Yearbook Theme Brainstorm

Aug 29 2011

Choosing a yearbook theme is very important from the get-go. I was thinking about yearbook themes the other day and it came to me that there is no one way to come up with a yearbook theme, no cookie cutter recipe, but here is a list of questions you may want to ask when choosing a theme?

  1. What themes have we used in previous years? It is safe to say that you probably shouldn’t choose a theme that has been used in the last 10 years.
  2. Browse your school website: what does your school stand for? Is your school big in to tradition? What is the school mascot? What are the school colors?
  3. Are we celebrating anything special this year? A special anniversary or celebration? Are there going to be any changes on campus this year?
  4. Does the theme reflect the entire student body rather than a select group of students?
  5. Walk down the halls and write down things you hear or see, what are students interested in?
  6. How can we incorporate the theme?

When you narrow down the list of possible themes, run them by an administrator. The last thing you want to happen is for a theme to be chosen and then it is denied by the principal. Your yearbook staff will be disappointed and you will have wasted time executing a theme that you can no longer use.

In high school, one year our theme was One Heart, One Love (a little like the Bob Marley song, One Love) but we decided it would be really cool if we could get a picture from above of students lined up in the shape of a heart. It made for a fun afternoon as well as a fun page to add to the end of our yearbook. We incorporated our theme in the cover, in the headlines, even the page numbers had hearts next to them. Make sure when you choose your theme you are able to pull everything together.

Picture This Yearbooks offers a lot of theme suggestions and even if you don’t find one you like in our list, it is a great place to start. The great thing about Picture This Yearbooks is that they have plenty of resources to help you make the best yearbook that you can. We want your experience with us to be a personal experience so that you can make the best yearbook possible. If you are interested in getting more yearbook tips and tricks, check out Yearbooks101. When you sign up, you have access to tips and videos that will really help pull your yearbook together. If you choose Picture This Yearbooks as your yearbook publisher, you get free access to Yearbooks101 as well as access to a great support team!

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Best Yearbooks of 2011: The Best Soft-Cover Yearbook

Aug 22 2011

For the next couple weeks we are going to feature our favorite yearbooks from this past season. We have chosen these books because they did something unique and we wanted to share their yearbook success with you! While all of our yearbooks are top notch, these few stand out and are paving the way for yearbook excellence! So without further ado:

The Best Soft-Cover Yearbook for 2011 goes to

Academy of the Sacred Heart!

Academy of the Sacred Heart does something really unique for their yearbook in that they have a unique memory book for each grade level (preschool through 8th grade). This is a great way to involve more parents in the yearbook process as well as making each yearbook a special treasure. Like I mentioned, it took a lot of parents to create these yearbooks. There was a head yearbook parent for the school and there was also a yearbook parent for each grade level. If you do not have a lot of man-power to do something like this, I would steer away from making separate yearbooks for each grade. Picture This Yearbooks has other personalization options that might work better for your school! For families that have lots of kids this is perfect, because rather than buying four copies of the yearbook, each child gets a unique yearbook featuring every activity their grade did throughout the year. We are proud of the way Academy of the Sacred Heart’s yearbooks turned out and we hope to do something like this for other schools as well!

If you think that soft-cover yearbooks or unique yearbooks for each grade might work for your school, let us know! We will be able to answer all of your questions as well as help you find other ways to spice up your yearbook and make it unique!

Stay tuned, in the coming weeks we will also feature the best hard-cover yearbook, best Homeschool yearbook, and Best Yearbook Cover 2011!!

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Creative Yearbook Fundraising Ideas

Aug 12 2011

Does your school have a tight yearbook budget? Check out Picture This Yearbooks!

Creating a yearbook and printing the yearbooks comes at a price. With the economy doing so poorly and funding in schools does not allow for any extra money for extracurricular activities such as yearbooks, money is tight.  Some schools don’t have the budget for yearbooks at all, but at Picture This Yearbooks, we want every child to be able to go home with a yearbook and so we’ve come up with a list of ideas that you can use for fundraising for your school’s yearbook.

