Treering Blog

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

In high school, Sarah Coleman joined the yearbook staff for the varsity letter. As a competitive dirt bike racer, she could not earn one through school-sponsored sports. 

The yearbook became more than just a means to a jacket.

What value did being on the yearbook team bring to your high school experience?

Student journalism was a means to be involved in everything. I got to know all the students on campus—they didn’t know me—through this inside look. I was the first-ever editor of both the yearbook and newspaper. My focus was on writing (there was another editor who led the design aspect).

Now, you’re an adviser! How have things changed?

I never thought I'd be working on the yearbook again, ever in my life. Being able to knock it out with ease was pretty cool. Photos are so much easier to upload. I see in real-time what my edits do. Also, the printed proof is the actual book. I know that even this past book, I overlooked things from the computer side that I caught on the print side. I remember we used to have paper proofs. There were no tools to show us duplicate images or an easy way to duplicate layouts. It seems archaic compared to what Treering offers.

For example, during my senior year, in February, someone knocked over our server, and we lost our entire yearbook. We had a few weeks to rebuild the layouts. It was horrible. We got it done, but it was horrible. The entire book was due by March so that we could get it by the end of the year. We also made an insert with a sticky back to include more events. It was mailed out in the summer. That was the dumbest thing. What I like about Treering is that you can go all the way through the end of the school year and still get the book back in less than a month.

You’re about to begin your second yearbook for your school. What do you do to make it special?

Because we are a smaller school with a little over 120 pages, every student gets their own spread. Their fall and spring pictures are there to show growth. I put every event in the book: big ones, like a foam party, and even the little ones, like crazy sock day.

Kids loved the custom pages. They're so excited because they made their yearbook all about them. 

How do you get all the photos?

I take photos whenever I’m out and about on campus. I tell the teachers to let me know whenever they are doing something like an experiment. Teachers tell their students, “The yearbook lady is coming; look alive.” I really hate staged photos.

Our kindergarten teacher showed the others how to put the Treering app on their phones so they could share. The church secretary also takes a lot of photos. We also encouraged our parents to log in and create an account so they could add theirs. Two moms contributed a bunch. Now that the school community has seen the yearbook, I’m hoping more will participate next year.

I’m also working on getting a digital camera for teachers to use.

Any other takeaways from your progression from a student editor to a yearbook adviser?

Treering is also economically pleasing to work with. The books are a great price and nice, thick quality. You don’t have to be a professional to have a good book. The designs available just elevate everything. 

I come from a strong yearbook culture. My mom bought every yearbook for us, and I do the same for my kids. I love that if people didn’t buy one early, they can still order it. As a creative person, it’s nice to be able to make something for others. 

Coleman's photo courtesy of Fenceposts Photography, LLC.

Treering Live (TRL) 24 exists because of you and for you. We tailored this virtual conference for yearbook volunteers, educators, and aficionados of all levels, offering three days of flexible sessions so you can engage with various aspects of the creative process. Use these ten reasons to convince your admin, as overarching objectives for your class or club, or as a mantra while you’re pulling on comfy pants.

1. The Price is Right

My colleague and I evaluated a marketing-focused webinar. Once she saw the price tag, she quipped, “If it isn’t free, it isn’t for me.” Good news: TRL is free. So is the replay.

No fundraising and no POs are required.

2. “I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know”

We see that all the time in monthly Getting Started webinars: New yearbook coordinators know they have to plan and produce a book. However, the in-between steps are fuzzy. Every day, TRL starts with an I’m the Yearbook Coordinator… Now What? breakout. In this new adviser session, learn what tools are available and how to plan for success. If a question comes up that Liz T., Cassie W., or Sandra V. doesn’t answer, support is in the chat so we can get to it live.

Other sessions for new advisers include:

3. Been There. Done That.

Is your POV: experienced yearbook adviser? Maybe you’re dipping your toe into the world of competitive yearbooking, or you’re looking to add structure and reduce stress in your program. You've already mastered ladders and drag-and-drop design. It’s time to boost your skill set.

Have we got a show for you.

While the first-time advisers do their thing, we have three expert advisers—each with over a decade of classroom experience—leading a breakout for returners. Join Brent M., Ed G., and Liz T. for

• Tuesday: Project Management and Hacks
• Wednesday: Leveling Up Design and Copy
• Thursday: The Craft of Yearbook: Style Guides and Workflows

Additional sessions returning editors include:

4. Finish 60% of the Book in a Few Clicks

Our three-part portrait auto flow session is the one that builds. Each day, learn how to enhance your portrait pages (typically 40-60% of a yearbook) so that they reflect your school community even more.

