Taylor Publishing : Education : Yearbook FAQs : Planning the Book

There are various ways of organizing the yearbook, but three are most common - sectional, chronological and seasonal. Here's an overview of the three formats:

Sectional Pages are organized by traditional sections (opening, student life, clubs/organizations, sports, people, ads, index, closing, etc.). This is the conventional and most common organizational method.

Chronological Pages are organized in a timely format by the order in which things happen. You can organize events by day, month or semester. For example, football and baseball would be in different areas of the book since one sport takes place in the fall/winter and the other in the spring. When using this format, clubs/organizations would most logically be placed according to when their events happen in the year. There could be and may be multiple coverage if some clubs are involved in several activities/events throughout the year. Class pictures still get their own section.

Seasonal Pages are organized much like the chronological format only they're placed by seasons (summer, fall, winter, spring) instead of by months or semesters. Events, sports, etc. would be covered and placed in the book according to the season in which they occur.

Not many schools use the chronological or seasonal approach, but more might do well to consider them. Since the yearbook is a history book, it makes sense to cover events in the sequence they occurred. Deadline organization is easy since you simply work your way through the book. And it's easy to submit pages by flat or signature since pages produced are sequential. (The terms flat and signature refer to the sixteen-page printing sheets on which yearbook pages fall.)

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How do I determine how many pages to allocate for each topic?

Let's start with some basic pre-planning. First decide what will be covered in the book. Critique last year's book to help decide on this year's coverage. Use this to decide if there was enough coverage for student life, sports and organizations. Ask students for their critique and look at other schools' yearbooks to see how they compare.

There's no perfect answer, but here are some broad guidelines for page allocation to consider. The percentages are estimations and don't include the opening, closing, division pages, ads or index pages.

	Student Life 18-25%
	Sports 18-20%
	Academics 8-12%
	Organizations 8-12%
	People 20-25%

You'll refine these percentages into real pages later when you prepare your ladder diagram.

What role do deadlines play in the production of my yearbook?

Deadlines are dates agreed by the adviser and Taylor when a specified number of pages must be received in the plant. Note: Deadline dates do not refer to a postmark date. The pages must be in the plant on the deadline date.

Most books are divided into three to five deadlines. These deadlines are staggered to allow the publisher and staff time to produce the yearbook economically and effectively.

Your deadlines are based on:

•	The size of your book (number of pages)
•	Your needed delivery date
•	Number of color pages
•	Seasonal delivery requirements (spring or summer/fall)

What if we miss a deadline?

If a deadline to the publisher is missed, it can easily result in a production delay that affects the delivery of the book. Color page prices include a significant discount for meeting the deadline. If missed, the additional cost can really hurt your budget. So don't let the staff take these or any deadlines lightly. Stress from the beginning that delivery of the book depends on meeting deadlines.

If you're going to have a problem meeting a deadline, contact your representative as soon as possible. He or she may have some ways that will lessen the impact. However, a deadline missed by more than a week may be difficult to remedy.

How many deadlines should we plan for and how many pages should be in each deadline?

This depends primarily on the number of pages in your book. Most schools have between three and five deadlines; typically three deadlines for smaller books without color pages, four deadlines for most yearbook staffs, especially if color is involved. Larger or more complex books with color pages will have five deadlines. Your representative will use a deadline planner to help you establish your deadlines dates.

Here are the standard number of deadlines needed by book size:

Number of Pages	Number of Deadlines
1-64	1
68-90	2
124-192	3
196-576	4
580 +	5

As a general rule, plan about an equal share of pages for each deadline. However, it's always best to submit a higher percentage of pages on earlier deadlines. That way more of your book's signatures can be printed well ahead of the book's delivery. If you send too many pages on your last deadline and then a problem arises, Taylor has limited flexibility in helping you meet your scheduled delivery date. So submit as many pages as you can early in the season, and always submit pages that complete a printing signature.

What's a ladder diagram?

The ladder is a form used to plan the pages and sections of your yearbook. Display this ladder in the yearbook room for staff members to view. Every page is listed. You add a description of what will be on each page, its deadline and whether the page is four-color, black-and-white or spot color. Careful planning of what goes on each page and in each signature helps you meet deadlines. But, to use the ladder diagram correctly, you need to understand signatures and flats. See also Taylor’s SAM curriculum for more information on this topic.

Click here for information on SAM.

What are signatures and flats?

Yearbooks are printed in sections of 16 sequential pages known as signatures. Each signature is actually a large sheet of paper that includes eight pages on the front and on the back. Each side of a signature is called a flat.

Signatures hold 16 pages. Each side, called a "flat," has eight pages. Only when all pages for a signature are complete can those pages be printed. Left, a pressman pulls a signature off the printing press for inspection.

These press sheets are run through the printing press once for one flat of eight pages, then the stack is turned over and the back flat is printed. When folded, the sixteen pages will be in order.

So, as you plan your book's pages and deadlines, realize that no page can be printed unless all the pages that share its signature are also ready to be printed. That's one reason your ladder diagram is organized by signatures (pages 1-16, 17-32, etc.) and why you are encouraged (often required) to submit page deadlines by signatures.

