Shaping the modern yearbook

Milestones in evolution of yearbooks Offset printing –Improvements in plates, inks and paper enabled offset to impact printing industry in 1950s –Printing photos became affordable, turning yearbooks into picture books –With ease and affordability of printing, yearbooks stake claim as an American tradition

Milestones in evolution of yearbooks Scholastic journalism –Rise of political activism in 1960s influenced coverage decisions in student publications, including yearbooks –70s, 80s, 90s saw rise of magazine-style coverage –In-depth coverage of student experiences in and out of school –Coverage expanded with sidebars, longer captions –Staffs began to use themes

Milestones in evolution of yearbooks Critique services –Provided by state and national journalism organizations –Judges evaluate publications based on national criteria –Evaluations guide staffs toward consistent design styles and current practices and trends –Offer valuable service, but each staff must decide to accept or reject judges comments

Milestones in evolution of yearbooks Desktop publishing –Macintosh computers first to offer students powerful design tool –Quark and Adobe software gave staffs control once only available for professional designers –Made page creation more elaborate, but more affordable –Gave students and advisers freedom to experiment –Early designs reflected the kid-in-the-candy-store approach, but eventually staffs learned to harness the freedom

Milestones in evolution of yearbooks Digital photography –Elimination of film allowed new heights of freedom –Photographers need not worry about wasting film –Digital images can be loaded directly on pages, permitting designers greater control

Milestones in evolution of yearbooks Online creation –Online publishing tools give staffs the ability to create yearbooks without expense of software –Technology continues to improve, giving staffs many of the tools found in offline software –Page creation simplified –Gives staffs freedom to work anywhere; just need internet connection