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.

This section divided into 4 sections:

  • Image-Size Placeholders
  • Caption Placeholders
  • Individual Portraits
  • Reuse Layouts

Image Placeholders

When SlidesYearbook started in December 2016, image placeholders did not exist. My solution was to provide image size templates. Fortunately, Google released image placeholders in the summer of 2021.

<- Before

The benefit of using image size templates include

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

Review Shortcuts

  • Duplicate = CTRL + d
  • 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 theme so that they can be shared with collaborators.

Copy/Paste Image Placeholders

In Edit Yearbook Theme, I will explain how to create an image placeholder. For now, copy and paste the image placeholders in this template. VIEW | COPY

  1. Copy an image placeholder.
  2. Paste the image placeholder on the second slide.
  3. Use Format options with Lock aspect ratio to resize the placeholder.
  4. Copy, paste, and design the caption placeholder (aka subtitle).
  5. Optional: Mask the image into a shape.

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.

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
  2. Select the number of words, sentences or paragraphs you want.
  3. Select Generate.
  4. Click on Copy.
  5. Return to your Google Slide and select the text box and 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

Individual Student Portraits

My school has over 600 students and a photographer program for individual portraits. After Google Innovator year mentorship, which focused on building the tutorials on the website, I decided to learn how to code. With the help of #LON19 Google Innovator Clay Smith, we launched the Slides Create (beta) add-on.

In summer of 2023, I will update the portraits section of this page. Just know that the add-on is a mail merge that includes mutliple layout options.

Additional Resources

YouTube Videos

Websites

Resources

Edit Yearbook Theme

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

Read More

Updated January 22, 2023.