YearBook Publishing And Printing

The traditional yearbook is opened with a bit of trepidation. The spine creaks and then, when pressed flat so you can see your crush, whose photo is next to the fold, cracks. The original methods of binding, though effective, tend to make proper viewing of the yearbook difficult. Lay-flat binding is the newest option in yearbook binding.

With lay-flat binding, the yearbook is stitched in such a way that the pages open flat, providing you with a continuous surface on each two page spread. Not only does this prevent the spine from cracking and creasing, it also gives you more space to work with. Photos can be placed closer to the center fold, without disappearing after publishing the book.

When considering your binding options, check the availability of lay-flat binding. It will make your yearbooks easier to use and can be used as a selling point.

When you are looking at printing options, you’ll find that you can choose between having a hard cover or a soft one for the yearbook. Deciding which to go with is the difficult part. Each one has its good points as well as faults. Let’s break the two types down.

Hard Cover

• More durable than a soft cover and offers more protection.

• Offers a professional look.

• Can be used with any amount of pages.

• Comes in a variety of textures.

• Can be foil stamped for a classy touch.

• Tends to be more expensive.

Soft Cover

• Offers more options in regards to cover art.

• Is the cheaper option of the two.

• Personalization is very easy to do, it can be integrated right into the cover.

• May be limited to a certain number of pages, perfect for small schools.

• Texture is limited to glossy or matte.

• Tends to get dog-eared fairly quickly.

This list should help you decide, but you may also want to look at past editions of your school’s yearbook. If you have always had hard covers, people may complain about a switch to soft, and vice versa.