Creative Yearbook Design

Creative Yearbook Design

English, Desktop Publishing
Susan O'Connor
Coral Reef High School
Miami, Florida

Award Winning Coral Reef Yearbook, Double Page Spread

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Contents

1. Teacher Statement

2. Course Overview
Course description and Goals
State and Technology Standards
Adobe software list
Research Resources
Bibliography

3. Lesson Plan Table

4. Detailed Lesson Plans and Handouts

5. Tutorials Susan OConnor

Discussing a Design Decision with the Editorial Team

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Teachers Statement
Susan O'Connor
Coral Reef High School
Creative Yearbook Design

The objective for designing creative aspects of a Yearbook

is to bring as much creativity to the process as possible
and to hopefully complete an award winning publication.
Creativity can begin to take over after students have an
understanding of the basics of design, have mastered the
software and workflow. At that point in the project they will
have a grasp of the rules and are ready to explore
exceptions to the traditional rules and to break these rules
to produce original, visually pleasing layouts within a
quality product.

The key to working on creative elements of a yearbook is

to work within the theme of the publication. Each year our
teams choose a new theme and face the challenge of
working creatively but within the framework and message
of this theme. The following lessons reflect the creative
design projects from several yearbook teams as well as
ideas available through various on-line sources.

All of the creative work done by the yearbook teams is

accomplished using photography and original art in
combination with Adobe Systems software. We have Susan OConnor with Hand Painted Student Illustration
found that these tools offer unlimited choices and amazing To be reworked using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
results and that our main challenge is to limit our choices
to remain within our theme.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Course Overview
Creative Yearbook Design

Introduction: Research Resources:

Goals for creative yearbook design are to demonstrate original
approaches to page design and illustration that convey a clear
message of the theme that represents the book. All creative work must
also conform to the ethical and legal issues involved in publishing
creative images. This workbook will offer methods for approaching
creative illustration and design that were developed by 2 yearbook
teams.
Design Goals:
The concepts that guide these creative explorations are:
Use of White space
Use of Typography
Storytelling through Text Layout
Storytelling through Photography
Storytelling through Digital Photo Illustration
Traditional and Computer Illustration
State Standards:
Florida Sunshine State Standards for English and Art
www.firn.edu/doe/menu/sss.htm
Technology Standards, English Language Arts NETS
ELA 12-Indicators 2,7; ELA 4-Indicator 5; ELA 4,11,12-Indicator 8
The major yearbook companies all offer downloadable handouts. Herff Jones offers links to
technical training in desktop publishing software used for yearbook production. Go to:
http://www.yearbooks.biz/nav1024.cfm?cat=5&subcat=27&subsub=12,
http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/conversion.html#pagemaker
Yearbook Design Ideas:
http://www.sisf.minoh.osaka.jp/MM/gallery%20links.htm
http://www.herffjones.com/yearbooks/design_showcase/ds_frameset.htm
http://www.walsworthyearbooks.com/theyearbook/resource/design/index.html
Yearbook Evaluation, http://www.pnpa.com/pspa/evaluations/yearbook.pdf
Designing With Type, http://www.designingwithtype.com/home.html
Design your name with Type
http://www.artlex.com/graphic.design/assignments/type.name.html
Photoshop Tips, Burt Monroy
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/monroy/
Bibliography:
Visual Quickstart Guides, Peachpit Press
Commercial Photoshop with Bert Monroy, by Bert Monroy , New Riders
Design Basics: Ideas and Inspiration for Working With Layout, Type, and Color in
Graphic Design, Joyce Rutter Kaye (editor), F & W Publications, ISBN 1564969037
Type Graphics: Synthesis of Type and Image in Graphic Design,
Margaret Richardson, Matthew Carter, ISBN: 156496714X

