Aligning elements to something else on a spread provides a visual anchor and helps readers navigate the content.

A different method of storytelling which can either expand on a central theme or show a completely new angle. Concise and easy to read. Includes lists, quotes, personal narratives, surveys and other formats that accurately tell the story.

A writer's specific focus on a broader topic. For example, on a theater spread: The star of the musical was almost late to opening night because he was pitching in the state final game, as opposed to facts and figures about the star.

The opening in a photographic lens that admits light to reach the camera sensor. The aperture number — measured in f-stops — determines how much light gets through.

Identification of the person who said the words being quoted or paraphrased. Crediting a quote to its source. Should be written: Comma quote name said.

Do not cluster all elements to one area. Distribute elements across the spread to achieve balance.

When an element extends past the grid and to the outside edge of the page. This can be used for color, graphics and dominant photos, but never copy.

An organized, precise and effective communicator who maintains budget, campaigns for selling both books and ads to increase community buy-in, as well as motivating the staff.

In sales and advertising, usually the final line of a persuasive message. For example, "Buy Now!" or "Call today!" These should be creative.

An action photo that captures the moment or tells the story. With the exception of headshots and group pictures, all yearbook photos should be candid.

Identifies the who, what, when, where, why and how of a picture. Formula: ABCDQ. Action, basic information, complementary sentences, descriptive quote. Placed in the niches created by packaging photos.

The dominant element in a photo. The part of the image your eye goes to first.

Coverage based on a time element. Can be divided into sections based on seasons, months or weeks, or not divided at all.

Can be answered with one or two words. A yes/no question. Used to obtain facts, figures and other specifics. Should be followed by an open-ended question.

Final pages of the yearbook (typically three pages or more) where the theme concludes. Should follow ads and index.

Pronounced like marathon. A list of the technical printing information for the book, including number of copies, colors, fonts, photography company and awards won by the previous year's staff. Often appears after, or part of, the index.

If items are not exactly the same, make them drastically different. Contrast helps with the hierarchy of a spread by emphasizing elements you want to stand out.

The stories. Every spread should contain at least one story, also called a copy block or body copy, containing mostly colorful student quotes.

Outside of the yearbook which protects the printed pages. It displays the publication title, volume, date, theme and other required information.

Refers both to the topics featured on individual spreads and how the topics are highlighted. For example, typical topics covered in a student life section would include summer, the first day of school and homecoming. Typical homecoming coverage would include photos, copy and captions detailing the event.

Eliminating excess content or dead space in a photo. Proper cropping provides focus to an image.

Buyer of a yearbook or advertisement, and any potential purchaser.

Change in focus between the nearest and farthest objects in an image.

Coverage that is broken into bite sized chunks. Comes from the idea that it is easy to digest. Short for "the Reader's Digest version." Or, a shortened condensed version of a story. Brevity in reporting allows for more modules to appear on a spread.

Yearbook Day, the best day of the year, the day you give students the books they have purchased. You worked for this day. Celebrate!

A spread used to separate each of the sections of the yearbook. A divider is usually theme-related in design and the copy links the main theme to the ensuing section.

This is the largest and best photo on the spread.

The most prominent story on a spread. Typically goes along with the dominant photo in the photo package and has the largest headline.

When reporters provide their opinions to readers. Editorializing must be avoided in yearbook copy. Reporters should remain objective and allow readers to establish their own opinions based on the information presented.

Heavier sheets of paper that hold pages to the cover. Endsheets may be plain or designed to reflect the theme. The front endsheet typically contains the table of contents listing.

To walk around looking for interesting candid subjects or events to shoot.

White space around the border of a spread. All layouts should have a consistent external margin. While the top and side margins in the book are the same, the bottom margin is usually 2 to 4 picas taller.

The horizontal separator on a spread from which mods hang or sit. It carries your eye across the page.

Stands for focal stop. The size of the aperture is measured in f-stops.

Formerly called an interrupter or showstopper spread, coverage which is presented in a different fashion to break up the visual monotony created by templates.

