Yearbook Design - Everything You Wanted to Know and More

1. In order to create a great cohesive yearbook pick a few designs and colors and alternate between them in your book. This is a great way to distinguish between sections in your book as well.

2. Get design ideas from anything that inspires you. Pay attention to magazine layouts, advertisements, restaurant menus, etc. Almost any style of layout can be incorporated into making a modern style yearbook.

3. Draw your layouts by hand before designing on the computer. This allows you the freedom to doodle and experiment with ideas and concepts without spending time perfecting details using software.

4. Always plan your page around a dominant photograph. This picture should be the largest element on the page and should draw the readers immediate attention. This picture should help convey the theme of the page and make the reader want to read more. When designing the dominant element is usually the second element added after an eyeline is created.

5. To make sure your page is visually enticing to readers, start designing with an eyeline. This should be a horizontal line that is a little above or below the center of the page that extends the whole width of the page. This line can be physically drawn as part of the elements on the page, or just created by all of the other elements on the page. If an element crosses the eyeline, make sure that the line continues on either end.

6. Your pages will look more uniform if you keep the spacing between all of your pictures the same. Usually in yearbooks the space between elements on a page equals 1 pica which is 1/6 of an inch.

7. Watch which direction the subjects in your photos are facing. It’s always best to have your pictures “looking” in toward the center of the page or spread. This draws the eye back onto the page instead of tempting the reader to turn the page.

8. When your books are printed we print them on large pieces of paper and trim them to the proper size so that we can bleed elements and photos all the way to the end of the page. Please take advantage of this and design to the very edge of the page, but keep all small text at least 1/4 inch away from the outside and center edges so they don’t get lost in the trim.

9. The center of the book where the pages meet is called the gutter. While designing it’s great to place pictures and large headlines over the gutter, but make sure that when you place a photo that no one’s face or important element in the photo falls directly inside the gutter. It may be lost in the middle of the pages.

10. Experiment with typography in your headlines and quotes on your pages. Using consistent yet stylish headlines can alter the whole look of your book and make it look more modern and professional.

Please contact Entourage Yearbooks at www.entourageyearbooks.com if you would like to speak to a graphic designer about how to incorporate any of these ideas or others into your book!

1. Put The Sun Behind You: To make sure your subject is well lit the ideal situation is with your light source behind you and slightly off to one side. This will make sure your subject is bright, but has enough shadows for texture and depth.

2. Get Closer: Great yearbook photos are close to the action without a lot of distractions. You don’t need to see a million backpacks walking down the hall, zoom in close on your subject and let your viewer know what you want them to see in the picture.

3. Horizontal or Vertical?: Don’t get caught always holding the camera the same direction. Many tall objects look better in vertical pictures. These pictures also add a lot of diversity to the design of your yearbook.

4. Add Depth: Pictures are no fun when they look fl at. Give your viewers perspective by giving reference points. For example if you are taking a picture of something in the distance, add a person or object in the foreground as well.

5. Don’t always center everything: The beauty of an image is often in its proportions. A popular technique with artists is called the Rule of Thirds. Imagine the frame divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, like a Tic-Tac-Toe board. Now place your subject on one of the lines or intersections. Always centering your subject can get dull. Use the Rule of Thirds to add variety and interest.

6. Capture the details: Instead of always stepping back and including as much content as possible in your photos, take a step in and find the details that make the picture important. For example if you have a picture of a full Dogwood tree, and a picture of just a single flower with dew dripping off, the closer picture is going to make more of an impact.

7. Use a plain background: Take notice of what is behind your subject. A very busy background can be distracting in a photo. Also make sure there are no branches or other objects behind your subject that appear to be growing out of their head.

8. Use fl ash outdoors: Use the fl ash to lighten dark shadows that natural light can create on a subject, or to brighten up your picture on a cloudy day.

9. Get on the same level as your subject: Pictures taken at eye level with your subject will produce a much more personal result.

10. Set up your action shots: If you are shooting a sporting event, position yourself where the action will come to you. This means set yourself up with a great shot of a hurdle, right below the basket, or right beyond the end zone in order to capture that perfect action shot.