June 11, 2024
4 ways to simplify yearbook creation
At a recent PTO event, we handed out eye masks that said, "No more yearbook headaches." Yes, it was the hottest piece of swag there, and more than that, it was a promise: Treering exists to simplify the yearbook process by leveraging technology.
1. Use Templates
Templates are drag-and-drop designs for yearbooks. Generally, they have frames for photos and may contain text boxes and other design elements. Yearbook staff, often parents and students with varying degrees of design experience, can quickly learn to use templates. Not only does this speed up the yearbook creation process, it also keeps the books looking unified.
Theme packages contain coordinating fonts, art, and page layouts. You can easily build a book using page templates for sports, events, and classroom activities.
Select a theme for a whole book look. Templates can often be matched to school themes, colors, and mascots with a few clicks, ensuring the yearbook reflects the school’s identity without extensive custom design work.
Eliminate decisions on bleed, spacing, and typography with professional designs built into your yearbook software. With these design elements already decided, the yearbook team can focus on gathering content.
2. Shared Photo Folders
Crowdsourcing allows individuals to submit photos from events, activities, and everyday school life. It’s the POV for which we all clamor on social media. When students and staff contribute their photos, they also feel a sense of ownership and pride in the yearbook, making them more likely to purchase the yearbook.
By opening up submissions to the greater school community, you also create a broader representation in the yearbook. Allow continuous contributions throughout the year to keep the yearbook team updated with recent events and activities. For best results, do a timely, specific ask to fill your shared folders. If the field trip is Friday in September, get the word out before October.
3. Choose Digital
Digital printing helps streamline yearbook production. With a fast turnaround, it grants more time for design. Additionally, print-on-demand offers the flexibility to accommodate last-minute orders. (We busy parents thank you!)
Print-on-demand also simplifies things by eliminating inventory management. No extra books means no summer flash sales or hitting up the alumni association years later. This method is cost-efficient for smaller schools as well. No minimums mean no set-up charges.
The best part: digital printing makes it easier to create one-of-a-kind yearbooks with custom pages.
4. Offer Personalization
With Treering Yearbooks, parents can add two pages full of their memories—like vacations, milestones, or hobbies—to their child’s copy of the yearbook. When students look through their yearbooks, they will find their memories and their photos alongside traditional yearbook pages. Each copy is unique.
Parents can add those personal touches using integrated online design options for recognition ads and custom pages. (That’s one less thing for the yearbook adviser to do!)
Like crowdsourcing, customization creates coverage. It celebrates each child’s involvement in school and out.
Templates, crowdsourcing, digital printing, and personalization relieve many of the challenges associated with traditional yearbook production. These innovations reduce costs and save time. The result: a high-quality, personalized, and inclusive yearbook that accurately captures your school’s experience.
