Yearbook Organization Made Simple!

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Your yearbook ladder is a digital way of visualizing the organization of your yearbook. You can use it to preview the order of your pages, organize your yearbook tasks, assign pages to staff members, label your pages, and lock/unlock pages as you complete them.  In this article we will go over how to utilize the ladder to benefit your yearbook project.

To navigate to your ladder screen, click on the Manage tab from your main account dashboard and select Manage Ladder from the drop-down menu that appears.

Page Numbering and Spell Check

Page Numbering at the top left of your ladder allows you to turn your page numbering on and off.

Next to the page numbering button is the Spell Check button, click spell check to run this process for your whole book, page by page.

Preview Book

If you select the button Preview Book, you can flip through a digital copy of your yearbook, as well as email yourself a PDF of the yearbook. Click here to learn more about generating a PDF preview of your book.

Submit for Production

When you are ready to finalize your yearbook ladder for final production, click the red Approve for Production button and make sure to complete all the steps. To learn more about approving your book for production, click here.

Follow the steps to approve your pages, cover, delivery information, specs, and final payment method. Any link that reads NOT SET – CLICK HERE TO APPROVE needs to be addressed.

Make sure any final outstanding payments have been made. [FINAL PAYMENT OUTSTANDING – CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT FINAL PAYMENT]

Decide whether you wish to save your yearbook in our Vault for use in next year’s yearbook and name the advisor for next year in the YEARBOOK ACCOUNT COMPLETION & FILE STORAGE section.

Review the final questions, add any additional comments/notes and fill in your name, phone number and email address to approve for final production.

Click the APPROVE FOR FINAL PRODUCTION button.

*If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to call Support; we’ll be happy to assist you!

Note: Once the production approval form is submitted, your books will begin the production process and cannot be edited any further. You do have the option to un-approve your yearbook if you need to make a change. This will result in a fee and delay your delivery date. 

Order of Your Yearbook

At the top of your ladder you will see a preview of your cover design (if you have not designed your cover yet you will see a white page). You can access the cover directly by selecting the blue button Design Cover.

To view a larger version with the production guides, click on Preview/Approve Cover to the right of your preview. You can also use the Preview/Approve Cover page to approve your cover if it is finalized and ready for production. Note: Clicking on Preview/Approve Cover will not automatically approve your cover, but it will bring you to a preview of the cover. You have to fill out the cover approval form below the preview to submit your cover.

If you have designed endsheets as an upgrade in your yearbook, you will see previews of them below the cover. Click on Design Front Endsheet or Design Back Endsheet to open the endsheet designer. Note: if you do not see endsheets on your ladder, you may not have this upgrade. Endsheets only apply to hardcover yearbooks. Please speak to your sales rep if you would like to add designed endsheets.

Below the cover preview (and endsheets, if applicable), you will see all of your pages in order listed starting with Page 1 in the top right. Click the blue Design Page button to go to the EDO page designer. (If you have an Indesign account, you will not see this blue button.)

Ladder Organization Features

(Note: ONLY Admins and users with permission can assign pages and edit details on the yearbook ladder.)

Each page has its own Page Details. The Page Details area includes functions for the following:

• Title: Give your page its own unique title
• Due Date: Assign a due date for tracking purposes
• Status of the page:
  • Blank Page- Automatic status if you have nothing on your page
  • Page Placed – Status if you have something on the page
  • Page Locked – Lock your page so that editors and users cannot further edit it
  • Page Finalized – Indicate that no more edits should be made to the page without locking
  • Page Locked and Hidden- Lock your page and hide the preview from the ladder
• Assigned To: Assign your staff members to your page so they know they have to work on it. For more info on how to add staff click here.
• Page Notes: Write notes for the page if needed.

Assigning Pages To Your Yearbook Ladder And Approving For Production (Fotofusion, InDesign, Publisher users)

1. Click the Assign Page link located on each individual page on the Yearbook Ladder.

2. A pop-up will appear that provides you with the list of your files from the Manage Uploads page.

3. Click on the file name that contains the page you want to assign to the ladder.

4. Previews of each page in that file will appear, click Select Page for the page that you want to assign to your yearbook.

5. Your individual page will be assigned to the ladder and you can continue assigning pages. If you wish to change the assigned page from your file, click on the red X button that appears on each page.

6. Once you have finished assigning your pages, click the Submit for Production button.

7. Follow the steps outlined for all accounts above to complete submission.