teamSlye Tip Sheet #1 – Surviving the First Week

10 Tools for Choosing Colors

This year’s books are barely off the pallet, but you’re already working on the 2010 publication, aren’t you? Here are 10 very cool online tools to help you choose just the right combination of colors for the look you’re after.

50 Totally Free Lessons in Graphic Design

Here is a treasure of free lessons on typography, grid design, color theory, design theory and usability. Enjoy!

YearbooksCA.com Updated

The camp website has been fully updated with details of our logo contest, a general schedule, class descriptions and more. This year, you can even register and pay for camp online! Don’t forget our on-time registration discount expires June 15. Visit yearbooksca.com for more info.

InDesign Mag’s Tip of the Week

This week’s tip: Applying Effects to Multiple Objects Quickly

From InDesignmag.com:

“Apply Effects to Objects Quickly You just spent 30 minutes in InDesign’s Effects dialog box, settings options for the perfect effect. Now you want to apply the same effect to several other objects in the file quickly and easily.

Apply your settings in the Effects dialog box (Objects > Effects >) while no objects are selected to make your settings the default for the document. InDesign will automatically apply your perfect effect to each object you draw after that.

Or, select the formatted object and create a new object style in the Object Styles panel. Use Quick Apply (Command-Return/Ctrl-Enter) to format subsequent objects with the new object style even faster. Or finally, copy and paste formatting from one object to another. Double-click on the Eyedropper tool first to select which formats you want to copy. Then select the objects you want to format with the Selection tool. Switch to the Eyedropper tool and click on the object with formatting you want to copy.

– Renée Dustma”

Order your free copy of InDesign Magazine here

JEANC Convention Dates Announced

Here’s the scoop from the recently re-designed and updated JEANC.org site on this year’s convention in Sacramento:

“We here at JEANC just announced the dates for the next state convention. Mark your calendars for October 23-25, 2009.

The theme of this year’s convention will be “All of It,” as we’ll focus on providing attendees with sessions and activities related to new media in addition to the fabulous sessions on print media.”

You can find more information on the convention here and be sure to check out the JEANC Facebook Group, too.

We’ll be at the Herff booth and probably teaching a session or two. Mark your calendars now!

-Adam

Typographic Inspiration

If your list of New Year’s Resolutions included improving your typography (and what yerds’ list wouldn’t?) here’s a great page with links to 17 groups on the photo-sharing site Flickr dedicated to excellent use of type. Enjoy!

–Adam

Yearbook Discoveries Volume 13 Issue 1 Out Now!

Be on the lookout for the first issue of the completely re-designed Yearbook Discoveries national newsletter from Herff Jones. If you didn’t receive it before the Thanksgiving break, it might be in your pile of mail today and it’s full of great information, including work from local schools.

In addition to great articles on surviving your first year of advising, developing a voice for your writing and extending coverage, this issue’s Photo Corner was written by yours truly. Click here to download a PDF of the Composition Cards I talk about in the article. Did you know you can download PDFs of all the articles in this issue from yearbooks.biz>Resources>Yearbook Discoveries?

Join us in congratulating these teamSlye schools featured in this month’s Discoveries: Casa Roble HS for their CSPA Silver Crown, NSPA Pacemaker Finalist and sample spreads in the Design Concepts article, Center HS for their 2007 NSPA Pacemaker Finalist and sample spread in the Eye of the Beholder article, Colfax HS for their sample spread in the supplements article and San Juan HS for their sample spread in the Establishing a Voice article. Great work!

Editors’ Checklist for December

It’s the beginning of the end for 2008. Finish the year off right with this checklist for December:

- Take remaining group photos; complete the groups section.
- Check the progress of winter sports; update scoreboards.
- Submit underclass portrait sections, if not done on first deadline.
- Process completed pages before holiday breaks and testing schedules.
- Update your “hit list” (easily with the HJ Indexer plug-in) to make sure coverage is complete.
- Make sure the winter holiday won’t cripple your January deadline.
- Make sure the ladder is updated and copy shipment records are accurate to avoid confusion.
- Prepare to receive proofs. Let us know how to contact you in case we have questions about your proofs during the break.
- Post personalized name lists around campus to be proofed by students.

Proofs
Remember, proofs are intended to be a check that the pages have been worked correctly in the plant and for making slight modifications, NOT for completely redoing the pages. After you make your corrections, print completed proofed pages and re-package your InDesign files carefully.

Indexing
Once all the pages in your first work order of proofs are completely correct, now is the time to scan those pages with the HJ Indexer tool to begin building your index. The HJ Index builder scans your InDesign files and automatically finds the names on the spread for you to then edit as necessary.

Name List
The listing of students for name plates and name stamps is due on Friday, January 16. With the hectic pace of testing and holiday breaks over the next few weeks, don’t put this off until then! Lists can be submitted in Excel format or generated through the HJ Clique software. Don’t forget to include the names of students who’s books were purchased online. A complete distribution list can be download from Yearbook Access at www.hj-ybs.com.  (Don’t forget names for any special books such as the principal, library, advisers, staffers/editors or exchange books!)

What a difference a day makes!

Thank you to all who made it to our Design Workshop with HJ Special Consultant Paul Ender yesterday and today. The new format of projecting your files so we could make real-time changes worked incredibly well because you all came prepared and ready to dive in. Isn’t amazing what a difference it makes to have an entire day to focus on designs with the expert help of a yearbook guru? We’re already making plans to have Paul return next October, so mark your calendars now.