• Tuesday: Get your portraits in the book
• Wednesday: Add a larger teacher photo and candids to your portrait layouts
• Thursday: Create blended coverage on your portrait pages

5. The Other 40%

Recreating the wheel is exhausting. That’s why we packed in three never-before-seen sessions at TRL:

• Tuesday: Custom covers
• Wednesday: Photography
• Thursday: Coverage ideas

See what other Treering schools are doing to create a yearbook that authentically represents their school community.

A word of caution for our first-year advisers: you do not have to do it all.

6. Flexibility

Live or on demand? Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday? Yes.

Please note: Each day requires a separate registration. There is no limit on the number of days you may attend. The times below are in Pacific Time; Zoom will adopt your local time.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

• 9 AM PT - Breakouts: I’m the Yearbook Coordinator… Now What? OR This Ain’t Isn’t My First Rodeo

• 10 AM PT - Elective: How to Do a Cover Contest

• 11 AM PT - Knowledge Sessions: Portraits (Part 1 of 3) + Top 10 Parent Questions Answered

• 12 PM PT - POV: I’m Not a Designer

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

• 9 AM PT - Breakouts: I’m the Yearbook Coordinator… Now What? OR This Ain’t Isn’t My First Rodeo

• 10 AM PT - Elective: Photography Tips and Tricks

• 11 AM PT - Knowledge Sessions: Portraits (Part 2 of 3) + Top 10 Editor Questions Answered

• 12 PM PT - POV: I’m Ready to Move Beyond Templates

Thursday, October 10, 2024

• 9 AM PT - Breakouts: I’m the Yearbook Coordinator… Now What? OR This Ain’t Isn’t My First Rodeo

• 10 AM PT - Elective: Coverage Ideas

• 11 AM PT - Knowledge Sessions: Portraits (Part 3 of 3) + Top 10 Parent Questions Answered

• 12 PM PT - POV: I’m Not a Designer

7. Marketing Moments

Hear what other advisers are doing around the US. Throughout TRL 24, we’ll visit a colleague in their classroom to learn how they get books into the hands of students.

This is just one way attendees will inspire one another. Share your ideas during TRL 24 by tagging us on social using @treering (Facebook and X) or @treeringcorp (Instagram and TikTok) using #trl24.

8. Yearbook Pro Grow

You’ve seen the memes: I’m not listening to training from anyone who hasn’t been in the classroom this decade either. After you watch live or in-person, request a training certificate for up to 12 hours of design technology and theory to create a yearbook publication.

9. Prizes

We always give away the goods. If you have fast fingers, you may be able to win big by participating in the live chat.

10. As Always, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

The learning doesn’t end on October 10. Grow with weekly blog posts and YouTube shorts, monthly webinars, and 24/7 support with the Help Center.

We can’t think of a better way to celebrate National School Yearbook Week than with the Treering Community.

This is the heart of Treering’s Yearbook Club webinars. Teachers looking for classroom support and parent volunteers looking for a launch pad can find resources and how-tos throughout the school year at no cost.

Synchronous Instruction

If you don’t speak teacher-ese (or don’t care to on your prep period), this just means it’s live. This real-time interaction means attendees receive instant responses to their questions. (Full disclosure: occasionally, we divert from the script because the group’s needs demand it.)

Direct Access to Expertise

See what happens when you bring together staff members from product knowledge, marketing, and community advocacy. No PowerPoint slides. No hypotheticals. All yearbook. 

We Believe in Show and Tell

Starting at Treering.com, every webinar shows you how to create, get inspiration, and receive help. We show you how to customize your styles and settings, find marketing materials, and maximize the automations in Treering’s yearbook builder.

Each month, new advisers can join a Getting Started webinar to get an overview of the design and print process. As you progress through your yearbook journey other webinars are available, including Treering Live, our flagship virtual yearbooking event and topical sessions on portrait, advanced design, and theme development.

Your Yearbook Your Way

Yearbook creation isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Neither are Yearbook Club webinars. We’ll show you all your options to make your yearbook represent your population, from changing up backgrounds to creating custom word art.

The Yearbook Club team releases new Tip Tuesday videos each week on YouTube.

Community

Call it networking, if that’s your thing. In the live chat, attendees exchange ideas and strategies. 

