We, too, use LifeTouch and it really wasn't difficult to put it together. We didn't do the online version...didn't even know it was available...but that sounds like a great idea for this year. :cool:
The cost per book for us was around $9.60, so I would think that if you start shopping now, Michele, you would be able to find a company that is within your budget.
For the past three years, our school (K-5) has used LifeTouch to produce our yearbook. We charge $15, and the cost is actually about $12 to $13, so not too much more than what you're charging now. (LifeTouch also takes all of our school pics.) They have an online yearbook assembly program that is so easy to use - and the results are great! The first two years, we did traditional cut and paste layouts. This year, it was all done online and it was fun, fairly fast and came out really professional looking.
Otherwise, PowerPoint is a great "scrapbooking program." I did a separate 5th Grade Autograph Book in May using PP, had it printed at a professional publisher for free, and it came out great too.
Last year we used memory book and the company was wonderful! It was a lot of fun and not too hard to do. They supplied all items needed, including clip art, graph paper, etc. We charged $15 for the book and made about $2 off each. So if your not using it for a money maker, you could still cut the cost. We order 250 and sold every one. This is also the first year that there have not been any complaints, book following apart, pages missing or messed up, etc.
This was the first year that I've been involved so I'm not sure what companies were used in the past.
I'm jumping the gun a little bit but next year I will be in charge of creating our 6th grade yearbook. While I love to scrapbook, I realize this will be a daunting task. We have always in the past created the yearbook ourselves (either cut and paste or using Word & Publisher) and then take it to a local print shop to print & bind. I have already heard some of the problems of it being done this way and want to see what everyone else is doing. I'd love to find some kind of software that could be used from year to year. We haven't ever had it professionally done because we only charge a maximum of $10 per book so that every 6th grader (usually less than 75 students) can purchase a copy. Any ideas and comments would be greatly appreciated!
