Parts of a yearbookThe similarities of components and structure

Because a yearbook reflects the attitudes and efforts of a different staff every year, appeals to a particular audience and records a specific time period, each book will have an individual identity or personality.

However, even with individual personalities and different shapes and sizes, all yearbooks share similar content, structural characteristics and aspects of production.

Since a yearbook is actually a cross between a book and a magazine, it contains elements of both. Like a magazine, the emphasis is on photographic coverage, and the design of pages is in two-page spreads with photos crossing the gutter and display headlines. Many design ideas are directly related to the look of current magazines. The study of yearbook production is often called magazine journalism.

Because it is usually encased in a hard cover and contains content that is more permanent than periodical, a yearbook assumes some of the formality of a book. The printing, binding and cover production are the same as for other hard-bound books.

Yearbooks are printed in three formats or trim sizes: 7 ¾ x 10 ½ inches, 8 ½ x 11 inches, and 9 x 12 inches. Since all of these formats have both advantages and disadvantages in terms of layout and photography, any decision about size must be based on budget and tradition.

Pages as spreadsWhile a yearbook consists of several individual pages, most staffs design each pair of facing pages as a single unit — as if it is a single page. These are called spreads.

SignaturesYearbooks are made up of 16-page signatures, always beginning with a right-hand page and ending with a left-hand page. A signature is comprised of 16 pages with eight pages printed on one side of a press sheet and the other eight on the opposite side. After both sides are printed, the sheet is folded and trimmed so that the pages are aligned in book form.

Most facing pages are not printed side by side; in fact they come together only when the sheet of paper is folded. Each signature does have two facing pages that are printed side by side, called a natural spread. Although many yearbooks feature page designs in which photographs bleed across the gutter on most spreads, only on the natural spread is it guaranteed that the photographs and any graphics such as rule lines will line up exactly.

Paying attention to flats and signatures is important when planning the use of color because ink is applied to all of the pages in a flat at one time. Each time another ink color is applied, costs increase.

A signature is comprised of 16 pages with eight pages printed on one side of a press sheet and the other eight on the opposite side. After both sides are printed, the sheet is folded and trimmed so that the pages are aligned in book form.

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PaperYearbook pages are usually printed on 80- or 100-pound white paper. The paper will have a glossy or enamel finish or a flat or matte finish. Although many people believe that photos reproduce best on glossy paper, arguments can be made for the reproduction quality of each type of finish or coating. Printers’ representatives will have samples of all of the paper stocks available. Recycled paper might be a consideration.

Endsheets are printed on heavier paper stock, often colored and/or textured. Sometimes staffs will choose a special paper stock for a section of the book. Use of a special paper stock should be planned with signatures in mind.

Need for structureA need for structure and standard publication format dictates that the yearbook be organized in a logical pattern. This structure will help establish complete coverage of the year. There are several ways to organize a yearbook. Some staffs use the standard six sections – student life, people, sports, clubs and organizations, academics and ads, while others combine these to create fewer sections. No matter the organization, most yearbooks have the same parts, which are described here.

The parts of the yearbook involved in this process are the cover, endsheets, table of contents, title page, opening, division pages and closing. Coverage in the yearbook will depend on what happens during the year, while the yearbook’s theme will determine how the coverage is approached. For now, coverage will be examined in the context of your ladder and the organization of the yearbook.

!Organization may vary by book, but the parts are mostly the same:

Cover and spineThe cover introduces the theme and should be appealing to entice readers to open it. A design might fill the entire front and back cover or might just focus on the front. The front cover should contain the name of the yearbook and the year of publication. The spine should have identifying information, which can be seen when placed on a bookshelf, such as the name of the yearbook and year, the name of the school, city, state and volume number.

• Cover• Endsheets• Title page• Table of contents• Folios

• Opening and closing pages

• Division/section pages• Index• Colophon

Cover

Spine

EndsheetsEndsheets are the pages inside the front and back covers that are glued to attach the content pages to the cover. In most commercial books the endsheets are blank. But in yearbooks, these can be plain or textured paper in a variety of colors, and they can include copy. Some schools include the table of contents or opening on the front endsheet and the colophon on the back endsheet. Decisions on endsheets usually depend on budget and design.

Gilbertine, Gilbert H.S., Gillbert, S.C.

Front endsheets

The Milestone, Hope College, Holland, Mich.

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Division pages and sectionsThere are several ways to divide yearbook coverage. The traditional yearbook has six sections: student life, academics, sports, people, clubs and advertising. When this coverage approach is used, the amount of space allotted to each section, minus the ads and index, is usually 20-25% for student life; 10-15% for academics; 18-22% for sports; 12-15% for clubs; and 22-28% for the people section, which varies by enrollment. The two pages introducing each section are referred to as division pages or spreads.

In recent years, some staffs have combined the traditional sections into three or four sections, such as people, academics and student life into one, sports and clubs into another, and advertising as a third. A few schools have attempted to use no sections.

Another way to organize the book is chronologically by the week, month or seasons. This can be a great idea for showing students how their year unfolded.

Table of contentsSince the table of contents can be on the endsheets, it can come before the title page, or it can come on a page after the title page. It should contain the title of each section and the page number on which each section begins.

Title pageThe title page is the place for the name of the book; the name of the school; the street address and city, state and ZIP code of the school; the telephone number and website address of the school; the year; and the volume number. Sometimes the title page will include the name of the principal and the enrollment.

Opening and closing pagesThe opening, usually one to three spreads in length, and the closing, usually one to three pages, contain theme copy, design, graphics and font and, along with the cover, endsheets, title page, table of contents and division pages, bring unity to the yearbook. They are usually designed in a similar fashion to tie the book together.

Opening pages

Closing pages

Talisman, Saratoga H.S., Saratoga, Calif.

Fusion, Hagerty H.S., Oviedo, Fla.

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IndexThe index should be a complete and accurate alphabetical list, so readers can find themselves, teams, clubs and other information important to them. Some staffs use these pages to include articles on current events and other newsworthy items.

ColophonThe colophon (no ‘e’ on the end) gives information in narrative or list form about the publication of the book such as paper stock, ink color, typefaces, cover material and processes, press run number, book price, and hardware and software if the book is desktop-produced. These technical details might not interest the average reader, but would be of importance to someone familiar with book production.

The colophon has become the place for a staff to acknowledge contributions, advice, support or help with idea or design development, and sometimes the staff list and a staff photo. It seems to be the place to put any information that does not fit anywhere else.

It belongs toward the end of the book, on the back endsheet, in the index or in the ad section. It does not belong in the closing and especially not on the last page because this is the place to wrap up theme and leave a final impression. If the staff list is not part of the colophon unit but a separate element, it still belongs in the same place.

FoliosThese are page numbers, but folios can be much more than that. If creatively done, they can help carry the theme, denote each section of the book and even indicate the contents of the spread.

Odyssey, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy H.S., Plainview, N.Y

True Blue Annual, Hudson H.S., Hudson, Wis.

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