- 1). Scan all physical photograph prints. You want to scan those that you may want to include in the yearbook onto your computer. The design will be done digitally, so all photos need to be converted to JPEG files before designing the pages begins.
- 2). Find a home for your photos. Organize a folder on your desktop where you will copy in all digital photo files you may want to put in the yearbook. Reach out to friends or acquaintances who may hold photos you wish to include. Scour social networking sites like Facebook for photographs others have posted.
- 3). Brainstorm. Outline on paper the number of pages and page themes you will have in your yearbook. Keep in mind that the more pages you have, the more expensive the book will ultimately be to print. Page suggestions include athletics, graduation, parties, homecoming, prom, science competitions, class photos, teacher photos, holidays, musicals or student theater, miscellaneous photos, clubs, and valedictorian and salutatorian.
- 4). Divide the photos by categories. Create separate folders for each page of the yearbook on your desktop and organize the photos you previously collected into these pictures. Do not have a photo in more than one folder. This will keep the photographs organized for when designing begins.
- 5). Begin the page layout. Sketch out on paper first the general patterns for your pages. They do not have to be time-intensive, but spending a little time working on the design will save you considerable effort when you go to work on the design digitally.
- 6). Open Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. These are both excellent photo-editing and design programs. You should import photographs and add background color, text, and clip art. Include picture captions and edit photographs for red-eye adjustment and color quality. Design the page to your liking. Make sure to size all designs the same, so that no part is cut off in printing. Save your finished design as an Adobe file or a high resolution JPEG.
- 7). Find a printer. Send the collection of your design pages to a printer such as PrintJunkie.net or SchoolYearbookcenter.com to have it printed and bound. Be sure to talk with a representative who has your product specifications in mind and have the pages numbered, so that they will be put in the correct order.
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