistent of these should be established on each page.

Marketing

The business activity of presenting products or services in such a way as to make them desirable.

Mega Pixel

The unit of measure (small dots) in the digital world for cameras. The number of these is directly related to the size the digital image can be enlarged to. The more of these, the larger the image size can be printed.

Nosie

The digital equivalent of film grain. It shows up as small colored blotches, usually in the darker areas of an image. It is often overlooked, but becomes noticeable in enlargements.

Opening

The first few pages of the book, where the yearbook staff typically reinforces the theme introduced on the cover for the first time.

Package (or module)

a sidebar grouping of pictures and copy that are on the same topic and relate to the page

Photo Journalism

Telling the story with photos

Pica

A unit of measurement used in yearbook production. Six of these = one inch.

Pica Separation

The most common separation between elements.

Pixel

A very small unit of measurement in capturing digital images and displaying digital images.

Proof

A printed version of a spread that is used for editing and making corrections.

Pulled color

CMYK (cyan/magenta/yellow/black) color that is matched from a color photo. This provides a more unified look on color pages, because it blends colors already within the photographs.

Resolution

The measure of the number of pixels in an image. Higher of this gives you more detail and the ability to enlarge the image without losing quality. In order to print high quality images, you will need photos with a high this.

Reverse

Type appearing in white (color of the paper) on a black or color background, or in a dark area of a photograph.

RGB

Color file format meaning Red, Green, Blue.

Rule

A straight line rendered in solid color. The weight or thickness of the line is measured in points.

Section

Used as a way to organize the yearbook for the staff and the reading audience. Typical yearbook include Student Life, Academics, Organizations, People, Sports and Ads.

Sidebar

Includes special features, packages, picture bars, etc. that add to a page. Can be along the top, bottom, or side.

Signature

Sixteen pages that are printed on both sides of one press sheet on an offset press.

Smythe Sewn binding

A binding method where 16 pages are printed on one sheet of paper, then folded and ultimately sewn together with other signatures to build a complete book.

Spin-offs

Phrases and logos that come from the theme concept and are used for each section of the book.

Spot Color

One color that is printed on a page, usually a black and white page for emphasis.

Spread

Two facing pages in a publication. It should take into account what the eyes see on the two facing pages versus single pages, printed side-by-side.

Subhead

A minor headline that gives the reader more information about the story.

Table of Contents

A listing of the page numbers for the sections of the yearbook, including opening, closing, divider pages and index.

Theme

A verbal statement and a visual look that bring all parts of the yearbook together. It should exemplify your student body, school and your year.

Tint

White added to any of the primary, secondary or tertiary colors to result in lighter values.

Title Page

First page of the yearbook that includes name and address of the school, yearbook name, volume number and year. It could also include the URL of the school's Web site and telephone number.

Transition

Comparison of the thickest stroke of a letter to the thinnest.

Weights

The stroke of the type such as light, medium and bold. Book or Roman are traditionally used for text. Light and bold are best used for contrast in display type.

White Balance

A function on the camera that compensates for different colors of light being emitted by various light sources.

Width Rule

When copy gets too wide, readability drops off. Copy should be no wider than an alphabet-and-a-half, or 39 characters.

X-height

The height of the main body of the lowercase letters.