  • Have a bake sale, car wash, or raffle
  • Host Penny Wars between the grade levels: Pennies are positive points, and nickles, dimes, quarters and dollar bills are negative points. Whichever class has the most money at the end, wins! Students bring in pennies for their own grade and they put other coin denominations in the other grade level’s buckets to give negative points. The winning class could get a discounted yearbook, a personalized page in the yearbook with, a dress-down day, really anything the school chooses as the incentive. All the money raised can go directly to the budget for your school’s yearbook!
  • Have a budget for yearbooks but your school is lacking funds in other places? Charge (or even up-charge) for the yearbooks and turn it in to a fundraiser
  • Add advertisements from local businesses
  • Add pages from parents that are proud of their student or want to commemorate their student’s graduation.
  • Team up with PTY’s partner site and let the parents of your school know that if they order a photo book from Fun Photo Books then your school will get a credit towards the yearbook costs.

If parents or students are apprehensive about fundraising, remind them that this is for the yearbook and by raising money for the yearbook it makes the yearbook cheaper or free for the students! Picture This Yearbooks wants to help you make your school’s yearbook a reality. Our competitive prices make us a great choice to publish your school’s yearbook!

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The Value in a Good Yearbook

Aug 09 2011

August 17th, 2011: The discussion on the value involved with yearbooks didn’t end after I posted this article last week, so I wanted to continue with some great points we talked about. You can find the additions to the article after the CNN link in this post!

At Picture This Yearbooks, we were talking recently about schools moving away from publishing yearbooks towards making books and putting them online. We talked about how sad that was that students wouldn’t be able to hold the book in their hands and they wouldn’t be able to even sign each other’s yearbooks because there wasn’t anything TO sign. CNN posted a slideshow in June about notes left in yearbooks and it was really cool to see how adults can look back and see what was popular, who they were friends with, what they were interested in and what they were involved in at school. The slideshow even mentioned that holding a yearbook is like holding a piece of culture. Once a yearbook is printed, it is as if the school year has been frozen in time. Online you can always go back and make changes, but once you have your printed yearbook, that’s it. Those memories will never change and especially once you have signatures in them you have this piece of history that you can treasure forever.

Yearbooks build school pride. If you are going to pay for a yearbook, it should be something you want to keep forever. When you look back at your yearbook 30 years later, you want to be able to say, “Wow! Going to school there was definitely some of the best years of my life!” Capture the memories when you create a great yearbook.

Check out the CNN slideshow about Yearbook Messages here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/06/10/yearbooks.irpt/index.html?iref=allsearch

Why are yearbooks so valuable? For students, they are excited to see their photo in the yearbook and they have the opportunity to write messages in their friends’ yearbooks. Older students also have the opportunity to learn the basics of journalism when they participate in the creation of their school’s yearbook. Parents value yearbooks because they also get to see their child’s photo in print and that’s pretty exciting J But also, parents sometimes act as volunteer yearbook parents whose job is to scan artwork and sometimes photos to help with the yearbook process, or they may create the yearbook themselves. Then you have the principal, administration, teachers and faculty who also value the yearbook. Their value is also treasured because the principal may see that a yearbook is a great opportunity to fundraise for the school. As I already mentioned, yearbooks build school spirit.

Yearbooks also have a significant impact on the school. Yearbooks reflect the values and purpose of the school. Yearbooks are good for alumni relations and school advancement. They make great tools for reunion gatherings as well as a reminder of the good times had at your school and a great way to get alumni involved again, especially financially. Your school’s yearbook is a perfect depiction about what it would be like to go to your school, so admissions offices can use the yearbook as a great way to paint a picture for potential new students and families. Ultimately, a yearbook impacts a school because it affirms the purpose parents choose to send their children to your school.

A yearbook is not just a book with photos, it captures so much more than that. Adding value to your yearbook will not only look good for your school, but people will be talking about it for years to come!

