Johnson City ISD’s yearbook project stood out for its artistic originality and professional execution. The cover design featured an original oil painting—an authentic, hand-crafted piece that required almost no enhancement. To preserve the rich texture and fine brushwork of the canvas, we applied a matte lamination finish. The scanning process successfully captured every detail, from subtle strokes to the vibrant palette that beautifully portrayed the Texas landscape. The adviser, impressed with the prototype, praised how accurately the final product reflected the painting’s natural beauty

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The interior design was just as thoughtful. As a free upgrade, we provided both front and back end sheet printing. The front end sheet showcased the Class of 2037 (preschool students), while the back featured the Class of 2025 (graduating seniors)—a touching visual of the school journey from beginning to end. These pages were printed on 90-pound uncoated paper to ensure optimal adhesion and a smooth finish.

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The adviser, who brought a background in graphic design, introduced a professional-level style guide for the student staff to follow. A style guide is essentially a set of rules and design standards that outlines fonts, colors, spacing, and other visual elements to ensure a consistent look throughout the page layout. This helped the staff maintain a cohesive and polished aesthetic across the entire publication, making the yearbook not only more visually appealing and professional, but also boosting the students’ confidence and enjoyment during the design process by providing clear, easy-to-follow guidelines. The style guide that Ralph included on the pasteboard played a key role in this process, keeping the design uniform from cover to cover. You can download the style guide here and listen to the interview with Ralph Trimmer here to learn more about his creative direction and process.

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The layout included coordinated color schemes across different sections—lime green, burgundy, purple, brown, and orange—alongside creative typography and page numbering. One standout element was the innovative page number design, which touched the trim line and increased in size as the book progressed, adding a dynamic visual rhythm to the reading experience.

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The final product was praised for its high production quality and design sophistication—resembling a college-level publication while remaining entirely student-driven.