If you must send in a partial signature, be sure to send in the remaining pages for that signature as soon as possible. This helps keep your book on schedule, maintains consistency in page preparation and ensures ample press time. See also Taylor’s SAM curriculum for more information on this topic.

Click here for information on SAM.

How do I use the ladder diagram?

The ladder diagram is organized by signatures. Each space represents a page and each horizontal pair of spaces represents a double-page spread. There are alternating light spaces and dark spaces. These represent the two flats.

To use the ladder, simply write each page description in its space. Since you'll probably have to make adjustments, use a pencil. Include as much or as little detail as you like, but be sure to mark where color pages fall. It may also be beneficial to color code page descriptions according to who is responsible for each page. Otherwise, it may help to include a separate detailed sheet of this information near the ladder diagram.

You can use highlighter colors to indicate deadlines or pages that have been completed. Remember that the ladder is divided by signature, so it's easy to tell when signatures have been completed. That's important because no page can be printed until all pages on a signature are submitted. For that reason, always send your pages in complete signatures..

On my ladder diagram one space says "Natural Double Page Spread." What does that mean?

Any two facing pages in a yearbook are called a double-page spread (DPS). Layouts are designed using both pages of each DPS.

In each 16-page signature only two pages (one DPS) will actually be printed side-by-side. These two pages fall in the center of each signature (such as pages 8-9 of the first signature and pages 24-25 of the second signature and so on). These are called natural double-page spreads. Natural spreads are the best places for elements that bleed across the gutter. A gutter-bleed (also called a gutter-truck) is when elements such as a picture extend through the gutter (middle of the DPS) or off the edge of the page. Since the two pages are printed together, the gutter-bleed element always remains intact. On other pages, the element is split in two for printing, but comes back together when the signature is folded.

On spreads that cross signature splits (16-17, 32-33, etc.) avoid gutter-bleeds entirely, since the items are not likely to line up with a high degree of accuracy.

How can we note deadlines clearly on the ladder diagram?

Consider color coding your ladder. Use highlight markers in different colors to identify pages by deadline. Use a black marker or decorative stickers for pages completed and submitted. Be creative with this; when the staff can clearly see and track their progress, they'll be more motivated.

Can I extend (bleed) elements off the outside of my pages?

Sure, except for type. Always keep type at least two picas from the edge of the page and the gutter. If you use PageMaker or QuarkXPress, be sure any bleed element extends off the page by at least one pica.

How can we print color in our yearbook?

There are two kinds of color printing to consider: spot color and four color.

Spot color is generally a combination of process mixes. It's often used for background colors and to emphasize certain page elements. A wide selection of spot colors are inventoried by Taylor, and even more colors can be custom-ordered. Spot-color costs are relatively low provided you follow the guidelines and deadlines outlined in Taylor's spot-color programs. Your representative can help provide this information.

Four color is the way "photo-realistic" color is achieved. Four printing inks, called process colors, are used -- cyan, magenta, yellow and black. During the scanning process, images are electronically "separated" into each of these colors to make four sets of plates from which printing plates are made. All four colors are then printed at one time on a four-color printing press. It's a complex and exacting process, and that's why four color costs more.

What are PMS colors?

PMS stands for Pantone™ Color Matching System. It's a widely-used standard for spot-color printing inks. There are thousands of PMS inks and Taylor makes a selection of these spot color inks available at an affordable cost. Your Taylor representative will be happy to show you the current selection of spot color inks. If you don't find the specific color you're looking for, Taylor can special order PMS inks for you at an additional cost.

Why are color deadlines so early?

With the obvious exception of all-color publications, color pages are usually submitted on the first deadline and must be sent in complete flats or signature form. The color printing process is complicated and expensive, so these pages must be sent in earlier than most other pages. Even if yours is an all-color yearbook, completing printing signatures as early in the year as possible is critical to ensuring the production of your book runs smoothly.

Color pages should be planned to print as a single press run. In other words, all the color pages should fall on the same eight-page flat or 16-page signature. Taylor offers special color packages with reduced pricing if early deadlines and submission guidelines are met. Be sure you understand these guidelines completely before submitting color pages.

We want to use color only on our division pages, but they're spread out all over the book. Is there an economical way to do this?

Not really. Essentially, it requires that you purchase an eight-page flat of color for each division page. That means for each color page you'll pay for seven more pages of color no one will ever see. Unless you have the money to spend, your best bet is to use screens of black to create tonality.

Is there any way to do pages that fold-out from the center?

Yes. Taylor offers color pricing for an eight-page mini-sig gatefold. The pages use the letters A through H. Pages A/B and G/H will be the outside pages, and the inside spreads will be C/D and E/F.

You can use gatefolds for large group pictures, photos of sports teams, aerial photos of the school and other large-format pictures. You can print on all eight pages or just the inside four. As with other mini-sigs, gatefolds can be placed only between signatures. They cannot be placed into soft-bound (saddle-stitched) books.

What pages should we send in for our first deadline?