On a personal note, I’ve met some yearbook advisers in the chat who have become contributors to this blog, and I’d like to think lifelong friends. We celebrate professional and personal milestones together. Occasionally, family pics pop into my inbox, or we text a timely yearbook meme. 

No one else understands what being a yearbook coordinator is like outside this small world. I’m going to seek support from those who do.

POV: You’re on the 2024-2025 yearbook team! Cue the confetti—for some—and the sweat for others. No matter your personal point of view, our flagship event, Treering Live (TRL), offers three days of FREE live virtual training for anyone helping to create the most epic yearbook ever. 

Every National School Yearbook Week, the Treering Community comes together for 

• Organization hacks
• Content examples that will wow your community
• How-to guides to master yearbook design and marketing

POV is More Than a Social Trend

We love a good theme. And we know it’s more than graphics: your comments on last year’s survey shaped the TRL 2024 schedule and session offerings. Here’s what you taught us:

• “I need something earlier in the day or meant more for classes to engage in.”
• “Wednesday was very heavy with sessions; perhaps spread them out more evenly across the days.”
• “I would like to be able to rewatch the sessions.”
• “If you do these events again, I would like to see more on designing a yearbook.”
• “This will be our 3rd Treering yearbook but my first time as Editor et al. It got handed to me, and I was lost, so when I got the email about TRL, I was all about it and so glad I attended sessions. Thank you so much for having this.”
• “I loved the free flow conversations and how one person really kept an eye on the Q&A so all were answered.”

Treering’s Response: You got it! 

Join us October 8-10 for TRL 24 POV: I’m on the Yearbook Team. We’ve kept all that you loved and added more of what you want. Expect:

Lunch and Learn Schedule. TRL 2024 spans three days from 9 AM - 1 PM PT. (The rundown is below)

Prizes. Need we say more? 

Real-time support. Your Community Advocate Team will continue to monitor and engage in the chat and Q&A to help you get resources and answers. 

On-demand replays. Did you miss one because of lunch duty? Did you hear something you wanted to share with your class? Did we say something funny that you need to export and autotune? All registrants will have access to recordings through May.  

Start the day with the same sessions, different POVs. After the obligatory welcome, the first two sessions tackle yearbook organization. With breakouts for first-time and experienced advisers, there’s content tailored for volunteers, educators, and aficionados of all levels. The best part? Each day, a different speaker will share their perspective.

Multiple electives. Ideas, examples, and instructions—oh my! Attend specialized sessions on portrait pages, spread design, photography, and coverage. 

Webinar Schedule

Please note: Each day requires a separate registration. There is no limit on the number of days you may attend. The times below are in Pacific Time; Zoom will adopt your local time.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

• 9 AM PT - Breakouts: I’m the Yearbook Coordinator… Now What? OR This Ain’t Isn’t My First Rodeo

• 10 AM PT - Elective: How to Do a Cover Contest

• 11 AM PT - Knowledge Sessions: Portraits (Part 1 of 3) + Top 10 Parent Questions Answered

• 12 PM PT - POV: I’m Not a Designer

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

• 9 AM PT - Breakouts: I’m the Yearbook Coordinator… Now What? OR This Ain’t Isn’t My First Rodeo

• 10 AM PT - Elective: Photography Tips and Tricks

• 11 AM PT - Knowledge Sessions: Portraits (Part 2 of 3) + Top 10 Editor Questions Answered

• 12 PM PT - POV: I’m Ready to Move Beyond Templates

Thursday, October 10, 2024

• 9 AM PT - Breakouts: I’m the Yearbook Coordinator… Now What? OR This Ain’t Isn’t My First Rodeo

• 10 AM PT - Elective: Coverage Ideas

• 11 AM PT - Knowledge Sessions: Portraits (Part 3 of 3) + Top 10 Parent Questions Answered

• 12 PM PT - POV: I’m Not a Designer

2024 TRL FAQs

It’s fall, and we’re all going crazy about yearbook themes. After your team decides on the collective story to tell, consider how you will communicate it visually. If you haven’t yet, use student art on the yearbook cover to celebrate and showcase the diverse talents of the student body. It adds a unique, only-on-our-campus touch, which we love. After all, customization is our thing.

Custom Cover Advice from the Pros

The Treering Design Team helps roughly 200 schools annually with their cover issues. The biggest piece of advice: make sure you have enough bleed. This keeps art from being cut off in the scanning process. We always say to get those printed proofs ordered early; this is one more reason.