Illustrator WOW book, Sharon Stuer, Peachpit Press, ISBN 0-201-88664-2

Adobe Software:
Adobe InDesign Digital Creativity, Bruce Wands, Wiley& Sons, ISBN 0-471-39057-7
Photoshop
Illustrator Secrets of Award-Winning Digital Artists: Creative Techniques and Insights for Photoshop,
Painter and More, Daryl Wise, Jeremy Sutton, Peter Max, Wiley & Sons

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Lesson Plan Table

Lesson Lesson Summary URLs or References Tutorials

Creative Exercises www.adobe.com/education/traini
1. ng/main.html
Tutorial 1. InDesign Exercises
Beginning Creative Skill Sets in Adobe InDesign

In Design features and Layout tips

2. http://www.adobe.com/produc
ts/indesign/conversion.html#p
agemaker,
Handout 1, Introduction to Type
3. Introduction to Type Styles
Styles
Tutorial 3. Type Exercises

Handout 2, Type as a Design

4. Selecting Type for Mood and Message
Element
Tutorial 3. Type Exercises

5. Type as a Graphic Element, Upper and Lower Case online: Tutorial 4. Illustrator
Type as Illustration. http://www.itcfonts.com/ulc/defau Type as a Graphic Element.
lt.asp?nCo=AFMT
Type Graphics, Richardson and
Carter Tutorial 5. Illustrator
Illustrator WOW book, Sharon Creating Illustrations with Type.
Stuer
Design Basics, Joyce Rutter Kaye
6. Exercises in Color and Type Tutorial 6. Color and Type in
Photoshop and Illustrator
Connecting Theme to Graphics, Thematic Graphics and Illustrations
7. Tutorial 7. Creating Thematic
Graphics in Photoshop
Working with Images in Photoshop Burt Monroy, Photoshop Tips,
8. Tutorial 8. Photoshop Illustration
Commercial Photoshop with Bert Monroy, by Bert Monroy, New Riders http://www.graphic- Techniques
design.com/Photoshop/monroy/

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Detailed Lesson Plans

1. Creative Exercises with InDesign 2. Type Exercises

Beginning Creative Skill Sets in InDesign
InDesign offers many options for type
treatments and for working with illustrations
and photos. The exercises in Tutorial 1 will
introduce you to basic InDesign type
treatments and simple methods for enhancing
illustrations placed into a layout.
The Herff Jones web-site is packed with great
tips on developing award winning yearbooks
including links to tutorials for working with
layout software and converting from one
software package like Adobe Pagmaker, to
another software package, such as Adobe
InDesign as well as introductions to all
software used to produce the yearbook
exercises in this workbook.

http://www.yearbooks.biz/nav1024.cfm?cat=5&
subcat=27&subsub=12

http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/main
.html

Review The Animated Introduction to

Illustrator
(See Tutorial 1)

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3. Introduction to Type Styles
Type Assignment
Select magazines from the library. Compare
the fonts used for titles, the content and
intended audience for each.
Examples:
National Geographic Magazine
Title: Serif Font
Content: Scholarly and Investigative,
Archeology, Nature, World Events
Audience: Adults or students.
Real Simple
Title: Sans Serif Font
Content: Modern decorating ideas
Audience: Young professionals, home owners.
Rolling Stone Magazine
Title: Script Font
Content: Entertainment: Rock and Roll and
Popular Music and Music Scene
Audience: Youth, music amateurs and
professionals
.
For a more thorough investigation of designing
with type visit the URLs and recommended
books listed in the research resources and
bibliography section of the Introduction page.
(See Handout 1 and Tutorial 3)
Creative Yearbook Design
Detailed Lesson Plans (continued)
4. Type as a Graphic Element
Studying commercial magazines to research
ways in which type can be used as a
component of illustration is an excellent way to
begin experimenting with type.
Using type as a graphic or as the basis for an
illustration in a layout takes advantage of the
message conveyed by a particular type face.
When developing type graphics select fonts
that support your theme. Then determine
conventions that will standardize the use of
these elements from one section of the book
to the next.
understand about the Theme or about each
(See Handout 2 and Tutorials 4 and 5)
5. Exercises in Color
The option of using color in a yearbook can be
an exciting challenge, however when used to
excess color, can detract from a design to
make even an exceptional layout appear
commonplace. Color must not be used to
dazzle. Jazzing up a page with color can
obscure the total message. Because it is part
of the visual language, color must be used
deliberately to enlighten, add value and
convey the intended message.
When using color in type, four distinct colors
per page are the maximum the average viewer
can associate with a theme. Two colors plus
black are remembered and understood best.
Two helpful ideas to guide you in applying
color throughout a Yearbook are:
1. Sharpen the delivery of the message by
color coding elements for impact to carry
specific portions of a message from section to
section. Apply these same color treatments
consistently throughout the book. For
instance, Same color for Headlines or same
color for Titles used throughout the book.
2. Decide what you want the viewer to
section and select color to make this message
obvious.
(See Tutorial 6)
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 Creative Yearbook Design

