How a yearbook ladder fits the printing
Yearbooks are printed in signatures: one large sheet with eight pages printed on each side, folded and trimmed into 16 pages in order. A signature always starts on a right-hand page and ends on a left-hand page. That is why page 1, the title page, sits alone on the right, why spreads run 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, and why page counts move in 16s, or 8s with a half signature.
Each side of the sheet is a flat. The only facing pages printed side by side are the middle pair of each signature, the natural spread (pages 8-9, 24-25 and so on), so it is the safe place for a photo across the gutter. Pages 16-17 look like a spread but sit in two different signatures, and the ladder marks that seam.
Publishers set deadlines in pages, and you meet them by finishing whole signatures or flats. Group your signatures into deadlines on the Deadlines tab, and every spread shows the date it is due. Change the page count and the ladder renumbers, adds open spreads before the ads and index, or lists the spreads that no longer fit.
Yearbook ladder questions
What is a yearbook ladder?
A page-by-page plan of the book. Each rung is a spread (two facing pages) with its topic, the staffer who owns it and the deadline it goes in with. A copy on the wall lets the whole staff see what is due and who has it.
Why does the page count have to be a multiple of 16?
Yearbooks are printed in signatures: one big sheet with eight pages on each side, folded into 16 pages. Every folded sheet makes 4 pages, so the count must divide by 4. Plan in 16s, or 8s if the book ends with a half signature. For any other count, check with your rep first.
Is page 1 on the left or the right?
The right. Page 1, the title page, faces the front endsheet. After that every even page is on the left and every odd page on the right, so spreads are 2-3, 4-5 and so on. In a book with an even page count the last page sits alone on the left, facing the back endsheet.
Do endsheets count as pages?
No. Endsheets are not part of the page count. They are heavy paper glued between the cover and the pages, so this ladder shows them above page 1 and below the last page without numbers.
How many pages should each section get?
Take off the theme pages (title, opening, dividers, closing) and the ads and index first. Friesens suggests splitting the rest about 25% student life, 12% academics, 15% clubs, 18% sports and 30% people. The Sections tab starts there. Middle and elementary books start from Treering's sample ladders.
What is a flat, and why does it matter for color?
A flat is one side of a signature, eight pages printed at once. In each signature, pages 1, 4-5, 8-9, 12-13 and 16 share flat A, and the rest share flat B. Ink goes on a whole flat at once, so color costs less when color pages share flats. Switch the ladder to Flats to see them.
Can I print a blank yearbook ladder?
Yes. On the Print tab, tick Leave topics blank. You get numbered spreads with signatures shaded and lines for topic, staffer and due date, ready to fill in by hand. Pick 11 by 17 if your printer takes it.
Where is my ladder saved?
In this browser on this device, after every change, so you can close the page and come back. Nothing is uploaded. To share it with your co-editor, use Copy for a spreadsheet and paste it into Google Sheets or Excel.
Sources: Walsworth, Understanding signatures; Varsity Yearbook, Creating a ladder for traditional coverage; Friesens, Choosing your yearbook ladder; Treering, Yearbook quickstart and its sample ladders. Your publisher's contract has the final word on page counts and deadlines.