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Saving Money on a Yearbook

Jan 06 2011

Creating a memorable school yearbook during hard times can be very challenging. With limited funding, and prices continually on the rise—some schools are doing away with yearbooks altogether. However, judicious schools know that creating a school yearbook in a bad economy can actually be a great idea!

A recession often leads to competitive price quotes. Even though times are difficult, schools can still find yearbook companies that offer outstanding rates while at the same time, supplying the same industry leading quality.

Picture This Yearbooks is one of these companies. They offer affordable yearbook prices while maintaining the same quality standards that the schools have grown accustomed to. You may be hesitant to switch yearbook companies, however, the money you’ll save is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

At Picture This Yearbooks, every step of the yearbook making process is done in-house. Thanks to an intelligent cost-effective business model, and state-of-the art digital printing technology, this yearbook company will keep you stress free!

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Organizing a Yearbook

Jan 06 2011

Nowadays, yearbooks are a school necessity. Students in almost every school look forward to signing yearbooks and looking through all of the pages. With proper organization, yearbooks will contain all sorts of memories, values, and events that are significant to both the students and faculty. With this said, be sure to take note of the keyword—organization. A well-organized yearbook requires a well-organized yearbook committee. Let these steps act as a guide to forming and managing an organized yearbook committee.

Step One: Talk to the English teachers. They can be especially helpful for recommending students who have good writing/editing skills. Afterward, invite the recommended students to join the editorial team on the yearbook committee. Together, the editors can write, edit, and review areas throughout the yearbook, as well as aid with idea suggestions.

Step Two: Talk to the Art teachers. They’ll know of any students who possess unique artistic talent. Students that are highly artistic are excellent candidates for creating eye-catching cover art, theme, and page layouts.

Step Three: Hidden behind all of the fun, there is the economical perspective to yearbooks. Find highly motivated students with good communication skills to help sell as many yearbooks as possible.

Step Four: An excellent way to come up with content for a yearbook is to assign student journalists to the yearbook committee. Journalists should be dependable students with a lot of free time for attending each of the school events and activities.

Step Five: Assign a student with an interest in photography to work with journalists as the photographer for the yearbook committee. Provide the camera with instructions to photograph interviews and events that are covered by the journalists.

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Steps for Creating a Unique Yearbook Theme

Jan 06 2011

An attractive theme is an essential aspect for any quality yearbook. Choosing the best one is yet another important task on the long list of “to do’s” when making a yearbook. It can seem as though everyone within the yearbook staff has a creative idea, but settling upon one choice can be a challenging task. At this point, it’s imperative that the staff works as a team to pick the best theme possible for their school. Consider the following steps, as they can make the decision process a little bit easier.

Step 1: Take some time to look at previous yearbooks from the school. Make a list of all the things that the staff would like to keep, and all of the things they feel, are no longer needed. After narrowing this down, the direction in which the theme is headed will become more evident.

Step 2: Consider both the school color(s) and mascot. Could these be incorporated within a particular theme? Using the school colors/mascot is often a nice touch, but not always an agreeable decision. As a team, the yearbook staff should decide upon what they think is best.

Step 3: Examine the year so far, as well as look ahead. Has anything unique taken place? Make a list of the various accomplishments and don’t forget to include significant world events. Come up with a list of adjectives that describe the events that took place throughout the past year. These may spur you in a direction towards the perfect yearbook theme.

Step 4: Consider the culture of the school. Be absolutely sure the chosen theme fits the overall population of the students, not just a select few.

Step 5: Examine the literature created by the students. Is there a common theme among their writings? Schedule a meeting with the journalism club and administer a survey related to possible theme ideas.

Step 6: Narrow down all of the possible themes to an administrator-approved list of six. Afterwards, take a vote amongst the staff. Take the top four and run the vote again, this time with the student body. Keep going until the number one theme for the yearbook has been chosen.

Note:
A lot of tension can kindle throughout the decision making process because everyone has their own opinion. Remind voters that whatever theme is chosen, an illustration/photo will be required to match the theme. Acknowledge that everyone is working for the school and student body, not their individual selves!