They also suggest advisers understand the technical requirements so your art prints sharply and vibrantly: 

• Scan the page at 300 DPI or higher
• Save it as a JPG or PNG
• Upload the image to Treering as a photo

Ideas For Gathering Student Art

Student art is that simple: it’s art from students. Whether you source it with an intra-campus partnership or create a school-wide drive, 

Cover Collaborations

Class projects, such as collaborations with art teachers, get students outside the yearbook room involved. (And really, this is marketing gold: you’re building a relationship with a group who are now stakeholders in your final project.) 

Yearbook volunteer Lauren D. shared how they went from classroom to yearbook cover with an art project at Normandale Elementary. The art teacher used batik patterns made by her students into creatures for their yearbook cover.

How to Do a Yearbook Cover Art Contest

“I believe that students should be the driving force behind the yearbook's design,” said yearbook Adviser Julie R. She uses a cover contest to showcase student art. She asks students to use school colors and to “represent what learning and school look like to them.” Her yearbook team looks through the submissions and selects the one that most authentically captures the year.

If you share Julie’s POV and want to do your own contest, you’ll want to communicate the following:

• Dates for the contest: submission window, evaluation period, and announcement of the winner(s)
• Art requirements: paper size and orientation, medium, required elements (e.g., school motto)
• Judging criteria
• If you have any grade or class restrictions (some schools hold the contest with the highest grade or limit it to students in the art program)

Explain the contest rules in advance to avoid unnecessary tears, hurt feelings, and frustration.  Depending on the number of entries received, all can be included in the yearbook. Check out how these schools integrated their runners-up.

Student Art on the Front and Back Cover 

This is the most popular approach: the winner on the front and runners-up on the back.

Student Art Throughout the Book

Think about it: if you asked students to represent your verbal theme through their submissions, why wouldn’t you use their interpretations throughout the book?

Tag us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X) to show us how you use student talent to foster pride in your school community. 

Picture day either makes you call out ill or grab disposable combs and a spray bottle for flyaway patrol. With portraits making up 40-60% of a yearbook, anything Treering can do to make it easier on you is a win-win-win. It’s the bulk of most elementary school yearbooks. It’s where there’s the most potential for error. It’s where you’ll prevail this year. 

1. Find a Yearbook Photographer

When interviewing a yearbook photographer, be sure to learn about the photographer's

• Experience: How long have you been in business?
• Security measure: How do you vet employees? What does your background check process entail?
• Training: What does your photographer training look like?
• Dependability: Every school photography company is experiencing staffing issues. Ask if they are prepared.
• Turnaround time: What is the time from picture day to delivery? How do I get my yearbook export?
• Longevity: How long are the photos available?

Consider all factors—quality of work, professionalism, cost, and feedback from local references—in your search.

2. Prep for Picture Day 

As you create a ladder and assign spreads to portrait pages, your photographer prepares by organizing students in their database to produce PSPA-formatted portraits for the yearbook. (PSPA is the fancy abbreviation for the industry-standard way portrait photographers and yearbook software communicate.)

School photographers need accurate information well before they arrive at your school. If you don’t receive a template, ask what specific details they require and their preferred format. 

This is so important. For the yearbook, traditionally all photographers would need name, grade, and teacher. Photographers use school data provided to the photographer to create all school services including a PSPA file, such as IDs. The more info the better! This means your picture day photographer may give you a template with room for house names or team names, room numbers, and staff salutations.

3. Go From Picture Day to Yearbook Pages

Make sure you know your photographer’s expected turnaround time before scheduling your school picture day. Most need 3 to 4 weeks. Given that time frame, if you schedule picture day in mid-September and hold a retake day in November, you’ll have all the portraits for the yearbook before winter break. 

This syncs nicely with winter webinars by Treering’s Yearbook Club to help you flow your portraits. And with Treering’s three-week turnaround, you’ll have time to add any students who join in the second semester.

4. Create Your Schedule… and Share It Early

Picture day should be on the school calendar from the beginning so parents and teachers can plan. Work with admin to share the schedule with staff and parents at least a week in advance. 

The best scheduling advice we can give is paraphrased from “Toy Story 2.”

At the high school level, getting students and faculty through the queue may feel like you’re on the logistics staff for Major League Baseball or in an air traffic control tower. Breathe deep. You’ve got this.

When creating the picture day schedule, allow the appropriate time for each class. The guidelines below should help.

• Pre-K and Kindergarten: Plan for upwards of one minute per student. (About 25 minutes for a 20-30 student class.)
• Grades 1-5: Plan for 45-55 seconds per student. (About 20 minutes per 20-30 student class.)
• Middle and High School: Plan for 45 seconds per student. (About 18 minutes per 20-30 student class.)

