Getting started
1. How do we start our yearbook project?
To start using Yearbook Designer Live! you will need to contact our friendly customer services team so we can set up a login, password and group yearbook project for you. The easiest way to do this is to phone us on 01480 410432 or email yb@spc-yearbooks.co.uk
2. What are the recommended I.T requirements?
In order for all of the Yearbook Designer Live! editor features to work as they should, there is a minimum recommended specification for any computer from which you intend to run the editor. The minimum requirements are as follows:
Browsers:
Internet Explorer 8 or above
Safari 4.0
Chrome 4
Opera 10.0
Firefox 3.5
Browser Plug-ins:
Preferably Flash 10 but minimum Flash 9.0.45
Browsers must have cookies and Javascript enabled.
We recommend asking your I.T. specialist to check these settings for you. If you have any questions then please feel free to contact your account manager.
3. How do I login to access the yearbook?
Once you’ve spoken to your dedicated customer services adviser, we will set you up as a 'Staff Admin User'. You will need to supply us with a list of email addresses and passwords for each of your yearbook team who would like access to the group yearbook project. (Please note this does need to be managed by a member of staff and please make sure you keep these details safe and confidential.) If anyone forgets their password at any stage, they can request a reminder. Once logged in, click 'Projects' in the menu bar and you will see your yearbook in 'Group Projects'. You’re now ready to read the step-by-step guide and get to the fun part - designing your pages!
Step by Step
1. How do I upload photos & create albums?
We recommend that you collate your images in one central place before uploading them into your albums and remember to separate your albums out so you can manage the images easier when creating your yearbook. Please keep your images under 5mb each and ensure they are RGB.
To easily upload photos into your secure galleries open the editor and go to the 'images' tab towards the bottom of the editor window. Add images to this album by clicking the ‘upload photos’ button and follow the instructions. If you would like to make your gallery/galleries public to the rest of your group, contact your account manager with the gallery name and your username.
2. What photo file types can I upload?
You should upload .jpg or .tiff files, we don't recommend using .png or .gif files in your yearbook as they often print out at low quality.
3. Can I share my uploaded photos?
You can share and invite people to upload photos into your albums by going to 'My Photos' in the top menu and simply clicking the share icon to the left of 'Upload Photos'. This will open a small pop-up window with all the options for an invitation to view your album including email, Facebook, Twitter and all the popular social media sites. Recipients will be required to click on the link to view your album and will need to sign up if they wish to add images to that particular album. This is a great way to collate photos and include images from people who aren't members, but wish to submit photos for use in your group yearbook project. Be sure to use the Group Album if you would like it to be available for everyone working on your Group Project. Please remember that if you share an album with lots of people you are at risk of lots of images being uploaded.
4. How do I add photos to my yearbook?
Once uploaded, your photo albums will appear in the 'images' tab within the editor, click 'galleries' to see all of your personal photo albums, or 'group' to see your group galleries. Simply drag and drop images from your galleries in images boxes, or directly onto your page.
5. Why are parts of my photo cut off?
The software automatically best-fits photos to the image box, therefore we recommend using landscape image boxes for landscape photos, and portrait image boxes for portrait photos.
6. What is the multi-user function?
This is a great collaboration tool that lets all of your yearbook team work on different parts of your yearbook at the same time. If someone is working on a page and you try to access it, the page will be locked and greyed out. You can continue to edit other parts of the books that no one else is working on. Once there has been inactivity on a page for over ten minutes the page automatically unlocks.
7. How do I edit my yearbook?
- Backgrounds
Yearbook Designer Live! has lots of backgrounds for covers and pages for you to add to your blank pages to give that added splash of colour. Simply click the 'backgrounds' tab within the editor, then scroll through the available backgrounds. Select a background by dragging and dropping it onto the page. Click 'galleries' within the 'backgrounds' tab to choose one of your own photos (this works well with scans or artwork already designed, but please remember the images need to be high quality for print and preferably 200dpi or more). Select 'Click for colour' to choose a solid background colour.
- Layouts
If you wish to create a page from scratch, use 'add image' and 'add text' from the tools panel (on the left of the editor window). To give you a little head start we have created some standard layouts for you to simply drag and drop onto your backgrounds; these are all editable. The grey 'drag and drop image' placeholders indicate where you can put your images. Drag and drop your images from your selection on top of the placeholder and it will add your image into the chosen box.
- Photo Editing
Drag and drop a photo from your galleries onto your page. To edit the image click the image box to activate the inspector panel (on the right of the editor window). From here you can add a border, rotate the image, turn on cropping and reposition the image inside the box, change opacity and change which layer your image sits on.
- Text
Add a new text box by clicking 'add text' in the tools panel to the left of the editor window. Resize and position the text box. Click the white '+' symbol to open the text editing pop-up window. Type in your text, change the font, colour and size (please note that font size is in points).
- Clip Art
To add clip art, simply drag it from the tab at the bottom of your screen and drop it into position on the page, use the arrows on corner of the box to resize the clip art item. Click the clipart image to activate the tools panel (to the right of the editor window), here you can rotate, change opacity and choose a layer for your clipart.
-Save
If you want to close your yearbook project, simply click the ‘exit project’ button which can be found at the top right of the editor window. Hit 'Save + Exit to save changes to your project, or just 'Exit' if you have already saved.
-Reorder pages
To change the order of your pages, or move pages to the end of your yearbook ready to delete then, click the 'reorder' button to the bottom right of the editor window. A new window listing your pages will open, drag and drop each page, one by one, up or down the list. Reordered pages will illuminate in yellow, and pages will retain their original page number until you exit the reorder window. Hit 'save' to confirm the page order changes, or exit without saving changes.
8. What do I do when I am finished?
Once you have completed the design of your book, you need to ensure the Yearbook Committee and the Staff Admin User have all carefully checked each page. You don’t want any spelling mistakes in your book!
- Proofing your yearbook
Once your design is complete, you can order your printed proof by clicking 'order' to the bottom right of the editor window. Your account manager will provide you with authorisation codes which enable you to order a printed proof and once complete, your final yearbook files.
- Approving your yearbook for print
For full colour proofing or sending your files to us for final print your Staff Admin user will need to access your project and click the 'order' icon to the bottom right of the editor window. From here, they will need to follow the checkout stages as prompted. During the process the Staff Admin will need to enter and apply the unique authorisation code emailed to them when the school registered (ask your account manager if you have any questions). The Authorisation Code will zero the value of your cart and enable your school to pay offline. Finally, your admin user will need to confirm delivery details and final quantities. We will receive the order and get in contact with your staff admin user to check to see if you are proofing your project or sending your files for final print.
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