HANDOUT 1
Introduction to Type Styles
Type is generally grouped into three categories.
These are Serif, Sans Serif and Script or Fancy Fonts.
There are also Cross Over fonts that combine the attributes of all three.

Serif
Serif Fonts or Type have serifs, or little feet, at the end of the stroke. Examples:

P, T, L, S, P Palatino
This type design convention began with the carved Roman alphabet. When carving in stone, it is necessary to make a larger cut at the
beginning of a stroke to prevent chipping. As type and fonts have been designed over the centuries, this convention has been retained
and is reflected in what are called Serif fonts, also referred to as a Roman face. When laying out many lines of body copy, serif fonts are
easier to read because the serif leads the eye from word to word. This may also be partly due to the fact that most students in the
Western Hemisphere learn to read by using textbooks printed with a roman or serif typeface. When used in headlines or as design
elements, Serif fonts also send a message of formality, convention and tradition.

Sans Serif
Sans Serif Fonts or Type do not have a serif. Examples:

P, T, L, S, G Arial

These fonts evolved when type was first being carved out of wood to accommodate the first printing presses. Creating carved letters
was easier if forms were simple and unadorned. When laying out many lines of body copy, sans serif fonts are more difficult to read
because there is no serif to lead the eye from word to word. When used as headlines or as design elements, Sans Serif fonts project the
impression of a less formal, modern, or direct message.

HANDOUT 1

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Introduction to Type Styles, page 2

Script or Fancy Fonts
Script Fonts or Type evolved from the hand lettered manuscripts created by scribes in medieval times in Monastery scriptoriums. Example:

P, T, L, S, G English Vivace
These letter forms were originally hand drawn so they could be created with many flourishes and adornments. Script or Fancy Fonts are
difficult to read and should NOT be used in body copy. Fancy fonts project a message of elegance, entertainment, luxury and high style.

Selecting a Type Face

Each typeface has its own personality. Each typeface evokes a different feeling, or speaks in a different tone of voice. When selecting a type face
you must consider both Character and Legibility. It is also important to develop a feeling for the weight of a type face and also for how this
translates to the weight of lines of body copy to insure readability.

Character:
Frederic W. Goudy, one of Americas most prolific type designers, offers the following definition of type Character. Character in type has to do
with the impression made by the individual forms, their proportions, and the intangible something in them that makes the letters of each word hang
together to from an agreeable whole; each letter with a quality of completeness, and not made up of bits taken here and there. Typefaces you
select for headings, subheads, captions and body copy effect the way readers experience the ideas you want to express. Even when using type
as a design element, these considerations must be kept in mind. It is important that you understand and appreciate the uniqueness of each face
and choose type that is appropriate for your message.

Legibility:
Legibility is related to the speed with which each letter or letter combination, (word), can be recognized. This is independent of readability.

Readability.
How type is arranged on a page or the spacing between columns and other aspects of layout that make reading effortless.