Your photography company should send one photographer for every 250 students.

5. Recruit Picture Day Volunteers

If your school allows it, parents can help prep students for the camera. Remember flyaway mom in the opening paragraph? Chances are, you have a parent on campus who can assist in getting kids ready for their portraits and reduce the time each student spends with the photographer. This also helps reduce the picture day stress on teachers. (By the way, a few boxes of doughnuts by the mailboxes in the office will go a long way.)

Picture day volunteers can also help relieve tensions. PTA mom Abby dresses up each year to help students smile. 

Some photo companies offer free or reduced picture packages as a thank you. Remember to negotiate that ahead of time.

When these elements come together, picture day can transform from a hectic event into a smooth operation. You’ll receive great photos and provide a stress-free process.

You’re expecting this to be all about brainstorming to increase buy-in, aren’t you? Critiques of brainstorming as ineffective or “the very opposite of synergy” challenge us to take a different approach to choosing a yearbook theme. Try something new this year: ask “What don’t we want in a theme?” 

“Oh snap,” said my eighth-grade self.

This could result in something quite powerful: there’s a leadership movement to replace brainstorming with problem-solving strategies inspired by Einstein. Yes, the Theory of Relativity guy. And “problem” in this context isn’t a crisis, it’s more like a mathematical expression: solve for theme.

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Theme

We have our question: What don’t we want in a yearbook theme? Now, it’s time to find the answers. 

Ask why. And do it five times.

In each of the examples above, students started with their ideas and defined what they wanted to highlight. You may choose to do two or three sets of these to direct your team before narrowing down your theme.

Treering’s nearly 300 themes can provide the visual to align with the story you want to tell (verbal). Here’s what I mean:

Yearbook Red Flags

Usually, a red flag is a full-on brake moment. Because we are problem-solving to develop a yearbook theme, let’s add some drama. 

1. Trendy or Timeless?

A theme that feels relevant only to the current moment might not resonate with readers in the future. If your theme conveys a you-had-to-be-there vibe, consider how it will be perceived years from now. And whether you want your sigma theme to resonate with your grandkids.

I know. I know. After the trendy theme “problems” above, you thought timeless might be the way to go. Timeless themes might be perceived as "safe," which could stifle creativity*. They often rely on classic or traditional designs, which might lead to a yearbook that lacks innovative or fresh elements that can make it distinguishable from previous years’ books. They also might be beacons of a longstanding tradition.

*PSA: That’s not a reason to ignore design hierarchy. 

2. Themes That Are Difficult to Execute Verbally

I’m just going to say it: if you have a visual theme and don’t know how to implement it, you don’t have a complete theme. You have a look. So does my mom.

via GIPHY

A complete yearbook theme provides that proverbial lens through which the entire school year is viewed. It helps prioritize content that aligns with the central idea, ensuring that the yearbook tells a cohesive story rather than just a collection of unrelated events. Remember our school that chose POV above?

POV is gorgeous. The included layouts focus on student voices and impactful photography, neither of which works if you only feature a subset of students in the book. To truly convey POV, you need multiple perspectives.

3. Themes That Don’t Reflect the School’s Identity

If the theme feels out of sync with the school’s identity or geography and/or doesn’t capture the essence of the student body, move on. 

This is when you could involve the student body and get that buy-in we previously discussed. Theme surveys help choose the visual identity of your yearbook theme. Our design team put all of Treering’s themes together so you could pare down the selection. (We suggest five or fewer.)

• Elementary Yearbook Theme Survey
• Middle School Theme Survey
• High School Theme Survey

Throughout the school year, some many events and activities might seem unrelated at first glance. An intentional theme helps tie these events together under a common narrative. Visual elements from fonts to graphics, develop that narrative and provide a cohesive look. After you choose yours, check out these additional theme development resources:

• How to Write Yearbook Headlines
• Six Ideas to Fill Pages

(Then again, if theme brainstorming is your jam, check out these questions in the Theme Module of Treering’s free curriculum. We’re that flexible.)

Aside from the release of the annual Year in Review pages, nothing fills our DMs like the fall theme launch. After holding theme focus groups with freshly finished yearbook coordinators and interviews with customer-facing team members, our design team created the largest collection of layouts to date. Treering editors said they wanted the 2024 theme collection to have increased customization, more room for text, and variety in the coordinating layouts and graphics. Yes, yes, and yes.

