Adviser and Staff Spring 2004 - Jostens

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TIPS & TRENDS
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They claim “you can’t judge a book
by its cover,” but we all do! An
unpopular cover often creates a
negative first-impression that even
a great yearbook has difficulty
overcoming. RICK BROOKS, Jostens
Creative Accounts Design Manager,
offers cover TIPS and TRENDS.
TIP: Open your eyes to discover
a wealth of free design ideas
Where do great ideas come from? Everywhere! Hit the mall.
Go to the bookstore. Look at the magazine racks. Browse
through merchandise you normally wouldn’t buy. Examine
greeting cards, notebooks, photo albums, CD cases and menus.
Remember — only specifics are copyrighted. Ideas are free!
TIP: Focusing on the theme allows
the cover to connect with the inside
For a dynamic design, look to your theme, and don’t be afraid
if it sounds like a cliché — as long as you make it focused and
relevant to your target audience.The concept for the cover
should coordinate with the inside. Strive for a visual/verbal
connection, not just a phrase stuck on the cover.
TREND: Don’t underestimate
the design potential of a litho cover
Since a litho cover is printed, designs might incorporate
anything from photography to artwork. Litho covers
might be high gloss, matte or a combination of the two.
A Litho/ Tru-life Combo adds the option of graining,
embossing, silk-screening or foil-stamping. Matte lamination
with grain with a spot UV application, to add shine in areas
of the design without grain, is a stunning look that pushes
the creative boundaries of a litho cover.
TIP: The best lookin’ book on the
shelf has a creative spine design
Consider what the yearbook looks like on the shelf when
designing the spine. Coordinate the fonts, graphics and
colors used on the spine with the design of the front cover.
Reference information on the spine includes: school name,
yearbook title, year and volume number. City, state and
a theme statement are also spine options. Of course, the title
and the year also go on the front cover.
TREND: “Wrap” up the design
by using the back cover as well
There are two lids to every cover — the front lid and the
back lid. Litho designs sometimes “wrap” from the front lid
across the spine and onto the back lid. Depending on the
theme concept, the design on the back might continue
or even contradict the design started on the front.
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TREND: From clothes to autos,
pop culture inspires trendy palettes
Check out the popular colors on the racks at the GAP,
Abercrombie,American Eagle, Old Navy and Banana
Republic.Trendy colors favored by professional designers:
gray [Pantone 429], wet sand [Pantone 435], eucalyptus
[Pantone 5625], wild berry [Pantone 682], dusk [Pantone
644], key lime [Pantone 368], lemon aid [Pantone 1225]
and tangelo [Pantone 144]. Metallic inks are hot and result
in dynamic cover designs. Contemporary options include:
champagne [Pantone 8003], blue [Pantone 8201] and green
[Pantone 8301].Also, take a look at the Jostens Color Guide
in your Jostens Yearbook Kit for 10 trendy process color
libraries.
TIP: Consider reader reaction before
continuing or breaking traditions
With a wide variety of available materials and applications
available, your cover never needs to look the same from
year to year — unless that’s your tradition. Be sensitive to
school traditions.While daring staffs break out of the mold
of tradition, consider the risks and the rewards carefully.
TIP: Take advantage of Jostens
resources for creative cover designs
Jostens provides a full-range of cover options, including
dozens of standard designs ready to go onto your yearbook.
The Covers Book in the Create It! Kit in the Jostens
Yearbook Kit is a colorful catalog of cover options. Jostens
Creative Resources employs a design staff in each plant,
offering a variety of options to help develop, enhance
or create your designs. Designers are often available at
workshops to meet one-on-one with your staff.Work with
your Jostens yearbook representative to take full-advantage
of the assistance available.
TREND: Craftline covers don’t have
to look like your father’s yearbook
Craftline covers use leather-like materials and
fully-modeled dies to create a yearbook steeped
in tradition. Options include embossing, graining,
foil-stamping, silk-screening, metalay and overtone rub.
By using trendy colors, photographic tip-ons or even
quarterbinding with a shinny litho quarter-panel, the
old-school look of the Craftline cover takes on a
contemporary edge.
TREND: Personalization and Icons
brand covers with pride
Allow your students to put their own, unique finishing
stamp the cover design by offering Personalization and
Icons. Two lines of text and four icons can be added to
each cover. Consult your Jostens yearbook representative
for details.