Before diving into the details of yearbook organization and planning, one must fully understand the intricacy of the lingo – so everyone is speaking the same language!

Cover
The cover can make or break the success of your yearbook. It is crucial that it immediately conveys your theme and school information and traditions through a cutting-edge, professional design and in a durable, substantial format. Make sure your cover includes your yearbook title, year, and theme.

Spine
Only hard and soft cover sewn books have a spine. The spine is normally where you would include your yearbook title, school name, year, volume, city, and state.

Endsheets
These are the four-page leaves at the front and back of the yearbook that are pasted to the inside of the front and back covers (or boards). They can be designed to complement the cover or, in some cases, contain the table of contents.

Picas
A unit of measurement in design, picas allow users to accurately space out their design from multiple vantage points. Unlike inches or centimeters, it is sometimes easier to simply “count-out” the picas to figure out the appropriate spacing between elements.

Signatures
A book is made of as many 16-page units, called signatures, bound into the cover. A signature is a single sheet of paper that, when folded and trimmed, will produce 16 consecutive pages. Eight pages are printed on one side (a flat) and eight are printed on the other.

Bleed
Any element you want to print to the edge of your page must print right off the edge (or bleed off the page). If you do not have an appropriate bleed in your document, you may see a white line at the edge of your page.

Margins
Area of your pages that indicates the ideal area to place content. Areas within the margin are the best place to situate headlines, copy and pictures containing faces.

Gutter
Located in the middle of your double-page spread, the gutter is where the pages tie-into the binding of the book. You do not want to have any text crossing the gutter (for fear of losing it in the binding) nor do you want to have any pictures with faces crossing it.

Folio
Normally situated at the bottom of each page, the folio normally contains the page number, page content, section, and some form of thematic tie-in. The folio remains as consistent as possible as it does not normally shift from page-to-page and provides the reader with guidance on where they are.

Introductory Section
This opening section explains the yearbook’s theme, sets the tone of the publication, and establishes the time, place, and setting, inviting your reader into the book.

Sections
To organize their yearbook, most schools break up their publication into sections. These sections are often determined, first, by the organization standard selected by the yearbook (chronological vs sectional) followed secondly, by the coverage areas. Some of these areas may include student life, academics, organizations, sports, grads, events, and community.

Dividers
To continue adequately organizing their book, schools typically dedicate several pages, or full spreads, to dividers. Divider/Theme pages are usually a single right-hand page, or a full two-page spread. They typically carry a headline relating to the upcoming section, suitable photos and graphics that echo the theme, and a consistent format. In some cases, they also contain a mini table of contents for the upcoming section.

Colophon
This is the inscription placed at the end of a yearbook containing facts relative to the production of the book, such as printer, copies ordered, type and paper specifications, and general acknowledgments.

Index
An index is a comprehensive alphabetical listing of all persons, subjects, groups, events, or topics mentioned in type or pictured in the yearbook with page references.