Many of the 2024 yearbook themes use editable shapes, so yearbook squads can change up the color palette to coordinate with their school colors. You’ll see more caption boxes in the included layouts. Each theme also contains dedicated layouts and graphics for holidays, school events, sports, and academic subjects.

In addition to the ten new yearbook themes below, Treering’s design team added 35 new fonts and 100s of graphics.

"Stick Together" - a Design That’s Still Fire

Stickers have always been and will remain a significant part of contemporary youth culture. They are everywhere: laptops, phone cases, notebooks, and water bottles. Incorporating this concept into the yearbook aligns the design with Gen Z and Gen Alpha students' everyday experiences and interests, making it instantly relatable and engaging. 

Elementary, middle, and high school students will love the playful, whimsical look a sticker-based yearbook theme will give. With over 250+ pieces of art to mix and match, layouts become even more customizable to showcase the personality and energy of your school community.

The Modular Theme: "POV"

English teachers know POV as a literary device. Students see it on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. It’s a concept where content is presented from a specific perspective, often creating a more immersive and engaging experience for viewers.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9K-vJfN-dZ/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

As a yearbook theme, POV emphasizes storytelling and relatability by framing school events and experiences through student and faculty perspectives. To help, our design team created a full suite of quote-based graphics and 70 modular layouts.

By using modular coverage, you can combine more topics on a spread, which helps more students in the yearbook. It’s a design shift. Using templates can help: by employing professionally designed mods, students see what works and can edit and adjust these to work for them. Then, they can move on to create their own.

A Collage-Themed Yearbook

With over 65 layouts for school events and activities, “Collage” used photo-realistic graphics for a mixed media effect. The yearbook theme focuses on photography.

The included tapes, papers, and cutouts provide textures and layers. These elements play a major role in enhancing the tactile and visual appeal of the pages. Different textures—like the smoothness of a photo, the roughness of a paper-cut effect, or the subtle grain of a background—can evoke emotions and draw the eye to specific elements. The layers also help to break the monotony of flat images that a traditional grid structure may give a spread.

"Picture This" Spotlights Students

From the opening act to the closing credits, this vintage Hollywood-inspired yearbook theme is part glamor, part photojournalistic chronicle. 

Some fun spin-offs can include:

• Movie-inspired superlatives
• Renaming your portrait section “cast of characters”
• School hall of fame with science fair, spelling bee, and speech contest winners
• Adding a section of behind-the-scenes fun from picture day and yearbook club meetings

Add in Treering’s custom pages, and every student is truly a star!

"Sketchbook"

It’s a challenge to create a yearbook that appeals to both kindergartners and sixth graders. Or even one that captures the essence of a K-12 school without being too young or too old visually. In one of our focus groups, a Treering editor suggested a yearbook theme that “grows” with students. “Sketchbook” was born from this idea.

The diversity of designs is perfect for young learners in kindergarten and young adults in middle school. The graphics offering “grows” in maturity from chunky to streamlined.

Highlight Digital Design with a Cyber Yearbook Theme

As esports continue to grow in popularity as an NFHS-recognized sport, the digital design trend will heighten on pace. Ascend to the top of the leaderboard with the included graphics: neon color borders, glitch effects, and digital grids. This creates a striking visual impact that reflects the cyberpunk aesthetic, emphasizing vibrant, high-contrast visuals and futuristic elements.

If your school’s focus is on advancement, Cyber may be the 2024 yearbook theme for you

"Organic Retro"

This design trend blends the charm of vintage aesthetics with a modern, natural twist. It's characterized by earthy tones, organic shapes, and a nostalgic vibe that harkens back to design styles from the 60s and 70s. With retro yearbook themes continuing as a trend in 2024, the “Organic Retro” theme is modern despite its “old school” roots.

The soft, welcoming color palette and bold, organic shapes are non-intrusive and can complement a wide range of photos and content. It can be playful and energetic for casual moments like the Fun Run or more subdued and elegant for formal events like awards night. This flexibility allows the yearbook to capture the full spectrum of school experiences. 

An Unfiltered Yearbook Theme: "Be You"

The design team spends all year cataloging design trends. Social media is usually at the top of the list. To focus on authenticity and the in-the-moment aspect of yearbook reporting, once again, they took inspo from a trending movement and created the largest collection of layouts (90!) attached to a Treering theme. 

The designers love promoting positive messages, thus creating a series of “Be” statements, such as “BeKind,” “BeCurious,” “BeResponsible,” or “BeImaginative.” Pair these with the included emojis to react to the activities and efforts of students on campus.