A story worthy of standing alone. These are personal profiles or just well-told stories.

The spread identifier including page number, usually placed in the external margin.

To surround or frame the center of interest in a photo with another object to attract and focus attention.

Front cover of the book which includes the name of the book, the year and the theme. The theme should be developed both visually and verbally.

Elements such as color, white space, rule lines, gray screens, large initial letters and special type treatments which enhance the book's design.

This is a hidden layer on a document of same-sized squares. It helps create structure on which to build mods, but does not print.

The 2-pica folding allowance between two pages where they are bound together.

When the first line is set slightly to the left of subsequent lines. This organizes dense copy to make it more readable. This paragraph shows a hanging indent.

A line of large type used to tell the reader what follows in the copy below. It introduces the topic and serves as a main visual point of interest on the spread. Should have an active verb.

Money raised from ad and book sales or fundraising profits.

A list of names, places and subjects included in the book and the page numbers where they are found. Advertisers should be listed in contrasting type, as should topics. Indexes are vital to yearbooks so students can find themselves and you can monitor coverage.

Tool that scans your book for index entries and makes it easy to create index pages by creating a database of entries.

Half a pica of space between photos and copy indicates to readers these items are meant to be consumed together as one package of information.

Internal margins, formerly called rails, provide consistent spacing between all coverage packages on a spread. Use pink to represent a "separator" in this space to make it stand out as distinct borders for mods when building a spread. You must delete them before printing.

A conversation between a reporter and a source to obtain information and quotes to use in copy.

Number indicating the camera's sensitivity to light. The higher the number, the less light required, but the grainier it looks.

Using more than one spread for a topic and linking the additional spreads to the first with a headline, logo or similar design.

A page-by-page diagram of the yearbook's planned contents. Staff members use the ladder to stay organized and plan deadlines.

An attention-grabbing introduction setting the tone for the story.

Caption starters. These are two-to three-word cues to the reader that a new caption is beginning. Use them consistently in each section.

Natural lines the eye follows in a photo, particularly elements running from the foreground to background.

A general reference to promoting and selling products or services.

About one million pixels. This describes resolution. The more pixels in an image, the higher the resolution.

Digital image storage device.

Coverage broken into modular pieces, or mods, on a spread.

A package (sidebar, set of quotes, etc.) of brief content used to expand coverage. Modules often relate back to your theme or concept.

Cannot be answered with one or two words. Requires the respondent to describe actions and reactions, and could have a different response from every person you ask.

The first few spreads which introduce the theme.

Extra books produced. These are shipped to you to cover any damaged or defective books. You may sell these books or follow the policy for getting them credited.

Selling more books than originally ordered. Once your copy count is set, it's set. Contact your rep immediately if you find yourself in this situation.

A way for an individual or small business to support the yearbook. If your school is a 501c(3), patron ads may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

The largest section of the book. Includes the professional portraits and names of all people at the school: seniors, underclassmen and faculty.

Highlights one specific person, assuming that person's story will capture enough attention to stand alone. The quotes come primarily from the subject of the profile.

The arrangement of objects within a frame. Good composition creates reader interest.

Short for photo opportunity: A planned event, like a pep rally or other school function.

A grouping of photos, starting with one dominant photo and others getting smaller in size.

A straightforward head-and-shoulders photo, taken by a professional.

First level of coverage, usually the most important story or topic of the spread with the largest headline. Also labeled level-one copy or dominant copy.

The amount of money in your account after all expenses are paid.

Group related items together. If an item is close in proximity to another, it is expected that they should be viewed as a whole package.

A direct statement a reporter obtains through a face-to-face interview. Quotes are included word-for-word in copy, are set off with quotation marks and include attribution.

A direct statement a reporter obtains through a face-to-face interview. Quotes are included word-for-word in copy, are set off with quotation marks and include attribution.

Design choices should make content easy to read and follow.

Both visual and verbal elements of the book that help readers navigate the content and find what they are looking for. These include repeated graphics, folios, indexes, tables of contents, etc.

