Archives | 2019

The good news is that we have returned, at least for the moment, to a place of greater stability with regards to paper supply for the book industry in North America. Paper is generally easy to buy right now, lead times have returned to normal (compared to the long lead times we encountered in 2018), […]

Do you need to sell your yearbooks? When do you start planning? May I humbly suggest you start now? I know it sounds early, but it’s really not. Just take a couple of minutes and think about next year right now in the middle of the hustle and bustle of June. It will have huge […]

In so many areas of our lives work, school and play take team effort and yearbook is no exception. Putting a strong team together for such a large publication representing the school can be a challenge especially with a diverse group of students. Rules of thumb and fun: First, make sure your students want to […]

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” ― Yogi Berra You’ve made all of your deadlines and your book is submitted to print! Besides your last push for sales, what else is there to do? PLAN ahead for next year! Tips to be ready: Clean Up and Organize: Clean […]

Smell is a powerful thing. We’ve known for a long time that smell is closely linked to memory. Maybe the smell of cookies makes you think about baking with your grandmother, or perhaps the smell of freshly cut grass brings back thoughts of playing outside with friends. For me, it’s the smell of books. You […]

Last year we had issues with paper, as mills continued to close and there was a paper shortage throughout the industry.  Having a good financial relationship with our paper mills and also forecasting and increasing our paper inventory/warehousing, helped Friesens stay ahead of this issue and make it through relatively unscratched. And, this year, we […]

2018 was a heavy capital year for Friesens, and 2019 will be no different. Some equipment is already installed, and other equipment has been ordered and is scheduled for installation later this year. Let’s begin with the big news. In 2018, Friesens replaced a twenty-year-old Kolbus hardcover line with a new Müller Martini line. The […]

If you are a Spring delivery school, your yearbook is now likely done, and you have put the stress of those final edits behind you.  Now what? You have spent hours upon hours creating your yearbook to preserve the memories of this last year at your school.   You have created a product that now needs […]

Design is a mix of creativity and technique. Great design tells a story through vivid photography and content reflecting a consistent theme throughout. The Vision: Brainstorm and choose a theme The Cover: The cover is your first introduction and should reflect your theme and feel. Use cover elements throughout the book. (folios, backgrounds, photo borders) […]

Warm weather has arrived, and if you’re a spring delivery you have either received your book or will soon. If you’re fall you’re in the thick of wrapping up the school year as well as trying to finish off your book before the break. Here are a few things (dependent on your delivery season) to […]