"Together We Can"

A puzzle visual as a unifying yearbook theme is a powerful metaphor for the school community, emphasizing how each student, teacher, and event plays a crucial role in completing the overall picture of the school year. Piecing together individual contributions to academics and activities with a small cluster of pieces reveals the larger picture as readers turn the pages. This approach can represent how the school year builds over time, with each event, achievement, and memory contributing to the final, complete image at the end of the year.

Bold colors and oversized graphics showcase the big moves and bright spirits across campus. Enjoy pre-designed, drag-and-drop templates for clubs, events, and academic subjects.

How do I Use a Treering Theme?

Applying a Treering theme is as easy as click, drag, drop, and done.

After applying the theme, you can customize it by adjusting colors, fonts, and layouts. You can also mix and match elements from different themes or the extensive graphics library.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks. 

As an elementary student, Yearbook Hero Arinna Fang volunteered for the yearbook team as soon as the opportunity opened. Publication design became a form of self-expression. The future English teacher served as an editor for her middle school yearbook, where she became the youngest winner in the Treering Spread Design Contest.

What did it mean to have your design win national recognition?

It was quite unbelievable. My teachers were really supportive, and my yearbook adviser showed the whole class.

What advice do you have for other students getting started in yearbook design?

Everything starts with a vision. For my spread, it began with the Einstein quote. I wanted the design to flow from there. If it were a math spread, I would have kept it more organized and angled.

When my classmates get stuck, I help identify the problem and fill the need. Sometimes there’s no inspiration; sometimes no flow.

Music is a help. I have playlists that I cycle through to get inspiration. I use the emotions in the music to pull into my designs.

How do you organize your yearbook team?

My adviser let us be like adults. My co-editor and I directed the design. My adviser let us be like adults, and my co-editor and I directed the design. I always think 400-something people are buying these yearbooks, and I don't want to let them down.

Regularly, we did Yearbook Updates, a slideshow with everyone’s current spread status. This helped us examine the entire book. Everyone benefited from the responses because we taught them how to speak in uplifting ways by emphasizing the positive with “This is what we want” and coaching others with  “This could be improved.” 

We validate each others’ voices by creating a safe place to share ideas.

How did you develop your theme visually?

We didn’t have a style guide. Everything we used came from the power of communication. When people would submit their spreads, my co-editor and I would add theme elements if warranted. This enhanced and honed the design and made it part of the overall look.

What’s the best way to get a quality quote from a middle schooler?

The biggest thing is to take a chance. I tell people to start interviewing their friends before approaching others. Ask questions about feelings. People love what they do and love to share.

Additional Middle School Yearbook Resources

(In case you don’t have a student leader like Fang...)

• Running a Yearbook Club
• 60 Yearbok Bell Ringers
• Yearbook Job Descriptions

Fun fact: most Treering employees are the yearbook coordinators for their children’s schools.  Our staff compiled this list to distinguish “just” a mom with a camera (TIA for all the pics you share) from an all-knowing yearbook aficionado. These first four are the yearbook coordinator starter pack for this club.

• You organize past school years by yearbook themes.
• You’ve perfected the art of bribing motivating people with pizza and Red Vines to meet deadlines.
• You are suddenly everyone’s best friend come May when they forgot to order.
• Your kid’s yearbook has 30 custom pages (only because you ran out of time).

You’re in the Know

If you’re an old-school journalist, you have the scoop on all that’s happening on campus: events, field trips, games (even the rescheduled ones), and parent-teacher conferences. And chances are, you’re in the midst of the action. Couple that with your yearbooking (yes, it’s a verb) know-how, and you’re an indomitable force.

• You know the hex codes for the school colors.
• You know the difference between a point and a pica.
• You’ve memorized every student’s best angle.
• You know the names of most of the students at your child’s school, even the ones that aren’t friends with your kid or in their grade.
• You’ve attended more school dances than any student ever will.
• You know the principal’s catchphrases by heart.
• You’ve debated the perfect theme more times than you can count.
• You refresh the yearbook tracking number every five minutes.

You Stress Over These Yearbook Woes

Spoiler alert: if this is your first year as the yearbook coordinator, there will be some stress. After you laugh your way through this list (rimshots not included), check out a more serious one our team did: 10 Ways to Relieve Adviser Burnout.