Weight:
The thickness or thinness of a stroke within a letter and the degree of darkness from black to gray that is projected by a page or column of text.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

HANDOUT 1
Introduction to Type Styles, page 3

A Few Guiding Rules for Choosing Type

1. Do not use two serif, two sans serif or two script fonts in combination.

2. When selecting fonts, you may use up to three different fonts on a page but for headlines, subheads and body copy it is usually safer to use
only one Serif and one Sans Serif Font, in combination.

3. Use Script or Fancy Fonts for Design elements, Titles and Headlines only. Do not use Fancy fonts for body copy within the page.

4. Select Serif, Sans Serif or Script fonts in keeping with the intended message of the theme.

5. Serif Fonts are often considered more traditional and are possibly more appropriate to suggest a formal or serious message.

6. San Serif Fonts are more modern and can be more flexible in conveying many messages depending on the weight and style of the font.

7. Script fonts are fanciful and typically would generally convey a more festive mood suggesting elegance, entertainment and creativity.

8. Experiment with various fonts from serif and sans serif families to understand the weight and message of one font when compared to another.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

HANDOUT 2
Type as a Graphic Element

Concept:
During the 1940s and 1950s the idea of Concept became central to design. Concept refers to layouts in which design elements, such as
illustrations or use of type used to create visual ideas, are the dominant elements. This is in contrast to layouts that are carried predominantly by
the use of copy. Some examples of this approach used in advertising or magazines rely exclusively on illustration and lack the catchy headline,
often associated with modern layouts. Such design relies heavily on repeated images or graphics to carry the message across the entire ad
campaign. When developing creative graphics for a yearbook, the design team should not hesitate to use typography as basis for the Theme,
which is the equivalent of the Concept.

Type is a natural choice when developing visuals to carry concept. Easily identified Magazine Titles such as Time, Life and Look, have relied on
establishing the title to automatically signal content. An excellent example of type to carry concept is the magazine, U&lc, Upper and Lower Case,
which is a magazine showcasing modern type design. It is clear from the use of UPPER and lower case type in the title that the magazine is about
type.

The online version of this magazine offers many tips for using type for both print and web design:
(http://www.itcfonts.com/ulc/default.asp?nCo=AFMT).
U&lc Online is ITCs international journal of graphic design and digital media. U&lc Online needs no subscription; its part
of the ITC web site, itcfonts.com. To read U&lc Online, just bookmark this page and check it out every month.

Type can be used to carry concept in headlines as well as spreads and feature pages. Imaginative use of type combined with unexpected
placement of headlines can incorporate an occasional departure from the norm to add interest, signal the beginning of a new topic or convey a
specific concept or theme.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Handout 2, Page 2
Type can also be developed as illustrations to add character to a page. Magazine layouts and old 78rpm album covers are great places to look for
inspiration when you are considering how to incorporate type as a graphic element of your design. The examples that follow will offer a few ideas
from these sources. Tutorial 3 will introduce you to explorations with type.

The ruler graphic displaying the mark for 12 inches was the graphic of a ruler that ran along the edge of this old 78 rpm record jacket. This use of
type as it would appear on any common ruler served as both a title and as a graphic signifying the 12 inch size of a 78 rpm record.

The Metallic Type treatment, diagonal placement of the title and display of the subtitle in a metallic rear view mirror convey the concepts of speed,
fast machines and the subject of Scoot Quarterly magazine which is about scooters. The most important things to keep in mind when
experimenting with typography are first to clearly define the concept you wish to explore and then to select type based on the innate personality of
the type face, making sure that this personality fits the concept for which you are designing. (Used with permission from Scoot Magazine)

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Handout 2, Page 3

Type used as both a title and a graphic carries the concept of this record album. In this case original letter forms were created to illustrate the
feeling of fire. Using Adobe Illustrator, it is possible to modify and deform existing letter-forms to produce graphic elements. The new letter-forms
can then be used as single letter graphics to illustrate the theme of the book, assembled as a series of titles, as a lead in to each section, or as a
component of a collage or other illustration treatment. See Tutorial 5 for instructions on altering letterforms.