Repeat visual elements throughout your publication to develop organization and unity.

Measured in dots per inch (dpi), resolution determines the quality of image detail. Higher resolution means more pixels per inch (ppi) which means more detail. Low-resolution images will not reproduce well in a yearbook. Minimum print quality is 300 dpi at the size printed.

Listing of the season record of a sports team including opponents, wins, loses and scores. Your score always comes first. Always include a win-loss record as part of scoreboards, including season and league totals.

Second level of coverage, smaller text and photo size than a level one.

A traditional yearbook is typically broken into six sections: Student life, academics, organizations, people, sports and ads/index. These sections are used as organizational tools for the staffers and the readers.

An object in sharp focus will be isolated from blurred, out-of-focus surroundings.

Goes hand-in-hand with call to action. The driving force to buy a book before it's too late or the price increases.

Markers of internal margins, they provide consistent spacing between all elements on a spread. They are shown in pink but do not print as long as they are deleted.

A template on the grid made up of separators without any content. Separators should be placed to accommodate the spaces you'll need per mod.

How long the camera's shutter stays open.

A 16-page grouping for offset printing. Yearbooks are printed in signatures, which are then folded, stitched and trimmed to be collated and bound into the book.

An image taken purposefully without sharp focus.

The person a reporter interviews. A "source" of information.

A "mini theme" used as a section title. Spin-offs help carry the theme throughout the book.

Area of the yearbook connecting the front and back covers. The name of the school, city/state, name of the book, volume number and year should appear on the spine in a way that reflects the theme.

Two facing or side-by-side pages such as 2 and 3, 4 and 5, 6 and 7, etc. Designing in spreads helps your book look more cohesive.

Narrows a broad topic into a specific narrative. Shows a variety of perspectives by including quotes from a broad spectrum of people. Remember: one topic, one story.

A list of guidelines a writer uses to maintain consistent punctuation, capitalization and school-specific rules. Use the Associated Press Style Guide as a starting point.

Our exclusive grid-based approach to formatting spreads and arranging content based on professional publication design principles. A simple to use, drag and drop, modular spread-building process.

Also called a deck, this is a smaller headline accompanying the main headline and providing specific, detailed information about the story.

Any additional photos around the dominant photo, progressively getting smaller.

Any small level of coverage, primarily used to get more student quotes and faces in the book.

Listing of the pages starting book sections, and often page topics within each section. Usually printed on the front endsheet or in the opening, but not on the title page.

Third level of coverage, smaller in text and photo size than a level-two mod.

A verbal statement and a visual look which tie all parts of the book together and provide a way to tell the story of the year. Also called a concept.

Multi-level pricing allows you to promote sales through discounts to buyers. Used to create a sense of urgency to buy early in the year.

The first page of the book. It should include the theme, the name of the book, the name of the school, the complete school address, the volume number, enrollment by grade, and year. The school telephone number, web address and enrollment should also be listed there.

The time-honored structure for a yearbook. The six sections are student life, clubs, academics, people, sports and reference. Each spread focuses on an event, group, topic or team.

A sentence a writer uses to link one fact or quotation to another in a piece of copy.

Coverage on a spread based on a general topic rather than a specific event, group or team.

The overall feel and personality of the look of your book.

Brainstorming exercise to generate topic-based coverage ideas.

Also known as negative space, is any area on a spread not taken up by content or graphics. It can make your visual message stronger and help navigate a reader through a spread.

Located in our Kansas City plant, consider these folks part of your sales staff. We provide professional order takers for toll-free phone orders as well as free online book sales. They enter sales directly into eBusiness for you.

Coverage philosophy and technique where the goal is to include every student at least twice. Some staffs take their goals to three or more.

A writer's specific focus on a broader topic. For example, on a theater spread: The star of the musical was almost late to opening night because he was pitching in the state final game, as opposed to facts and figures about the star.

Elements such as color, white space, rule lines, gray screens, large initial letters and special type treatments which enhance the book's design.