Your Guide to School Yearbooks

This article was supplied by advancedlife | QLD Chapter Partner

School Yearbooks are more than just collections of photographs and names; they memorialise the essence of a school year, preserving memories that students and staff alike will cherish for years to come. These meticulously crafted volumes capture the highlights of academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and the evolving friendships that define each school community. From candid snapshots of everyday moments to formal portraits and heartfelt messages, yearbooks serve as nostalgic windows into the past, fostering a sense of pride and belonging among those who flip through their pages. Each Yearbook tells a unique story, celebrating the diversity and spirit of the school and creating lasting connections between its readers and their shared experiences.

To ensure your school Yearbook captures these priceless memories and includes everything your school is proud of, there are a few things you need to consider.

What type of Yearbook will I choose?

Perfect Bound Yearbook – Perfect bound books are our most popular choice for yearbooks. Perfect Binding simply means the pages and cover are glued together at the spine with a strong yet flexible PUR glue. This method ensures you receive a robust and sturdy book which will last for many years to come making it a perfect choice for school yearbooks.
Saddle Stitch Yearbook – Saddle stitch books are a perfect budget friendly solution for small run books with less than 60 pages. This book is perfect for Year 6 yearbooks or for smaller runs when cost is a priority.
Hard Cover Yearbook – Hardcover bound books are renowned for their durability and sophisticated appearance. These books are not the most popular choice however if budget is not an issue and you are after a high-quality product this is a great option for you.

Digital Yearbook

Digital yearbooks represent a modern twist on the traditional printed version, offering a dynamic and interactive experience for students and families. We provide the digital files ready for you to place on your school’s website so you have control over who can access and for how long you make the file available. Users can browse through pages filled with photographs, stories, and memories from their school year. They provide a convenient way for schools to distribute and archive memories, catering to a tech-savvy generation accustomed to digital platforms. Many schools opt to have a hard copy yearbook as well as a digital yearbook to cater for all their community’s needs.

Choosing the Right Stock and Finish

The type of paper stock used significantly impacts the overall feel and quality of your yearbook. Our suggested choice for your Yearbook is a matt/silk paper stock. Matt paper provides a smooth, non-reflective surface, giving a classic and elegant look. It is suitable for all types of Yearbooks and is often chosen for its readability and high quality. It can also minimise fingerprints and smudges which is ideal for Yearbooks that are looked at many times over the years!

 We also offer the option of adding a Gloss or Matt Celloglaze to the cover of your Yearbook. While the standard finish is perfect on its own, the celloglaze or laminate film can improve your school Yearbook by:

Enhancing Durability: Celloglaze adds a protective layer that improves the durability of printed materials, making them more resistant to scratches, tears, and moisture.
Aesthetic Appeal: It enhances the visual appeal of printed items by adding a glossy or matte finish, depending on the desired effect. Glossy celloglaze provides a shiny, reflective surface, while matte celloglaze offers a more subdued, non-reflective appearance.
Improved Print Quality: It can enhance the vibrancy and richness of colours in printed images and text, giving them a more polished and professional look.

For those of you that really want to make your book stand out try adding Spot UV Varnish to your cover. Spot UV varnish is a special type of coating applied to printed materials to create areas of shiny, glossy highlights or accents. It adds contrast and visual interest by creating areas of gloss against a matt background. This technique can highlight logos, text, images, or other design elements, making them stand out and catch the eye. We apply the Spot UV varnish over the matt celloglazed cover. This option provides a premium high-end finish to your school Yearbook.

The Process

To make your Yearbook a success planning your project ahead of time is crucial. Talk to the advancedlife team about your Yearbook requirements. Do you want advancedlife to handle your yearbook from start to finish including both design and print or perhaps you just want us to print it for you? Making your decision at least 9 months before your books are due to be completed is perfect. If you decide to do the design yourself our team can suggest a suitable online platform or program that works for you. We can also give pointers on how to get the best results and save your work for final output to our printers.

 Here is a general timeline to ensure your Yearbooks are delivered on time:

Decide on a Design
Choose from one of our templates (primary school or high school) or provide a brief for a custom design. If you would like us to design something similar to your previous yearbook, you can provide a sample of this for us to reference while we build your new yearbook. All of our templates can be customised to your school colours and needs.
Create a Timeline
Confirm a delivery date for your books to arrive at your school for distribution. We can then work out a date for receiving content from you, proofing and receiving final sign off. Sticking to these dates will ensure your yearbooks are completed on schedule.
Approve Design
Once we have received your design brief, we will put together a base design to get your project started. We will provide a proof of this design for you to approve prior to supplying your content.
Collect Content
Form a dedicated yearbook team with assigned roles such as editors, photographers, writers, and designers. Ensure everyone understands their responsibilities and communicates effectively. Collect a wide range of content throughout the school year, including candid photos, formal portraits, event coverage, student artwork, and written submissions such as quotes, memories, and achievements. Make a list of the reports/sections you require in your Yearbook and compile a list in the order you wish to appear. If you would like a set number of pages for each section list the page numbers on this list. We recommend using Microsoft Excel for this. Create or request a Sharepoint, OneDrive or Google Drive folder that you will use to collect and store your yearbook content in. Name the folders Section 01, Section 02 etc. Start collecting content for your yearbook and place into folders. Within each labelled folder you should have all text in a word document and all images as separate JPEG files. Please make sure you proofread all text and make any corrections required before supplying to us to place in your book as this can cause delays later in the process. 
Layout and Proofing
Generally, we allow 4-6 weeks for design set up, proofing and final sign off. Once your content is supplied, our team will work on a complete first draft based on the template or design concept you have requested. Once complete, advancedlife will supply a PDF proof for you to review, so you can advise us of any changes we need to make to layout, design and content. Once changes are finalised a final proof will be sent to you to confirm all changes have been made and you are happy for us to print your yearbook. Our team will then begin the production process.
Printing and Delivery
Most jobs will take 3-4 weeks from proof sign-off to final books being received. We will keep you up to date during this time and let you know when your Yearbooks are due to arrive at your school.

Creating a memorable Yearbook is advancedlife‘s specialty. Talk to the advancedlife team today about your school Yearbook project and how we can make your next yearbook, the best on yet! Contact our team at print@advancedlife.com.au or request a quote today.

Are you ready to create your school yearbook?

Simply click on the button below and provide some details for your book and we will organise a quote and get in touch to discuss your school yearbook requirements further. When you request a quote using the button below you are automatically entered into our Win a Yearbook Competition.

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