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6. Thematic Theme to Graphics and
Illustrations
This sample tutorial conveys the theme of
Everything in Flux, used for the Coral Reef
High School award winning 2002-2003
yearbook.
This illustration treatment was developed by
student, Michael OConnor.
(See Tutorial 7)
Creative Yearbook Design
Detailed Lesson Plans (continued)
7. Photo Illustration 8. Scanned Illustrations and Photoshop
Pictures are like fast shots to the brain. They Photoshop tools used to alter scanned original
communicate more effectively than words art are another excellent way to prepare
because they bypass conscious thought and illustrations or graphics that are both original
attack the emotions. and carry the yearbook theme effectively from
one section to the next.
Tutorial 8 will offer ideas for applying a series
When using photos to illustrate a layout, it is
of filters and other image adjustments to hand
not necessary to always preserve the original
painted or drawn illustrations to create a
nature of the image. There are times when
cohesive series.
simply cropping a photo will create a much
clearer message. By applying additional
changes to enhance contrast or modify color to
a traditional photo a completely new and more
effective illustration can result.
The Photo exercises in tutorial 7 will get you
started on exploring the possibilities of
Photoshop Image Adjustments and Filters.
(See Tutorial 8)
(See Tutorial 8)
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 Creative Yearbook Design

TUTORIALS
Creative Graphics and Illustrations
Adobe InDesign

Tutorial 1:
Placing Text on a Path Around a Circular Path
th
1. Choose the ellipse frame tool, 4 tool on the Left.

2. Hold down the shift key and draw the ellipse.

nd
3. Choose the path type tool, under the type tool 2 on
the Right.

4. Click on the frame and type and the type will wrap
around the frame.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Tutorial 1.
Creating a Elliptical frame for an image:
th
1. Choose the ellipse frame tool, 4 on the Left.

2. Hold down the shift key and draw the ellipse.

Placing an Image into an Elliptical Frame:

1. Select the Elliptical frame.

2. Choose File_Place to place photo in the frame.

3. Browse for the photo you wish to place.

4. Choose the direct selection tool, top tool on the Right, to frame the
photo within the circle

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Tutorial 1.
Creating a Drop Shadow Around the Illustration
1. Choose the Direct selection tool, Top tool on the Right, and select the
photo

2. From the object menu choose drop shadow

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Tutorial 2.
http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/main.html

Adobe Illustrator CS software is an essential tool for anyone who

needs to express ideas visually in print, on the Web, and in any other
medium. With powerful new 3D features, advanced typographical
controls, smooth Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) integration,
enhanced printing options, and faster performance, this powerful upgrade
from Illustrator 10 helps you explore your creative vision and efficiently
publish your artwork anywhere.

Go to the URL above to review an introduction to the latest Illustrator

features.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Type as a Graphic Element Step 1.

By Open Adobe Illustrator and go to File, New to open a new page. Select
Patricia Johnson the Landscape Orientation icon on the Right to set up a horizontal page.
Curriculum Exchange Contributor

If you are not familiar with Adobe Illustrator, a thorough introduction can
be obtained free if charge from the online training available on the
Adobe Education website at:
http://www.adobe.com/education/training/main.html

Tutorial 3. Working with Type

The first exercises in these tutorials will use the Horizontal page
orientation because this will allow you to do comparisons on screen
across several examples.
Because the Yearbook is typically a Vertical orientation, it will also be
important to test some exercises in the Vertical format and compare a
series of different placements of type and Type Graphics on vertical
pages.

Tutorials 3 and 4 in this series will help you develop an appreciation for
the vast differences between type families and begin to develop
sensitivity for the appropriate selection of specific type fonts to carry a
specific message or concept.

