| 5 W’s & H | The six key questions a journalist must answer for the reader: who, what, when, where, why and how. |
| adviser | Teaches staff journalistic reporting and publication processes. Oversees the production of the yearbook. For journalistic publications, the Associated Press Stylebook dictates the word be spelled “adviser.” |
| alignment | The position of elements on a layout in relation to other elements. |
| alternative copy | Instead of a traditional feature story, this is an innovative way to draw in readers, improve the design and increase coverage. |
| aperture | The opening of a lens’s diaphragm through which light passes. |
| attribution | Who said the quote, including the grade level and/or title. |
| axis | The vertical version of an eyeline. |
| bleed | When content or imagery extends past the edge of the page. |
| brightness | The overall lightness or darkness of the image. |
| byline | A line of text that gives the name of the writer. |
| candid | An unposed or casual picture of a person or group. |
| caption | Text accompanying a photo that tells the reader who is in the photo and what is happening. |
| closing | The final page of the yearbook with a design similar to the opening; makes a powerful and final verbal and visual statement of the theme or concept. |
| cmyk | When printing, ink colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black are applied to paper in layers to create a full color image. |
| COB | Stands for “cut out background.””An image that has a transparent background. See cut-out. |
| colophon | A colophon is a statement, placed at the end of the yearbook, recording the names of the staff and printer, book specifications, size of the edition and other information about the production of the yearbook. |
| column | The structure created when the spread is divided into a number of equal divisions, in order to design a layout with consistency. |
| contrast | Opposing elements spark visual interest. Often used to enhance images when editing. |
| copy | All text on a page. |
| copyright | Exclusive rights for the creator or owner of original literary, artistic or photographic material to make, distribute and control copies of that work for a specified number of years, as guaranteed by law. The use of copyrighted material without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder is copyright infringement and against the law. |
| cover | A yearbook cover combines visual and verbal elements to introduce the theme. It should include the name of the publication, year, theme phrase, and |
| crop | The elimination of parts of a photograph that do not enhance the quality of the image. |
| cut-out | A photo treatment in which the background has been cut away from the subject. |
| deadline | When content is due. |
| divider | Yearbook pages that separate one section from another and introduce the section’s content. Typically includes section label, theme-related spin off spin-off, graphic elements, photo(s), caption, and sometimes a table of contents of that specific section. |
| drop cap | A design element that uses a large letter that appears at the start of a block of text. |
| editing | The process of improving content for optimal display. Photo editing, copy editing, and design editing are all important processes to include in yearbook production. |
| editor | A student leader on the yearbook staff. |
| endsheet | The four pages at the front and end of a book that are pasted to the insides of the front and back cover, holding the cover to the inside block of pages. |
| external margin | The boundary established around the entire spread to provide a frame of white space along all sides. Text elements should never cross into the external margin. |
| eyeline | Serves as an anchor point for design elements. Should be place in the middle third of the spread, horizontally. No elements should cross the eyeline. |
| folio | The page number and word or images that might accompany it. |
| font | A set of text characters in a specific style and size. |
| golden ratio | A mathematical rule that’s used to repeatedly create visually pleasing designs. |
| grid | A framework of vertical or horizontal columns used for organizing and aligning content. |
| gutter | The center of the spread, where the yearbook is bound with thread and glue into the spine. Typographic elements should not be placed in this area, but visual elements can cross the gutter. Intentional placing at least one element across the gutter ensures the spread displays to the reader as a cohesive unit, instead of two separate pages. |
| headline | A large line of text at the top of a story that summarizes or introduces what it is about. |
| index | An alphabetical directory of every person, team, group, advertiser and topic featured in the words and photos on the pages of a yearbook. |
| internal margin | The space between elements on a spread. Should be consistent between all elements. Use smaller spacing between photo groups and larger spacing between sections. |
| interview | A one-on-one question and answer session with a source. |
| interview question | A sentence worded to elicit information from a source about a particular topic during an interview. |
| justification | The way text is placed within a text box: flush left, flush right, centered, or justified (flush on both sides). |
| kerning | The space between letters. |
| ladder | A page-by-page diagram showing the yearbook’s contents. Typically includes which staff member the spread is assigned to and the due dates. |
| layout | A design for a spread or module in a yearbook. It accounts for all elements on a page. |
| lead | The opening sentence or paragraph of a story. |
| leading | The space between lines of text. |
| margin | Boundary established for content to stay within. |
| module | The yearbook equivalent of a sidebar, featuring topical content. |
| mugshot | See portrait. |
| opening | The first two to four pages (or more) of the yearbook which introduces the theme. |
| page | The left or right side of a spread. |
| pica | A unit of measurement utilized in typography for the widths of columns as well as other space measurements in a page layout. There are six picas to one inch; twelve points are contained within one pica. |
| point | A unit of measurement utilized in typography space measurements in a page layout. There are six picas to one inch; twelve points are contained within one pica. |
| portrait | A photo of one person’s head and shoulder area only. |
| proof | A sample print used as a final opportunity to make corrections before final publishing. |
| proofread | To carefully check and correct any errors before a publication is published. |
| pull quote | A brief, attention-catching quotation, typically in a distinctive typeface, taken from the main text of an article and used as a subheading or graphic feature. |
| quote | Word-for-word statements from sources, showing a reaction to, an explanation for or an interpretation of an activity, event or issue. |
| quote format | “””I am an awesome quote,”” Firstname Lastname (12) said. “ |
| rule of thirds | A photographic technique to increase visual interest that consists of dividing the photograph into thirds vertically and horizontally, creating four intersection points. The main subject falls into one of the intersecting points, a little off-center in the photo. |
| sans serif | Fonts that do not have serifs. Typically considered modern and minimal. |
| secondary coverage | See module. |
| section | Categorical separation in a yearbook. Traditional sections are Student Life, Sports, Academics, Organizations, Fine Arts, Portraits, and Reference. Modern yearbooks often use chronological sections by season, month, or even week. |
| serif | “A slight “”tail”” coming off a stroke of a letter. Sometimes considered more classic or formal font style. Serif fonts are often used in lengthy sections of body copy because they typically result in easier readability.” |
| shutter speed | The time for which a shutter is open at a given setting. |
| sidebar | See module. |
| spin-off | Section of a yearbook that has a theme-related title. |
| spine | Area of the yearbook connecting the front and back covers. The name of the school, name of the book, city/state, volume number and year should appear on the spine in a way that reflects the theme. |
| spread | Two facing pages in a yearbook, designed cohesively. |
| subhead | A secondary headline. Should include a subject and a verb that adds detail about a story. Clarifies a headline that may be attention-grabbing, but somewhat ambigous. |
| template | A design created to be used as a pattern for production of future designs. |
| theme | A unifying device that runs throughout a publication to communicate the personality of the students at your school this year. It is portrayed through the verbal and visual elements of the content on each spread. |
| title page | Page one of the yearbook. It usually contains at least one photo, graphic elements, the name of the school, school address, school phone number and year. It may also include enrollment, principal name, faculty and staff totals. |
| typeface | A set of text characters that share a common design. |
| white space | The empty space on a page that prevents overcrowding of elements. |
