Making a Page in YearTech Online

YearTech is the simplest, best way to make most pages.  But before you start, think about this:  The only times NOT to start with YearTech are when:

·         you need to merge more than one photo together into a collage

·         you want to use transparency, text rotation and other effects that aren’t available in YearTech.

In these cases, create part or all of the page in Photoshop first.  Then save as a Jpeg and upload to YearTech.

Basic Steps in Making a YearTech Page

  1. Log in to YearTech Online
  2. Find the page on the Page Ladder, and click on it
  3. Delete any junk that’s on the page (but don’t delete background templates that may have been set up for you!)
  4. If you want, start with a template.  These are pre-designed pages laid out by professional designers at Jostens, or by us.  They give you a basic layout with empty picture and text boxes.  You can delete what you don’t want, and modify what remains
  5. Lay out picture boxes.  Usually there’s one dominant photo and several smaller ones arranged around it.  Check out the “Look Books” and other examples.
  6. Add text boxes for titles, captions and other text.
  7. SAVE OFTEN!
  8. Get feedback from fellow students, editors and me as you go.  Don’t try to surprise us with a finished product – it’s better to collaborate as we go.
  9. Upload the photos you need from the Shared folder to appropriate folders in the YearTech photo library. 
    1. MAKE SURE THEY’VE ALREADY BEEN EDITED IN PHOTOSHOP: cropping, level adjustment etc. etc.  This is your last and best chance to see and correct problems with focus, lighting, blurring, content to be erased and so on.  YearTech doesn’t let you see the photo in this much detail again until it’s printed in June, so zoom in and be very diligent!
    2. BE SURE TO MARK THEM AS USED BY YOU AS SOON AS YOU UPLOAD
    3. You can only upload pictures saved as Jpegs.  If you have a multi-layer file (more than one picture merged), save the final version as a PSD and then also as a JPEG
    4. After you upload, be sure to tag the pictures with names and descriptions that will make it easy to find and know whose they are.
  10. In Yeartech, choose pics from the library to drop into the picture boxes
    1. Zoom in and examine each picture.
    2. If there’s a problem with a photo, delete it from the page and then from the library.  Fix the original in PhotoShop, or get a different picture, and then upload again.
  11.  Complete the text, adjusting fontsize etc.
  12. Add elements like lines and rectangles to separate and highlight areas of the page
  13. Complete details like page number etc.
  14. Adjust positioning, size, order etc. until your layout looks great!  Again, get several other opinions, and consult sources like the Look Books.
  15. Proof it!  Are the pictures correct; are they in good taste?  Do they tell the story?  Is everyone named correctly?  Do the titles and captions let the reader know what’s going on?  Is there a story that’s interesting to read?  How about spelling and grammar?
  16. Get someone else to proof it, like an editor of fellow student.  Does it make sense to them?  Can they spot anything missing or out of place?
  17. Once you’ve acted on all proofing suggestions, and think it’s fantastically perfect, mark it as “complete” on the ladder.  What a moment!!!
  18. Let me know you’re at this stage, and I’ll proof it another time.
  19. Once everything is fixed and perfect, you’re done.  Congratulations!!!