Tutorial 5 will offer ideas for experimenting with color to add a new
element to this survey of type options.

Tutorial 6 will offer some suggestions for using type as graphics and
illustrations.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Step 2.
Choose the Type Tool. Pull Down the Type Menu and Choose Size>48.
Pull Down the Type Menu to choose a Font. Start this exercise by
selecting Arial, Regular. Click on the page and type the word Headline.
Go back to the Font menu, select Arial Black and type Headline again.

Step 3.
Continue selecting fonts and styles and typing the word Headline. When
you have the entire page filled, compare the fonts and note the distinct
variations in weight, mood and message between fonts that are even
from the same font families.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Step 4.
Choose the Type tool and highlight a serif font. Select Edit, copy. Move
the cursor to the top of the page and select Edit, paste. Copy and paste
all the sans serif fonts to group them into the top half of the page.
Notice that the sans serif fonts vary greatly from family to family. Notice
that the sans serif fonts convey a different personality from the serif
fonts. If you use a comma between words, note that even the comma
symbol conveys a different personality from font to font. To compare
punctuation marks more clearly highlight the mark and select a larger
type size.
Step 9.
Print each sample and pin them up on a bulleting board. Note the
difference between upper and lower case for each font family in terms
of readability and weight. Also note that some font families have no
lower case. For of each font family compare:
Weight
Personality
Line Spacing
Discuss the best use for each example in the context of a publication.

Step 5.
Open a new Horizontal page. Type or Copy and paste the word
headline from a serif fonts. Type the font family name. Next to the word
Headline.
Do this for 10 Serif fonts.
Next to each family, write a description of the personality of that font.

Step 6.
Open a new horizontal page.
Type the word Headline in ALL CAPS using a sans serif font.
Go to the next line and type the word subhead beneath each
HEADLINE using the same font but in lower case.
Fill the lower section of the page with gibberish in lower case.
Type the font family name at the bottom of the page.

Step 8.
Repeat this exercise 6 times with different serif and sans serif fonts and
SAVE each page and label with the font family name.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Tutorial 4. Type as a Graphic Element in a Layout

This exercise will help you develop an appreciation for the unique
aspects and message of different fonts when a single letter is used as a
graphic element.

Step 1.
Open a new Horizontal page. Pull down the View menu and select
Show Rulers. From the Side Ruler, pull out guides and divide the page
into thirds.

Step 2.
Using the Rule of Thumb for Negative or White Space of:
2/3 negative or white space to 1/3 image area Type one letter from
any font family in the Left section of the page.

Step 3.
Use the Selection tool (Arrow on the upper Left side of the toolbox) to
th
reposition letterform. Use the scale tool, 6 from the top on the Right
side of the toolbox, to scale the letterform until it fills only 1/3 of the left
side of the page. Note that the letter can overlap into the middle section
as long as it does not fill the entire left vertical section and still adhere to
the 1/3 rule.

Note that the letter can Fall outside the page boundary if this is
necessary to position it within the 1/3 rule.
Save this page using the name of the font family and the number one.
Step 4.
Open a new Horizontal document. Select a different font family and type
the same letter. Reposition the letter to conform to the 1/3 rule on this
new page. Note how the new font with different conformations will
require changing the position from that of the first letter form.
Step 5.
Print each of the 6versions. Pin them up on a bulletin board and
discuss:
- Differences in positioning required with each font family.
- Differences in overlaps required by each font to make it
conform to the 1/3 image area rule.
- Differences in Personality and message created by each font.
- Differences in weight and sense of style created by each font.

Save the file using the title of the font family and the number 2. Create 6 Using a markup pencil (a light blue colored pencil will work) write on
versions of this exercise using different fonts. each print out one word that best describes the mood, weight and
message of each example.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Tutorial 5. Creating an Illustration Based on Type

Step 1. Choosing Type to illustrate a theme

In Adobe Illustrator, open a Vertical page.

