5 purposes of a yearbook
Picture book: pictures of readers and their friends
History book: documenting the school year
Reference book: confirming students enrolled at the school, the spelling of names or scores of athletic events
Educational book: An educational opportunity for students who create it
Fun book: exciting for students to read and staff to produce
Cover
Creates a positive first impression and sets the stage for the story
Preset your theme concept as a slogan and visuals based on the tone or mood you want to develop
Signature
A yearbook is actually many little 16-page booklets, called signatures, bound into the cover
Each signature begins as a big sheet of paper with eight pages printed on each side, called a multiple
Endsheets
The heavy paper between the cover and the first and last pages are used to hold the signatures in the yearbook
Title Page
Usually the first page of the book
Important information about the school
Reflects the look of the theme
Opening Spread
Introduces the story of the year and explains the book concept
Divider
Dividing one section of the book from others, divider pages introduce the content to come
Provide continuity throughout the book
Folios
Page numbers have a visual element that ties to the theme
Sections
The departments or coverage areas of the book
Student life, academics, sports, organizations, people, community, and index
Closing Spread
Wraps up the theme much as a concluding paragraph summarizes the writing
Index
Provides an easy reference to the contents of the yearbook
Helps students locate themselves, friends, and sections
Primary Audience
Students
Secondary Audience
Staff and parents
What do people want to see in a yearbook?
Content that interests them
Photos of themselves and their friends
More photos than words
Text presented in a creative way
Must make a good first impression
White space
Negative space
White space: expanded
3-5 picas
used between modules; creates space that emphasizes and separates packages on the spread
White space: standard
1 pica
used between traditional stories, photos, and captions
White space: tight
1/2 pica
used for elements within sidebars and modules
draws photos or elements closer together, showing their connection
White space: planned v. unplanned
planned white space looks good
Pica
measurement
1 pica=1/6â
Alignment
no element should be placed on a spread at random
every element should line up with at least one other element, even if far apart
Rail
white space with consistent width
Gutter
two pages meet in the spine
Margin
all text needs to be within the margins
dominant photos can bleed into margin; others cannot
borders and stripes can bleed into the margins
Eyeline
horizontal rail that links the left and right page together in a unified space
each element near it must touch the eyeline
*Be able to identify the parts of the spread design in a diagram
Font sizes
Headline: 28 pt+
Subheadlines/Showcased facts: 14 pt+
Story/Body Copy: 10-12 pt
Captions/IDs: 7-9 pt
Caption DO
Do give the outcome of a play in sports captions. If you donât know it, try to find out. Players usually remember
Use quotes
Avoid using to-be verbs/passive voice in captions; use action verbs
Tell what is going on in the photo, not what you think happened
Be specific. Avoid using words like âmany,â âseveral,â and âfew.â Use numbers!
Use a style guide or grammar-check your work
Get emotional with your writing
Let the facts speak for themselves
Be original
Stick to the facts
Caption DONâT
Use the phrase, âpictured aboveâ or âshow here.â Captions should be placed next to their picturesâ Photo IDs can be used
Begin captions with the name of the person pictured
State the obvious
Use quotes that are âI likeâŚâ or âMy favorite partâŚâ statements
Overuse gerunds or present participles
Use the school name, mascot, school initials
Use the phrase âthis yearâ
Make predictions or speculate
State the irrelevant
Editiorialize
Caption construction
Give detail about what is happening
Include info about what went on just before the instant captured in the photo
Include the results of the action occurring in the photo
Include quotes if the thoughts on the subject are important and interesting
A lead in
Informational first sentence
A descriptive second sentence in the past tense
Optional quote as the last sentence
Direct quote
Comes straight from the person
Indirect quote
Paraphrased
Open-ended question
Describe what it was like whenâŚ
How did you feel whenâŚ
Why did youâŚ
What were you thinking whenâŚ
No one word answers!
Photo Techniques
Control the background
Fill the frame
Focus on the CVI
Leading lines
Repetition
Framing
Rule of thirds
Bird's eye view
Wormâs eye view
Selective photos
Know what these look like/how to describe them
Photo Cropping
Eliminating distractions
Getting closer to the action
Rule of thirds
Proportions
Storytelling