• You have nightmares about misspelled names.
• You cringe at the sight of Comic Sans. Papyrus too.
• You can spot a typo from a mile away.
• You wake up in the middle of the night to question whether you added that kid who wasn't there on picture day.

Boundaries You Don’t (Yet) Have

We are all works in progress. (Read: no judgment here.) 

• You have over 3000 photos sorted into folders by school event.
• You consider caffeine a major food group.
• Your evenings and weekends are spent at school events with a camera glued to your hand.
• You have a note on your phone with headline ideas.
• You have contacted friends on social, neighbors, your bunco group, gym friends, and random parents at the grocery store to add photos and order their books.
• Your idea of a vacation is a day without a deadline. Conversely, you’ll pay for airplane wifi to finish that last spread.
• You consider the yearbook room your second home.

Did we miss any? Message us on Facebook or Instagram.

Avoid the pitfall of waiting until the yearbook is complete to begin selling. Keep reading for reasons you should begin marketing the yearbook now.

Financial Incentives to Sell Yearbooks Early

Back-to-school time is when everyone is excited about the new year. Parents know there are a lot of expenses for clothes, school supplies, and yearbooks.

• Early bird discounts: Better than a worm, Treering families save 10% on the cost of their yearbooks from August to October. Schools that purchase in bulk also enjoy the extra savings.
• Start accumulating your fundraiser: Schools using the yearbook as a fundraiser will have extra time to meet their monetary goal.
• Earn four free yearbooks: Treering customers who sell five books by September 15, earn a free yearbook. They earn a second if they sell 25 books by December 15, and two more if they sell 50 books by January 31.

Build Hype

Create excitement about the yearbook on day one. When families see the yearbook team out and about, it tells them two things:

1. I need to buy a yearbook.
2. The yearbook team is committed to covering the whole year.

Early sales encourage students to participate in yearbook-related activities. It also offers the yearbook team extra time for teasers and keeps them accountable for progress. That said, take advantage of this added engagement for crowdsourcing opportunities. If students know they are in the yearbook, they will buy the yearbook.

Help Parents

Let's face it, we need reminders too.

• Customization: Families can purchase their yearbook early and have until the purchase deadline to work on and finish their custom pages.
• Reduce stress: Let's face it, Maycember is real. And who doesn't love adding a fat checkmark to the to-do list?

How Do You Begin Early Yearbook Sales?

Begin sales—like all things yearbook—with a plan. An easy win is to include a yearbook flyer in the registration packet that goes home with every child. Level up your approach with a school calendar and your team and create a yearbook presence at

• Back-to-school events
• Parent group meetings
• A staff meeting (or three)
• Picture day
• Homecoming
• Fall festival

https://blog.treering.com/teaching-yearbook-making-a-marketing-plan/

Sell early, sell often. Treering's order processing and tracking make for one less paper trail for advisers to chase. You won't regret the momentum.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

Every year, Laura Dauley writes her kids a letter. Part recap, part encouragement, these letters get tucked away in a treasured collection. This year, the mom-of-two switched things up and added it to the yearbook. And entered it in a design contest. And won said contest. We asked Dauley, as the K-8 division winner of the Memory Marvels 2024 Custom Page Design Contest, to share her tips for creating an authentic, memorable custom page design… that won’t embarrass.

How did you come up with your design?

Harper’s moving on to high school. I wanted to commemorate 11 years at the same school, from first days to playground memories. Digging through photos from the same time every year was emotional. I included our dogs and her brother, who’s been with her every step of the way, to remind her of all they shared.

It was a fine balance to not select a pic she wouldn’t be embarrassed over. There are many memories and experiences, so I also didn’t want it to be chaotic. 

What does it mean for your daughter to have space dedicated to HER in her book?

What’s cooler than your eighth-grade yearbook? 

This was in the context of something she was already excited about: her friends, and her memories. And I got to tack on to that. Only she had this. When they pass around the yearbooks, she has something special and unique. Her custom pages allowed me to make an emotional connection with her.

She also thought it was cool that her pages won. She’s always been proud of me making things for her along the way.

You’re a designer by trade. What advice do you have for parents getting started with their custom pages?

Less is more. Keep it simple. Focus first on what you want to feature and then add graphics. Don’t start with flashy, arbitrary graphics. Here’s the process for Harper’s custom pages:

• Images first
• Then the letter
• Then years, color scheme, and typefaces

It could be a daunting task. Even if you don’t know design, you can make a really cool page. I told all my friends to go online and start with the Treering templates. I was surprised with the flexibility and that I could create something from scratch.