A yearbook page template is one of the best ways to save time (and a ton of sanity) during the yearbook layout process.
All too often, though, we talk to yearbook advisers who are skipping them for the same reason: They don’t want to use the same template over and over and over again, on every page. They think that’d be boring.
Fair enough.
In fact, we won’t even try to argue. That would get boring. But you know what? There’s a way to fix that.
You can take one yearbook page template and turn it into four different ones that’ll give your yearbook pages that cohesive, but not boring, look. The trick is so easy you’ll be laughing, and so effective you’ll pinch yourself.
What is it? Why does it work? We’ll get to that. But let’s start by looking at what makes page templates so valuable in the first place.
Why Yearbook Layout Templates are a Go-To Resource
When yearbook design is done well, the pages flow, the photos stand out, and the copy complements the visuals.
If you try to achieve all this from scratch, you’re looking at an huge amount of work that requires pro-level design knowledge and a significant time investment. (And let’s be real: You can’t always find that on your yearbook committee.)
That’s why page templates have become a go-to resource. Yearbook page templates:
- Simplify the design process: Templates allow you to drag and drop photos into placeholders, add copy, and… that’s it. No need to stress about page setup or search for a volunteer with a design background.
- Control the overall book design: Templates give you a set structure. This means yearbook advisers can control the layout process without micromanaging or limiting the people who help out with design.
- Save time: Templates require less prep time and overall work. Plus, the learning curve is minimal—anyone with even a small amount of computer savvy can use page templates.
- Help teach design principles: Templates can help students volunteers learn the principles of great design. Students can express their creativity within the template structure, and gain more responsibility as their skills progress.
Since page templates are so helpful and there are so many options available, it’s tempting to fill your yearbook with a variety of layout styles. But that makes more work, and—good news here—it’s not necessary.
The solution—one that saves even more time and stress—is to get creative with just one template.
Sounds crazy, right? It’s not. One template, flipped into four, can result in a far better outcome than a variety of templates. Here’s how to do it.
How to Create Four Unique Layouts From One Yearbook Page Template
Find a yearbook page template you love, and make multiple new ones by recreating it in three rotations. Because this type of thing can sound confusing, here’s a visual example of how to do it.
Original:
Now, let’s flip it vertically:
Then, we’ll take that template and flip it horizontally:
Last, let’s go back to the original template and flip it horizontally:
Notice how each one looks similar to the other, but still different enough to give some variety? That’s exactly what we’re going for.
By re-drawing the original template in different directions, you end up with four page layouts. Each one is unique enough to add variety to your pages, yet similar enough to give your yearbook a cohesive feel.
If you want more than four options, you can further adjust each template by adding or removing text or photo boxes to create new layouts. Or, you can mix up the portrait and landscape orienttaions of the photos.
These small alterations don’t take much time, but they give your entire yearbook a fresh feel. By approaching your yearbook layout this way, you get all the benefits of a yearbook page template—without the repetition.
