It’s a tradition that has existed in America since the 1860s, starting out when a Boston photographer called George Warren perfected the technique of making numerous prints from one glass negative. The quick-thinking photographer then encouraged school pupils and their parents to buy the images and put them together in a book, of which everyone could get a copy. And so, the yearbook was born, an important reminder of what is often the happiest time in most people’s lives.
What is a yearbook?
A yearbook is an annual publication which – in its simplest terms – gives information about events and activities of the previous 12 months. It could be a sporting team who want to present a retrospective of their successes, complete with photography of key moments and profiles of the squad. It can even be used to highlight sponsors – giving them an added incentive to put their weight behind that particular club.
The most popular understanding of a school yearbook however is in relation to students, whereby it paints a picture of the senior year and their activities before they leave school.
These leavers' books usually contain images of the class of a particular year, with details about their interests, plans, hopes and dreams.
They may contain stories about events such as sporting activities, senior prom, education results and spaces for students to sign each other’s books to create a lasting memory.
What should be included in a yearbook?
There are no hard and fast rules but if you want to create something to treasure for years to come, then there are a few things to consider.
Firstly, photography. You should definitely look at a headshot for everyone in the particular year. The good news is that, because of the high quality of digital imagery available on tablets or phones, there’s no need to invest in a professional photographer. Everyone can submit their own image and include whatever details about themselves they may want to add.
Think about everyone answering the same few questions:
- Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
- What has been your favourite moment from this year?
This will give the book some continuity. It will also be fun to look at in the future, to see how many of your fellow classmates achieved their ambitions. You might also want to include a group picture of teachers or tutors, again that always makes for a fun item to look back on in the future.
Many yearbooks also add a section of awards and predictions about who might do what in the future. These can include “the person most likely to….” Again, something which will be interesting to follow up on in later years.
Don’t forget the importance of imagery. School plays, sporting events, fun nights out, trips, visits – all of these can be combined into a collage of exciting memories. This isn’t a strict list, and the yearbook you create needs to mean something to you, so take your time to decide on the content you want to include.
How do I compile a yearbook?
Book printing is something we know all about at Aliant Brands, which means we can help you at every stage of this important journey. Look into the options for the format of your book. Do you want a hard back, all singing all dancing version, or something more cost-effective? If you have particularly large images with lots of people on then consider lay flat books, which won’t compromise the look of a picture if it needs to be spread across two pages.