There are a number of steps you can take to make your yearbook layout process smooth and efficient. We recommend:
- Fill out the page ladder in your kit to organize the order that your book is going to be laid out. You can start preparing the pages by placing backgrounds, clipart and text on the pages you intend to flow the students on.
- Make sure you have pictures for each class, club, sport, and organization that you want to dedicate space to in your yearbook. It’s always good to have an activity or a group shot of each class so you can decorate your page with diverse images.
- Make sure you have extra activity shots and field trip pictures for your montage pages.
- To keep a book interesting, you will find that you create montage pages to end a section or fill pages in the yearbook
- Get your hands on a few old yearbooks. They could be from a previous year at your school or yearbooks from other schools in the area. This will give you some ideas and will provide a loose guide to follow while laying out your yearbook.
- If you have extra pictures and you don’t know if you can use them or where to place them, consider these pictures for your montage pages. You’d be surprised what you can come up with!
- Organize all your pictures in a structured manner. Create a master yearbook folder on your desktop, then create folders within that master folder for each page in your book. As you collect images, store them in the appropriate folder. Then, when you’re ready to upload your pictures, they’ll fall right into place.
- Most importantly, make sure you receive and check your Student Directory! The sooner the Student Directory is corrected, the sooner you can start laying out the most important part of the book- your students!