The Ultimate Yearbook Dictionary

ADVISER | Although no two yearbook advisers handle the job in the exact same way, the adviser’s job is that of a teacher, leader, manager and coach. Effective advisers teach the staff the skills necessary to publish the yearbook and then empower the students to produce as much of the publication as possible. The spelling of the word “adviser” often confuses yearbook staffs. Although most dictionaries call for the word to be spelled “advisor,” for journalistic publications, the Associated Press Stylebook stipulates the word be spelled “adviser.”

ACADEMICS | A section that covers curriculum-related experiences in the classroom and out.

ADVERTISING | Dictated by budget and policy and can include business and recognition ads.

ATTRIBUTION | Both quotes from an individual and information that is not common knowledge need to be attributed.

BACKGROUND | Colors and photographs used to accent the page background. For maximum effectiveness, backgrounds are best used in light colors and in limited areas on the spread. Rarely should a background cover the entire two pages.

BUDGET | Expectation for expenses and income; takes into consideration the plans to make the yearbook appealing for consumers and the costs of producing it, plus related expenses.

BYLINE | A line of text at the beginning or end of a story that gives the name of the writer.

CAPTION | Text accompanying a photo that adds information. Captions answer readers’ questions about the people, the action and/or the reaction in a photograph. Can range from identifying people and supplying minimal information to serving as ministries reporting the five W’s and H and including quotes. Also called cutlines.

CHRONOLOGICAL YEARBOOK | A coverage approach that uses a time element such as seasons or months to organize the content in a yearbook.

CLIP ART | Artwork, shapes, backgrounds, logos and borders provided for use on yearbook pages. All clip art is included in this Creation Guide which provides a visual catalog of the digital art.

COLOPHON | A reader service that lists the staff, acknowledgments, printing specifications, awards and press association memberships.

COPYRIGHT | Exclusive rights for the creator or owner of original literary, artistic or photographic material to make, distribute and control copies of that work for a specified number of years, as guaranteed by law. The use of copyrighted material without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder is copyright infringement and against the law.

CONTRAST | Opposing elements spark visual interest. If all content elements are the same size, format, shape, weight or color, the design risks becoming monotonous. Variety is the key to keeping the visual presentation lively.

COVER | The first thing a reader sees when receiving a yearbook, so it should make a positive first impression. Verbally, the theme is often introduced on the cover, either directly or subtly. While some staffs desire a custom cover exclusive to their school, others prefer to select a predesigned cover.

CUT-OUT PHOTO | A photo treatment in which the background has been cut away from the subject. This technique is most effective for photo illustrations, rather than photojournalistic images, since removing the background alters the journalistic story the photo delivers.

DEADLINE | The date that completed pages are due at the plant. Meeting deadlines is essential to keep the delivery of the yearbook on schedule.

DELIVERY | There are two basic yearbook delivery options. Delivery is often dictated by school tradition. Spring Delivery allows for distribution at the end of the school year, but requires a shorter production time for the staff to submit pages. While, Summer/Fall Delivery provides a longer production cycle allowing the staff to include year-end coverage, but requires distribution in the late summer or fall.

DIRECT MAIL | A marketing tactic that uses a sales letter or promo piece mailed to potential customers.

DISTRIBUTION EVENT | A special activity for distributing and signing yearbooks.

DIVIDER | Indicates a new section and provides design continuity throughout the yearbook.

ENDSHEET | The heavy paper between the cover and the first and last pages that helps bond the inside pages into the cover.

EXTENDED EDITION | A supplement that expands coverage for events including prom, spring sports and graduation that happen after the final deadline for a spring delivery book.

FIVE W’S AND H | The six key questions a journalist must answer for the reader: who, what, when, where, why and how.

FOLIO | The page number and word or images that might accompany it.

FONT | A complete set of characters (letters, numbers and symbols) that share a common weight, width and style. Each font has a unique name such as AYT Foundation Sans. School Annual provides more than 200 fonts for use in the yearbook.

GRID | A framework of vertical or horizontal columns used for organizing and aligning content.

GUTTER | The center of the spread, where the yearbook is bound with thread and glue into the spine. Typographic elements should not be placed in this area.

HEADLINE | The large type designed to attract readers to stories and draw them into the spread. A well-written headline summarizes a story and highlights its focus.

HIERARCHY | Creates order and indicates importance through size and placement. A large headline and a smaller secondary headline placed above a story create a range of three different type sizes. This range or order is a hierarchy.

IDENTIFICATION | Text accompanying a photograph identifying individuals and perhaps providing a brief explanation of the content, generally not a complete sentence or as detailed as a caption.

INDEX | An alphabetical directory of every person, team, group, advertiser and topic featured in the words and photos on the pages of a yearbook.

INFOGRAPH | Presents facts and figures, often poll and survey results, in a visual way that often includes illustrative art.

INTERVIEW | A one-on-one question and answer session with a person closely associated with an event, activity or topic. By asking carefully crafted, open-ended questions, the responses will provide information and interesting comments for direct quotes.

LADDER | A page-by-page planner and deadline tracker used to identify content, record deadlines, plan color placement and track pages submitted and proofed. The ladder is organized by spreads, multiples and signatures. The ladder should be completed before yearbook production begins.

LEAD | The opening sentence or paragraph of a story. The lead introduces the story, sets the tone and angle and grabs reader interest.