Before you can start laying out your book, you need to brainstorm all the possible high school yearbook themes that fit your school.
Coming up with a creative, unique to your high school yearbook theme can be tough, though. And that can make ready-to-use themes really attractive. A lot of those high school yearbook themes lists are just words on paper, though. There’s no visual inspiration into how you might carry the theme through to the layout and overall design. (If you ask us, that isn’t all that helpful.)
Read on, and you’ll get to read about—and see—seven ready-to-use high school yearbook themes.
7 Ready-to-Use High School Yearbook Themes
#1: Journeys
There’s never just one way to get to where we’re going. (If that was the case, most of us would never get there.) A subway theme, with all its different possibilities, celebrates all the different journeys we take.
Some name ideas:
- What a Ride
- Underground Stories
- Journeys
Graduation might seem like the end of the line for many seniors, but they they will continue on in many different directions as they begin to chart their own course. In this theme, consider using different train lines and colors for different grades. Where do they converge and intersect?
You could even do a Catch a Transfer feature with a Q & A to get to know some of your school’s transfer students. If you’re school is in an urban setting, this is a way to acknowledge all of the vibrant neighborhoods that make up your student body.
#2: Insta-Worthy
Is there a more popular way to share your favorite photos than Instagram? We can’t think of one. Use the app’s spirit as inspiration for your yearbook theme with this updated design.
Some name ideas:
- #NoFilter
- In an Instant
- A Picture is Worth… 2017
Let’s face it, when you’re flipping through the yearbook, you’re focused on the pictures.
Using a social media theme is sure to get you plenty of likes, favorites, and flattering comments on your autograph pages. Consider carrying themes like Throwback Thursdays to show seniors when they were freshmen. Hopefully you can find an appetizing cafeteria meal for one of those always popular foodie photos. We’ll leave the filter up to you.
#3: Doodles
What is high school besides one long day dream, interrupted by tests on subjects that teachers claim you’ll need to know for college?
Some name ideas:
- Endless Daydream
- Taking Note
- Stuff as Dreams are Made On
Capture this fleeting reverie with a theme that celebrates whimsy. Enlist one of your best artists to scribble meaningful sketches, or include handwritten quotes that represent your time together. Or save yourselves the trouble and use ours.
#4: Work in Progress
The great thing about your yearbook portrait is that even if it doesn’t turn out great, years from now you can just chalk it up to an awkward stage.
Some name ideas:
- In Color
- Leaving Our Mark
- Our Magnum Opus
An unfinished painting is an imaginative way to chronicle how far your class has come, and the mystery of what lies ahead. We’ve got the palate and the canvas, now it’s up to you to apply the brush strokes.
#5: Glossy
It’s no secret high school yearbooks are starting to look more like glossy magazines. Why not take a cue from the best ones out there?
Some name ideas:
- Stories
- In Print
While our theme design above is inspired by Henry Luce, the man who founded Time, Life and Sports Illustrated, you can find your own inspiration in your favorite magazines and build designs that feel similar. We also built a number of different layout options for every page and spread type, so you can focus on telling your school’s story.
#6: Shapes
Geometric shapes are so in right now, especially when organized into mosaic patterns. And while we have a few themes that are built entirely around that concept, this one might be our favorite.
Some name ideas:
- The Year That Shaped Us
- Pieces of the Whole
Inspired by Jørn Oberg Utzon, who designed the Sydney Opera House, this high school yearbook theme looked to that iconic building for design inspiration. It’s a magnum opus. Just like your yearbook is going to be.
#7: Mascot
Whether you had a super corny mascot or a team name that struck fear into rivals, one thing is clear: You and your classmates will remain Vikings/Bulldogs/Crusaders/Banana Slugs for life.
Some name ideas:
- Changing Stripes
- Hear Us Roar
- A Winning Streak
Take pride in your school’s mascot and bring it to life in your pages. Say you’re the Tigers. Where will your seniors be on the prowl next year? Did you enjoy any uniform upgrades? Show how tigers really can change their stripes. We’re sure you’ve heard all the puns over the years, now use them to represent your school’s unique personality.
If those ideas don’t the gears of creativity turning, there’s plenty more where they came from. We’ve rolled out more than 33 new themes for this year, and you can explore them all using our Yearbook Theme Generator.