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Improve Your Yearbook with Student Quotes

Jan 06 2011

Yearbooks are very special. They act as time capsules filled with priceless memories that most students will treasure forever. When given the opportunity to have their own quote within such a meaningful book, a student will likely put forth their genuine best effort. Allow students to be creative with their quotes. They’ll have fun, and treasure the book all the more since they contributed. Do not allow obscene or hurtful remarks. Encourage positive thoughts that are related to goals, achievement, and success. Utilizing student quotes will work to fully complete your yearbook, as well as make the students involved feel great about themselves.

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Making a Memorable Yearbook

Jan 06 2011

It’s no lie, yearbooks are a lot of work! After spending so much time on one thing, there’s no doubt you’d probably want it to be a memorable accomplishment. One of the best ways to make this certain, is to pay close attention to every detail. You want to be sure the theme is consistent, the articles and pictures are good, and that it seamlessly flows together.

Steps to making a memorable yearbook:

1. Decide upon a theme. This theme should represent the school. Choosing a proper theme really is the hardest part of the yearbook process. Pick something that will continue to be of interest to the student population throughout the entire school year.

2. When you’ve decided upon a theme, stick with it. Quality yearbooks consistently carry their theme throughout. If the theme bounces around and changes, the yearbook will look cluttered and unprofessional.

3. Always think/plan ahead of time. With so much work to do, anyone is prone to falling behind schedule. The yearbook committee must stay informed with each of the events. Journalists and photographers need to be ready at a moment’s notice.

4. Make a schedule. The use of a schedule can prevent a lot of headaches in the long run. Set goals and deadlines, as well as daily routines to keep the ball rolling.

5. More material! The more you know about everything, the better. A ton of information can seem like a burden or complete waste of time, but with it, you have the advantage and can be sure your yearbook will be the best.

6. Don’t be afraid to take pictures. Every good photographer knows that not every photo is going to be good. If you take a whole bunch, you may be lucky to find a few that suit your liking.

7. Conduct interviews. What’s a yearbook without student representation? Talk to them; get polls, quotes, comments, and other feedback. Try hard to obtain as many responses from all of the students, not a select few.

8. Recheck everything. Grammar, spelling, and layout mistakes are all disappointing and irreversible flaws once the year book is printed.

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How to Find Yearbook Software

Jan 06 2011

Before creating the perfect yearbook, two main decisions are required. First, is choosing the software that will be used to design the book. The second decision is finding a printer that can ensure the yearbook will be made in an easy and timely manner. Once these two decisions are finalized, the school can count on having an astonishing yearbook!

Decision 1: Every year students and staff members work hard to create the design and layout of their yearbooks through the use of software. With so many software options available, choosing one that is user-friendly can be overwhelming.  Out of all the choices available, we recommend the free software at www.picturethisyearbooks.com thanks to the easy, ready-made templates that are provided. The company allows a great deal of personalization for any school yearbook. If help is ever needed, the software comes with free tutorials and one-on-one help (via email or phone). Lastly, they have options for personalized yearbook covers. For example, each student can have a different picture of themselves or their friends on the front cover!

It is important to choose the yearbook software as soon as possible. It will always take a little bit of time to become familiarized with new software. Practice using the software early in the year so that you are ready before the actual design process begins! The chosen software should be user-friendly as well as include plenty of tutorials and free support.

Decision 2: Finding a printer that can print and bind yearbooks is yet another challenge. Many of the large yearbook companies have very strict deadlines for the submission of photos and pages. Although deadlines are very important in the yearbook process and can help reduce stress later on down the road, there are some smaller printing companies who will work with the customer to customize and make last minute changes. Again, we recommend www.picturethisyearbooks.com because they allow changes up to two weeks prior to printing. They also post yearbook proofs in the form of a digital flip book on a secure website so that pages can be visualized and changes can be easily made. Once changes have been made, they will overnight a hard proof to be checked once more for any changes needed before final printing.

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