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DIY Design

Select an App – Set up Document

Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Pages for Mac are popular applications for designing a printed yearbook.

The yearbook document must be properly configured for print, otherwise images may print pixellated.

 

Input A4 Preset Settings

These preset instructions are universal across all versions of InDesign, with screenshots below for Adobe InDesign 2025.

  1. File, New, Document…
  2. General menu list – see screenshot for key details:
  3. Print, A4
  4. Set Documents Units: Millimeters (mm)
  5. Enter Number of Pages: e.g. 100
  6. Enter Start Page #: e.g. 1
  7. Margins and Bleeds menu list – see screenshot for key details Crop Marks – checked
    1. Everything else – unchecked
    2. Bleed  – Ensure 3mm on all sides
  8. press Create

Input A4 Preset Settings

These preset instructions are universal across all versions of Photoshop, with screenshots below for Adobe Photoshop 2025.

  1. File, Open, New Document…
  2. General menu list – see screenshot for key details:
  3. Print, A4
  4. Set Documents Units: Millimeters (mm)
  5. Enter Resolution: 300dpi
  6. Set Color Mode: CMYK Color, 8 bit
  7. Image, Canvas Size…
  8. Canvas Size menu list – see screenshot for key details:
    Add 6mm Bleed to Width and Height (this adds 3mm to Top, Bottom, Inside and Outside)

 

In the case your page background colour is not white, please fill the page with the Colour now.

Use Canva’s ready-made templates or start from scratch.
Not all features are available in the free version.

Setup Bleed

  1. File
  2. Create a design
  3. More
  4. Document (A4 portrait)

5. Settings > Show margins

Pagination

  1. Label your pages as ‘left’ or ‘right’ this will help you keep track of the pagination of the book

 

Pagination

  1. Talk to the Rockstar team and we will provide you a template that will help with the set up of your cover!

Design and Layout your Yearbook

Draft a Table of Contents to plan and break-down your project into smaller chunks.

To speed up the design process, we suggest dropping / inserting all text and photos into your document first,
before taking the time to finesse each page.

Page Numbers, Headers and Footers and offer yearbook readers a sense of cohesiveness.

Adobe InDesign Tips

Move all image files first into a Yearbook subfolder first, before placing them into your document.
(InDesign links images to the yearbook file, it does not embed them).

Master Pages are best for automatic page numbers, headers and footers. Paragraph Styles and Character Styles for text,
helps you maintain consistency with your typography.

Check in with Rockstar

Share a Work in Progress PDF version of your yearbook with your Rockstar Project Consultant.
We’d love to see how it’s all coming along!

Export high resolution PDFs for Print

Congratulations – the yearbook design is complete!

Export a specific high-resolution PDF for printing. For yearbook photos to appear sharp and non-pixellated,
specific PDF export settings must be followed:

Preflight your Document

Preflight is InDesign’s way of letting you know that all files are present, valid, and correctly formatted.

  • Ensure there is a green dot, in the Preflight Panel- located bottom left
  • If there is a red dot, open the Preflight Panel, and fix all Issues

 

Export Your Document

These export instructions are universal across all versions of InDesign, with screenshots below for Adobe InDesign 2025.

    1. File, Export …
    2. Save As:  Your School – Yearbook Pages.pdf  – press Save
    3. Format: Adobe PDF (Print)
    4. General menu list – see screenshot for key details:Adobe PDF Preset: [PDF/X-1a:2001]
      1. Compatibility: Acrobat 8/9 (PDF 1.7)
      2. Export As: Pages
    5. Marks and Bleeds menu list – see screenshot for key details
      1. Crop Marks – checked
      2. Everything else – unchecked
      3. Bleed and Slug – Ensure 3mm on all sides

press Export

Export Your Document

These export instructions are universal across all versions of Photoshop, with screenshots below for Adobe Photoshop 2025.

  1. File, Print …
  2. Print menu list – see screenshot for key details

    1. Printing Marks: Corner Crop Marks – checked
    2. Functions, Bleed…
    3. Enter 3mm Bleed
  3. Printer Setup, Print Settings…
  4. Print Settings menu list, Adobe PDF Page Size, Add…
  5. Add Custom Paper Size menu list – see screenshot for key details

    1. Paper Names: Type any name (e.g. “Photoshop Press Ready”)
    2. Paper Size: Ensure 12mm is added to both Width and Height
    3. Add/Modify
  6.  Ensure Adobe Page Size is set as the custom paper name (e.g. “Photoshop Press Ready”)
  7. press Ok, press Print

Export

  1. Share > Download
  2. File Type > PDF Print
  3. Colour Profile > CMYK

NOTE: CMYK export is only available with the paid version of Canva.

Complete Order Form

Confirm your project’s final specifications, and authorise Rockstar to proceed printing and production.

Fill out my online form.

Yearbooks arrive at school!

Time to get excited! Your yearbooks will be dispatched by courier, and arrive at school.

Please let your Rockstar Consultant know your thoughts, and of any issues or queries within 5 working days.