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Yearbook Terminology: What Do All These Words Mean?

When you work on a yearbook, there are many different words used that you may not have heard before. Suddenly, it might feel like you’re trying to learn a new language. From pica to pull quote, this handy guide will help you navigate the most used yearbook terminology with ease. Before you know it, you’ll feel like a real yerd (definition: yearbook nerd).

Bleed: When content or imagery extends past the edge of the page. Note, each page has extra space (usually 1/8-inch) that is trimmed after printing.

Byline: When you list a person’s name and give them credit as the author of a story.

Candid: An unposed or casual picture of a person or group. Unlike posed pictures where someone faces the camera and smiles, candid pictures typically capture someone doing something in the moment.

Caption: Short copy that describes a picture, often placed below it, to help the reader better understand the image.

Closing: The yearbook’s last page.

Copy: All text on a page.

Copy editing: The process of improving the copy for clarity, accuracy and style.

Cover: The outside of the yearbook. Can be hard cover or soft cover.

Dedication: A section that typically features a student photo and personal message. These are purchased by family members.

Dominant element: The focal point of the page.

DPI: Dots per inch for digital images. A higher DPI will be more detailed when printed.

Drop cap: A design element that uses a large letter that appears at the start of a block of text.

Folio: The page number in the yearbook.

Font: A type or style of text.

Gutter: Where two pages meet in the center.

Headline: A bold or larger line of text at the top of a story that summarizes or introduces what it is about.

Kerning: The space between side-by-side letters that can be adjusted if necessary.

Ladder: A basic organizational plan that lists yearbook spreads with the subject of each page.

Layout: The arrangement of the page elements.

Pica: Unit of measurement equal to 1/6 inch.

Portrait: A posed photo of a person’s head and shoulders. This is what you see in a traditional school picture.

Proof: A copy of the yearbook that is provided for final review and sign-off.

Proofreading: Reviewing copy and other page elements to catch errors and typos.

Pull quote: A small portion of the story that highlights a key point reused in larger type as a graphic page element.

Sans serif fonts: Fonts that do not feature serifs, the small decorative projections on letter strokes. Used often in smaller text for ease of reading.

Serif fonts: Fonts that feature serifs, the small decorative projections on letter strokes. Used often in headlines.

Spread: Two facing pages in a yearbook. For example, pages two and three are spreads and are both visible when the book is open.

Template: A predesigned layout provided by Lifetouch that makes it easy to organize yearbook pages.

Theme: The idea or concept that ties the entire yearbook together.

Title page: The first page of the yearbook, which often includes a picture of the school building, logo and year.

White space: The empty space on a page that prevents overcrowding. Also called negative space.

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