This Layout lesson builds on the previous Style Guide and Guide lines lessons. This is because the layout of the photos, captions, and objects is important when designing a professional-looking yearbook.  Are you required to create a layout for each and every page? No, but the layouts you do create will guide the image sizes and formats on additional pages.

This section divided into 4 sections:

Image-Size Templates

An image-size template is a SlidesYearbook creation. When creating a yearbook layout template, a placeholder allows us to design the overlook of the yearbook without the distraction of which photos to choose.

Why use image templates and not a shape? Images can be replaced with yearbook photos while shapes cannot. The new yearbook photo will be cropped to same size and shape as the image template.

<- Before

The benefit of using image size templates include

  • Use the same layout on multiple pages.
  • Crop images into precise sizes.
After ->

Review Shortcuts

  • Copy = CTRL + c
  • Paste = CTRL + v
  • Paste without formatting = CTRL + Shift + v
  • Format options = ALT + letter o + \
  • Duplicate = CTRL + move object

Click here to review more Google Slides shortcuts.

Review How to Access Measurements Stored in Google Keep

In Guide lines, I suggested that measurements for the Guide lines added directly to the Edit master so that they can be shared with collaborators.

Copy/Paste Image-size Template

  1. Open image-size template Slides or create a template of your own.
  2. Select the image-size template of your choice. I recommend the blue one-size-fits-all image template.
  3. Use the copy shortcut.
  4. Open your Slides.
  5. Use the paste shortcut.

Create an Image Template Google Drawing

  1. In Google Drawings, change the background color.
  2. Go to File -> Download as -> jpeg.
  3. Upload the image to the Google Slide.
  4. Use Format options to size the image to specific dimensions.

Resize Image with Format Options

  1. Select the image.
  2. Click on format options or use the shortcut.
  3. Resize & Position the image as desired.

Remember to check Lock aspect ratio. If unchecked, the photo is cropped.

Step-by-Step Directions for Image-Size Templates

Caption Placeholders

Captions tell stories and are necessary for yearbooks. At this point in yearbook design, we are more concerned with where the captions will go and which fonts will be used than what we will actually write. For this reason, we use Lorem ipsum as a placeholder.

What is Lorem ipsum? According to loremipsum.de, lorem ipsum is slightly jumbled Latin that is used as the standard for replacement text in the desktop publishing world.

Insert Lorem Ipsum

  1. Go to loremipsum.io and select the number of words, sentences or paragraphs you want.
  2. Select Generate.
  3. Click on Copy.
  4. Return to your Google Slide and select the T icon for a textbox.
  5. Click and drag to create a text box.
  6. Use the shortcut CTRL + Shift + v to paste the Lorem Ipsum without formatting.

Change Font Size & Type

  1. Click inside the text box and use the shortcut CTRL + A to select all.
  2. Change the body text to 11 or 12.
  3. Click on Arial.
  4. Change the boring Arial font to a Serif font.

Example Font Sizes

  • Headline 47 pts
  • Sub-head 29 pts
  • Quotes 18 pts
  • Body text 11 pts
  • Page number 7 pts

Step-by-Step Directions for Caption Placeholders

Individual Student Portraits

My school has over 600 students and a photographer program for individual portraits. We use the photographer's program to create the Individual Portraits. Those pages are then exported as a PDF and added to the yearbook as a separate file sent to the printer. We can even take that PDF and drop it into Adobe Photoshop to create a transparent background (png) for each page.  If you do not own Adobe Photoshop, then use a free online app called PDF to PNG. Remember, your students can do this work!

Create Your Own Portrait Layout

If your school photographer does not have software that you can use, then your school can use a SlidesYearbook template such as Quintus or create a portrait layout of your own following the directions below. Use a 4-column grid to align the portrait templates and name placeholders.

4-Column Guides

4-Column Guides combined with the Arrange menu will help you create an individual portrait layout.

Arrange Menu

The Arrange menu will allow you to equally Distribute and Align photos. The same menu can be viewed by right-clicking on the image.

Don't be afraid to play with the options. If you make a mistake, you can always undo it with CTRL + z.

Reuse Layouts

Layouts will be reused throughout the yearbook, sometimes with slight variations. Once you have finished the template layout, Duplicate that slide and Reorder them as desired.

Duplicate

  1. The film strip is on the left-hand side of the screen.
    Right-click on the Slide.
  2. This is a two finger tap on the Chromebook touchpad.
    Select Duplicate slide.
  3. Optional - Hold the Shift key to select multiple slides and then Duplicate.

Add, delete & organize slides

Reorder Slides (Pages)

  1. Select Grid view icon in the bottom left of the screen.
  2. Click on the slide.
  3. Drag to the new position.

 

* Ideally, we will create an add-on that will pair pages together like publisher program. This will allow side by side view of layout spreads.

Insert Page Numbers

  1. Select File.
  2. Scroll down and click on Slide numbers.
  3. Select Apply.

Additional Resources

YouTube Videos

Websites

Resources

Edit Master

The ability to Edit master will create a uniform look from cover to cover.

Read More