Decide on a theme or mood, such as, Tranquility, Noise, Action, Fun or

Seriousness.

Select the largest font size and choose any font from the Type menu.
Position the Type tool cursor in the center of the page and type one
letter. Select and change the font till you find a letter form that fits your
mood or theme.
.
Step 2. Reconfiguring a Letterform
Pull down the Type Menu and select Create Outline.
A Bezier curve with control points will appear on the outside of the
th
letterform. Select the Scale tool- 6 down on the Right side of the
toolbox and click on the letterform. Hold down the Shift key Click and
drag to scale the font proportionally to fill the center of the page. (The
shift key is used to make sure the scaling does not change the ratio of height to width.)

Step 3.
Use the Right Selection Arrow at the top of the toolbox to click and drag
on the control points and adjust curves with Bezier handles to reshape
the basic letter form.
Use the Pen tool to add points where needed by clicking on the Bezier
curve outline.

Step 4.
By using a single font family, create a series of illustrations derived from
letters from the same font family. Try to retain the basic curves and
proportions of the letter form. In the example to the Right a hammer
head shark shape was derived from the basic letter S from the
Charlesworth Bold font without changing the fundamental curve of the
letterform.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Step 5. Layering Letter Forms to Create an Illustration

Create an illustration using the title of each section of just the first letter
of the word for each section. Use a range of fonts for each illustration
and layer the fonts to create different compositions. Work with gray
scale or a range of color treatments for each letterform selected.

Step 6.
In Adobe Illustrator, use the scale tool to resize each letterform. Use the
Rotate tool to the left of the scale tool to change angles. Create color
variations in the Color or Swatches Palette.

Step 7.
In Photoshop, use the Layers, opacity slider to change the transparency
of a letter form. Use the Edit, Transform tools to scale or rotate
letterforms.

Detail from Verbum Magazine Cover Illustration

Using Letterforms for Illustration

The illustration above uses a lively arrangement of letter forms to create

a heading illustration for the Sports section.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Tutorial 6. Type and Color

Because it is part of the visual language, color must be used in a well
planned manner to add value and convey a clear message. When using
color in type, four distinct type colors per page is the maximum the
average viewer will recognize as a part of a design scheme. Two colors
plus black are most easily understood and interpreted.
Step 1.
In Adobe Illustrator, create a vertical document. Select the Type tool, a
type family and the larges point size.
Create two lines of type with the word HEADLINE in all-caps on the top
line and the word subhead in lower case on the second line. Add
sample body copy below the subhead.
Copy and Paste this set 4 times. Highlight each new set and change the
type face for each HEADLINE, subhead, body copy combination.
Step 2.
Experiment with a range of color changes by highlighting the line of type Step 3.
and choosing a color from the swatches palette. Using the same color, Print all samples and compare the effect of the color studies.
lighten the subhead by modifying the saturation settings in the color
menu. After experimenting with all the steps in this exercise, select a theme
and work on combinations that support or illustrate this theme.
In the color palette menu apply invert or complement to experiment with
effect of opposite colors. Choose the best type and color combination to carry the message of
your yearbook theme from section to section.
Try using bright colors for HEADLINES combined with black for
subheads.
Try Black HEADLINES and adjacent colors or an increasingly de-
saturated single color for sequential subheads.

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 Creative Yearbook Design

Tutorial 7. Getting Started:

Thematic Graphics and Illustrations, Connecting To support the yearbook theme, Everything in Flux, we designed a
series of images that would reinforce the concept of motion.
Theme to Graphics
Image Selection:
Using Images to Reinforce Thematic Concept First, we selected an appropriate image, and imported the image into
Everything In Flux Photoshop. Using various tools and filters, the image was manipulated.
by Those images follow.

Michael OConnor File Management:

File management required that each set of images be saved into a
separate folder with the Section name. As the image was changed,
each alteration was saved under a new file name to preserve that
alteration for use in the final illustration.

