Creating Ads

Need ad requirements?

Designing Your Ad

To design an ad, you must first have purchased one. If you need help purchasing a product, see the above Purchasing Products article for detailed instructions. Consult with your school regarding how to submit your message and whether or not there is a character limit.

1. If you haven’t already, log into your account at buytheyearbook.com.

2. Navigate to My Account, and click My Ad. If necessary, select your school from the drop-down list.

3. Click Design or Edit or Submit to access the design space.

4. Your ad space will open to show the size of your ad in relation to the page. To change the view, click the Settings icon in the bottom left corner of the workspace. Then, unclick Show Full Page Preview.

5. To design your ad from scratch, simply drag and drop photos, text and shapes from the left menu onto the ad design space.

6. If you wish to use a professionally-designed template, click the Templates icon at the top of the left-hand workspace toolbar. All available templates will appear. Click the one you wish to use to add it to your page. Customize it to your liking!

7. If your school has enabled them, you’ll see the Art icon where you can use pre-made art elements. Click and drag the ones you wish to use.

8. To upload images, click Photos then Upload. JPG, TIF, PNG, PDF and HEIC are all supported files. Browse your computer, select, and upload the images you’d like to use.

9. Save your work regularly during the ad creation process by clicking Save for Later.

10. When you are done, Share your ad with another family member to look for misspellings or just to show off the product of your creativity. Either download the ad or send it via email and forward on to others.

11. When your ad is finished, click Send To Yearbook. Read through the dialogue pop-up, then click OK. A preview of your ad will appear.

12. If the preview of your ad is good to send to the yearbook staff, click Submit. If there are changes, click Go Back. You cannot make additional changes after clicking Submit.

13. Your ad has now been submitted to the yearbook staff at your school.

Uploading Your Ad

If you decide to design your ad outside of Buy the Yearbook, you will need to know the size requirements.  The size varies depending on the size of the ad you purchased and the dimensions of your school’s yearbook.

Click My Account, then My Ads to find your purchased ads. Then, click File Requirements to see the dimensions of your purchased ad and other important ad requirements to adhere to, like file type, size and minimum resolution.

Upload Your Ad

Log in to your Buy the Yearbook account.

1. Click My Ads. Then, click Design ad or Edit or Submit ad, depending on if you have previously saved your ad or not.

2. At the top-right corner, click Upload Your Ad. A pop-up window appears as a reminder to confirm the ad size, accepted file formats and the minimum resolution accepted.

3. Click Upload and choose your file. If your file does not meet the standards set forth in the pop-up, it will not upload.

4. Once your ad has uploaded, remember to submit it to the yearbook staff by clicking Send to Yearbook.

5. Click OK, then a preview of your ad will show. If the ad is good to send to the yearbook, click Submit. If there are changes needed, click Go Back.

Exporting from Canva?

Follow these steps in Canva once your design has been created:

1. From the top menu, click Share, then select Download.
2. From the dropdown, choose PNG as your file type for your download.
3. Confirm the dimensions of your purchased ad match the dimensions of your design. 
4. Select Download.

Ad Size Requirements

If you decide to design your ad outside of Pictavo, you will need to know the size requirements.  The size varies depending on the size of the ad you purchased and the dimensions of your school’s yearbook.  If you are not sure of the dimensions of your school’s yearbook, please contact Pictavo Support at answers@pictavo.com.

Yearbook Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches

• • • Full page: 7.5 x 10 inches at 300 DPI (vertical orientation)

    • Half page: 7.5 x 5 inches at 300 DPI (horizontal orientation)

    • Quarter page: 3.75 x 5 inches at 300 DPI (vertical orientation)

    • Eighth page: 3.75 x 2.5 inches at 300 DPI (horizontal orientation)

Yearbook Dimensions: 9 x 12 inches

• • • Full page: 8 x 11 inches at 300 DPI (vertical orientation)

    • Half page: 8 x 5.5 inches at 300 DPI (horizontal orientation)

    • Quarter page: 4 x 5.5 inches at 300 DPI (vertical orientation)

    • Eighth page: 4 x 2.75 inches at 300 DPI (horizontal orientation)

    If you are not sure of the dimensions of your school’s yearbook, please contact Pictavo Support at 800-290-0036 or answers@pictavo.com.