Looking for another creative way to add the wow factor to your book? Get it by literally adding to your book—include a tip-in in your yearbook for extra coverage.
In graphic arts, a tipped page is one printed separately from the main text of the book. A tip-in is the attachment of those pages to the main book. Tip-ins come in three versions that can really wow the audience and amp up the theme.
A popular style of tip-in, a gatefold is added to the book to allow folded pages to open up and reveal more pages. A double gatefold, which opens from the left and right reveals four inner pages. Gatefolds are often used to provide additional coverage, a strategy Hill Country Christian School and Vandegrift High School have used to include more Homecoming coverage. Allen High School has utilized gatefolds to feature their band group picture, which includes more than 800 members.
A foldout is similar to a gatefold, but with only one side opening to reveal more coverage. Foldouts are attached to the book along an outer edge. Foldouts can be constructed with a simple score/fold (4 pages); accordion or roll folds are typically used for foldouts with multiple panels.
One of the most recent applications has been an endsheet foldout, like Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Memorial High School and Oak Park High School used in their 2019 yearbooks. When opened, Memorial’s foldout revealed in three panels a triptych-like painting of horses, the images used on the book’s three different covers. The trifold was a brilliant way to ensure students had all three covers and simultaneously emphasized the “3 Sides to Every Story” theme.
Another type of foldout is a short-trimmed foldout where only a partial page opens to reveal additional coverage. You’re probably most familiar with short-trimmed foldouts from magazine perfume ads. Vista Ridge High School added short-trimmed foldouts to their division spreads this year. The staff created one foldout for each division, requiring the staff to insert 1,000 tip-ins into the book before distribution.
The most common type of tip-in, a supplement is several bound pages inserted into the book. These are typically affixed into the main book via a crack-and-peel glue strip. Supplements are usually eight to 32 pages, often providing coverage of events happening after the spring delivery deadline. Fort Zumwalt West High School includes all of their spring sports and events in their 32-page supplement. Hendrickson High School incorporates their spring supplement seamlessly into the book so buyers don’t even realize it’s been added.
Supplements are also used to expand the theme or add other coverage deemed worthy. In 2019, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy produced three supplements to feature their group shots, team pictures and current events. All three were trimmed to a smaller size and tipped into the book.
There are multiple advantages to including tip-ins. They give an additional opportunity to expand the theme and feature more students. They’re a creative way to wow the audience and surprise them in a new way. And finally (with the exception of endsheet foldouts), tip-ins can often be worked on after the spring deadline, giving students worthwhile work to do in late March and April. If you’re interested in adding more wow factor, consult your yearbook representative to see if this add-on will fit in your budget.