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Step 1. Magic Wand Tool and Select Menu Step 3. In Filters Menu:
- Using the Magic Wand we selected gray areas on the image.
Using the wind filter, we set the option to stagger.
- Holding down the Shift Key we also selected light blue areas. - Then, we rotated it 90 degrees and did it again.
- Then, we rotated it back to normal.
- Using the Select>Similar option, all the parts that were gray, and light
blue were selected
Save this image under a new name to preserve this stage as a separate
image for future use.
Step 2. Edit, Fill Menu
- After selecting a purple color from the Swatches Palette, we pulled
down the Edit menu and select Fill, Foreground color to turn all the
selected areas of the image purple.
- Save this image under a new name to preserve this change for future
use.

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Step 4. Filters Menu, Liquify Menu, Spiral Option Step 5. Edit Menu, Copy and Paste
Layers Window, Change Opacity
- In the Brush Pallet select a large brush size.
- Using the larger brush size and increased pressure, applied from - Copy and paste the original image, shifting it over a few pixels after
various angles by the spiral option in the liquefy menu, this alteration each paste.
was created.
- In the Layers Menu, decrease the opacity after each paste to create
the effect below.

- This change was saved as a new file name.

- Flatten the image in the Layers Menu and save this set of images
under a new file name.

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Step 6. Filter Menu, Artistic Menu, Palate knife effect.

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Step 7. Filter Menu, Liquify, Spiral.

This effect was done, again, by using the spiral tool in the liquefy menu,
but, this time, a smaller brush was used around the edges.

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This is the series of images, pasted into a dummy layout for one of the introductory sections of the yearbook.

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This is the final page layout.

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Tutorial 8. Photoshop Illustration Techniques

Step 1.
Create a series of original illustrations or photos. Working with
Photoshop, make alterations to the original images to create a series of
related images by applying the same changes to each image. Be sure
to keep a record of each change or use the history palette to track these
changes. Use the same series of changes on each image to create a
finished set of illustrations.

Step 2.
In Photoshop, pull down the Image menu and select Adjustments,
Brightness and Contrast to alter the focal point of the image.

Step 3.
Select the Filter Menu and choose from the Sketch or Stylize menus.
Experiment with filters to find an interesting way to alter the original
photos or illustrations to make them more abstract.

Step 4.
Select a color photo and use the Photoshop Image, Mode functions to
change it to Black and White.

Step 5.
Apply the Image, Adjustments, Brightness and Contrast function to
increase the highlights by moving the highlights slider to the right. Note
that the details of the original image will drop out leaving only the most
intense areas in focus. This technique can be used to create a series of
dramatic black and white images that capture pose and mood. Use
different images altered using Brightness and Contrast to illustrate
consecutive sections of a yearbook. Or, alter the same image
progressively to illustrate a given section of the book with variations on
the same image.

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Step 6.
Use the Filters Menu to change the texture and mood of a black and This photo was altered using By removing detail with Using the Filters,
white photo. Sketch, Water paper function.

Old Photo Altered in Photoshop

Any photo attain a painterly effect create a new technique or bring into
focus expression, pose or mood and create a more dramatic or artistic
illustration than the original photo.

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Illustration altered using the Photoshop Filters

Stylize, Emboss selections.

Hand drawn illustration of a watch

This illustration was scanned and altered in Photoshop. The digitally

altered versions have crisper edges and offer a vast range of detail,
depth, color and grayscale options. The changes made to this single
illustration can be tracked in the history palette of Photoshop and
applied to an entire series of illustrations to create a set of like images.

The same embossed watch illustration

changed to Grayscale in the Image, Mode menu.

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InDesign placement:
When using an illustration across a double page spread, note that the gutter will cut off the image. Place the same image
on both pages of the spread and reposition the Left and Right sides of the image to compensate for the gutter. (See
illustration below.)

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