Actually, whatever you have ready. If you have any color pages, send those first. You probably have an early deadline for these and that's because color pages are more time-consuming to produce.

Besides color, focus on pages that don't depend on school year coverage. Division pages are good candidates. They usually share the same basic design so they can be completed early. By sending them all together, they'll be worked on at the same time, and that will help ensure consistency. The title page is also an easy page to complete early.

Some advisers like to turn in the ad section early, but others disagree. They want students to sell ads as long as possible, and they want to be sure they won't have to add or subtract pages which would affect the ad page numbers.

Above all, send pages in a manner that completes signatures. Taylor cannot print any page unless all the pages that share its signature are also ready to be printed. Remember, your ladder diagram is divided into printing signatures so it's easy to tell which pages need attention.

What do we do about unexpected events if all our page space has been allocated on the ladder?

It's a good idea to have a few spaces on the ladder diagram with expendable content. That way if a big story happens you can slip in the new story without affecting important content. An alternative is to create a tip-in. In that case, contact your representative for instructions.

Our deadlines seem so large and overwhelming. How can we make these more manageable?

Since yearbook production is an ongoing process, you will usually prepare for two or more deadlines at the same time. Mini-deadlines help you manage the load.

Mini-deadlines can be created by dividing each primary deadline into smaller, manageable parts. Work backward from the actual (in-plant) deadline date to set mini-deadlines for the staff. Consider the following breakdown:

•	Draw rough-draft layouts.
•	Fill out the work order for picture assignments.
•	Gather information and write stories.
•	Write the headline(s).
•	Crop pictures and put labels on the backs or scan pictures, whichever is applicable.
•	Write captions for pictures.
•	Transfer layouts to the computer.
•	Complete the final draft of all copy using attached copy forms or print-outs. Never send handwritten copy.
•	Proofread carefully. Have at least three sets of eyes review each page.

Give each yearbook staffer his/her deadline pages in writing as soon as mini-deadlines are established. Pencil in the initials of the responsible person for each page on the ladder.

How can I improve the chance my staffers will turn pages in on time?

To reduce deadline stress for you, set staff deadlines several days to a week ahead of the actual publisher's deadline. This allows enough time for proofing and making corrections. Don't underestimate the time you'll need to fix unexpected problems found in final proofing. Reprinting a single missing picture can set an entire deadline back.

How many pages should be in each deadline?

It depends on the size of your book and its contents. Your representative will work with you to establish firm deadlines and these are included on your Yearbook Specification Form.

As a general rule, plan an equal amount of your book's pages for each deadline. If your yearbook is a spring book, plan to have at least 50-60% of the pages in the plant before winter break. Otherwise, the spring will be a mad rush as students begin to concentrate on exams, activities and school's end.

The most important factor is to keep your final deadline as small as possible. A large final deadline will affect the book's delivery, so go over the specifics with your representative.

Click here to order the Yearbook Specification Form.

How do I ship my deadline pages?

When your deadline pages are complete and ready for shipping, there's only one more piece of documentation to complete, the Yearbook Packing List. As you enclose each page in the shipment envelope, circle the page number on the form. When complete, send all copies to Taylor with your shipment.

Put all your pages, including pictures, copy, art and computer disk and/or CD (in a protective mailer) in a Copy Shipping Envelope that is provided in your kit. If you are submitting digitally, include all deadline contents on a CD and submit it along with your pages. Make sure your customer number appears on everything.

Make certain you have a backup copy of any disks and other important files. Keep all negatives of photos in case a picture is lost or damaged.

For fastest delivery, you can use one of the FedEx pre-printed labels supplied by Taylor. The charges will be billed to your school's account. Remember:

•	Allow two days for delivery. Material must be in the plant on the deadline date - not postmarked by the deadline date.
•	Keep the FedEx receipt in case you have to track the package.

When your pages are reviewed at the plant, Taylor will send you a Copy Receipt Acknowledgement Form, showing the pages Taylor has received. Compare these to the pages you sent. If there are differences, call your AE as soon as possible.

Finally, cross off the shipped pages on the ladder diagram to give everyone a sense of accomplishment.

Click here to order these supplies.

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Is a yearbook index necessary? How are they created?

An index is an effective way to help your readers find people, events or other yearbook entries. Most yearbooks benefit from an index, and they're essential for large schools with thousands of students. For small books an index may be overkill; it's far more important to identify every student fully and organize your content logically.

Creating an index can be laborious if it's not planned from the outset. But with a few simple steps and the right computer software, indexing can be a painless and nearly automatic process.

Users of Taylor's Vision software benefit from its automatic indexing features. The key to it (and other software indexing solutions) is to identify words in your yearbook text that need to be indexed. See the Help menu in your software or the included User's Guide.

Adobe PageMaker and InDesign offer powerful, built-in indexing features. If using Taylor's YB!Pro plug-in with PageMaker, consult your users guide for specific information on setting up your index.

With any automated solution, expect some additional, manual editing. For example, names are not always typed consistently in the text. So if "John Smith" is also referenced as "J. Smith," or "Johnny Smith," each of these will appear as a separate index entry. You may also want to add additional index entries and delete or modify others.