The number of yearbook design options available to create a customized, one-of-kind yearbook can be dizzying. Take yearbook page backgrounds for example, how many page background design options are there to adjust? Should you go with a standard, preset colour to be used on every page? Or, do you mix up colours, textures, and add unique elements? And, when your team explores these options, are they aware of how background page design will ultimately impact the yearbook’s tone and appearance?
It can be hard to know where to start, and often more challenging to know when to stop, but, custom elements, such as custom-created backgrounds, make a yearbook’s design more relatable to the students it is designed to impress. They’re also an easy way to make a yearbook design both stunning and affordable. In this article, we’re diving into how custom created backgrounds enhance yearbook design.
Custom Backgrounds Anchor Yearbook Continuity
Yearbook page backgrounds should be relied upon to anchor a sense of continuity throughout a yearbook’s design. A cohesive and professional-looking yearbook will flow aesthetically from the opening page to the closing thoughts.
However, creating good flow and continuity in a yearbook can be tricky because each page has a different topic, subject idea, and tone. Custom backgrounds can be used to impart a sense of continuity and connect seemingly unrelated pages.
Continuity Creating Custom Background Ideas
- Try using school colours as page background colours.
- Create a theme related colour palette to use for pages background.
- Add sayings and fonts that focus on campus personality.
Custom Backgrounds Level Up Yearbook Design Skills
Yearbook page design templates are easy to work with, look great, and save time. They are an excellent resource for yearbook teams and are well-suited to yearbook staff with minimal yearbook experience. However, predetermined layouts can lack personality and appear a little too structured. Yet, a completely customized yearbook design is a lengthy process that requires experienced staff.
Balance Yearbook Templates with Custom Elements
An effective way to really own a yearbook design and create an accurate reflection of the campus experience is by blending professional yearbook templates with custom backgrounds. Custom backgrounds can add personality and flair to a standard layout while not altering the page’s images and text positions. When you combine a custom background with a predetermined plan, it will help maintain a professional looking-design and prevent a cookie-cutter appearance.
Showcase Student Talent with Original Art
Incorporating one-of-a-kind artwork in a yearbook is always a treasured aspect of yearbook design. Why not showcase the year’s aspiring artists and use student-created artwork as custom background images? In addition to being memorable, using student art for the background on a yearbook page is a creative way to inspire student participation.
To find great student artwork, visit the art department and talk to art instructors. Or, consider hosting an artwork contest that will encourage students to submit original artwork. The competition could be themed to promote artwork that is relevant to the current yearbook design. For example, if a yearbook’s theme has an eco-friendly aspect, potential art submissions could portray that theme.
Basic Steps to Digitize Artwork
Depending on what resources and equipment are available, transforming artwork into a digital file is a relatively straightforward process. Most yearbook classes should have no trouble converting a piece of student artwork into a custom background for a page layout.
Supplies Needed:
- Student artwork that’s flat, such as a photograph or watercolour painting.
- Quality scanner or digital camera.
- Access to design software, like InDesign.
Step to Digitize Artwork:
- Acquire artwork to be used. Drawings, flat paintings, and sketches work best.
- Take a high-resolution photo of the artwork using a DSLR camera, or,
- Scan the artwork using a good quality scanner.
- Import the image file into your design program and follow the software’s instructions to edit, alter, and perfect the artwork.
- Use as a background image in your yearbook!
Maintain the Right Balance
It can be fun to play with different background designs but, don’t let your yearbook crew get too carried away! Be sure to design and select only custom background images that complement the yearbook design and theme. The background of any yearbook page is meant to support and enhance the page’s content, not compete with or take away from it.
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