What yearbookdiscoveries does

Varsity Yearbook, operating under the domain yearbookdiscoveries.com, is a division of Herff Jones that provides yearbook publishing services, design software, curriculum, and merchandising to K-12 schools in the United States and Canada. The company's product ecosystem is anchored by eDesign, a proprietary web-based yearbook design and page layout platform used by student staffs and advisers to build, manage coverage of, and submit yearbooks for printing. eDesign is complemented by Square One™, a modular layout methodology with physical grid pads and digital templates; HELIX tools that extend Adobe InDesign for schools preferring professional design software; and the recently introduced Welcome to YBK curriculum framework, which provides a 168-page student workbook, an adviser guide, and a library of short instructional videos covering theme development, captions, photography, and reporting.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model. Core revenue is generated through quote-based, multi-year contracts for yearbook printing and production, supplemented by yearbook advertising (senior parent and business ads), curriculum and workbook sales, and a sizable merchandise catalog (71 pages of products including banners, apparel, and teaching tools) sold through the Yearbook Discoveries Shop. Distribution combines a dedicated US/Canadian field sales force that engages yearbook advisers directly with a self-serve consumer channel at YearbookOrderCenter.com, where parents and students place individual yearbook and ad orders. Sales support is automated through Sales Assist, a name-list-driven email marketing tool integrated with eDesign purchase tracking. The go-to-market is reinforced by experiential programming such as Press Pass Academy at Walt Disney World, an annual Portfolio showcase of award-winning designs (V.28 through V.32), and partnerships with NSPA, CSPA, and JEA that anchor the company's positioning within the scholastic journalism community.

Name

yearbookdiscoveries

Legal name

Varsity Yearbook

Website

https://yearbookdiscoveries.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Varsity Yearbook (operating as Yearbook Discoveries) provides yearbook printing, design software, curriculum, and merchandising for K-12 schools across the United States and Canada. Its eDesign platform, Square One design methodology, and field sales force support school yearbook programs end-to-end.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yearbook Publishing Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

K–12 Textbook Publishing (Core Curriculum) (MPAJABAA)

Keywords

• Yearbook publishing services
• Scholastic printing services
• Yearbook design software
• Yearbook curriculum education
• School publication tools

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Yearbook Printing & Production: Core revenue stream from printing and producing yearbooks for K-12 schools. Schools place orders through Varsity Yearbook, with yearbooks delivered to students and families. Pricing varies by page count, paper quality, cover type, and additional features.
2. Yearbook Ads (Senior Ads & Business Ads): Schools sell advertising space in yearbooks - including senior parent ads and local business/community ads. This generates additional revenue for school yearbook programs and helps offset costs. Varsity Yearbook provides tools and training for ad sales.
3. Education Resources & Curriculum: Sale of teaching materials including the Welcome to YBK student workbooks ($50 for set of 5), Adviser Guides, Square One grid pads, and other instructional materials. Also includes online curriculum access.
4. Merchandise & Promotional Products: Online shop selling branded merchandise including T-shirts ($10-$22), banners ($45-$82.50), baseball caps, canvas totes, sticky notes, applause cards, adviser journals, and other yearbook-related products.
5. YearbookOrderCenter.com: E-commerce platform for end consumers (parents, students) to purchase yearbooks directly. Handles order processing, delivery, and customer service for individual yearbook purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Yearbook Discoveries (Varsity Yearbook) provides end-to-end yearbook publishing for K-12 schools, encompassing proprietary web-based design software (eDesign), the Square One modular layout methodology, the Welcome to YBK curriculum framework, yearbook printing and production, and consumer-direct yearbook ordering through YearbookOrderCenter.com. Schools also receive dedicated field sales support, marketing automation via Sales Assist, Adobe InDesign integration through HELIX, and access to an annual award-winning design Portfolio.

Product overview

Varsity Yearbook (operated as Yearbook Discoveries) is a comprehensive yearbook publishing ecosystem comprising a unified platform-plus-services model. The core offering centers on eDesign — a web-based yearbook creation and page layout software — supported by the Square One™ modular design methodology (with physical grid sheets and digital template libraries), and the Welcome to YBK Curriculum framework (student workbooks, adviser guide, and video lessons). Schools purchase yearbooks and ads through YearbookOrderCenter.com and manage sales with tools like Sales Assist and a Flyer Generator. Varsity Yearbook also provides an Adobe InDesign integration via HELIX, digital sharing via eShare / HJ Plus One, and an annual Portfolio of award-winning designs as inspiration. The broader ecosystem includes Press Pass Academy (journalism field experience), yearbook-specific fonts, a Recruitment Kit, and an Events/Camps program. The Yearbook Discoveries Shop sells supplementary physical merchandise including banners, apparel, teaching tools, and recognition items. Together, these products form a full-lifecycle yearbook solution spanning planning, creation, sales, printing, and distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eDesign: Yearbook design software platform for creating yearbook pages
• Press Pass Academy
• Sales Assist
• Square One
• HELIX
• Welcome to YBK

Products and services

• eDesign Web-based yearbook design and editing platform used by school staffs to build yearbook pages, manage coverage, track purchases, and submit final files for printing. Includes tools such as Portrait Flow for portrait page layout and Sticky Notes for editorial feedback, with integration to Sales Assist for purchase tracking.
• HELIX for Adobe Apps A design tool and set of extensions from Varsity Yearbook that connects Adobe creative applications (including Adobe InDesign) to the Varsity Yearbook workflow, enabling schools that prefer professional design software to create yearbooks within the same submission process.
• Square One Layout and Design Methodology Modular layout and design methodology and accompanying grid system for yearbook production. Includes Square One Grid Pad physical layout sheets, color-coded separator packets, and a digital library of module templates in eDesign and InDesign, designed to ensure inclusive student coverage and streamline page creation.
• Welcome to YBK Curriculum Framework Comprehensive yearbook education curriculum framework comprising a 168-page coil-bound student workbook (sold in sets of 5 at $50), an Adviser Guide, and a library of bite-sized video lessons covering theme development, coverage planning, captions, photo composition, reporting, and design software. Organized under the Education menu on Yearbook Discoveries.
• Portfolio Annual Showcase Annual showcase publication of award-winning and exemplary yearbook designs submitted by customer schools. Available in annual volumes (Portfolio V.32, V.31, V.30, V.29, V.28) serving as inspiration and a benchmark resource for yearbook advisers and staffs, with categorized galleries for coverage, design, and theme.
• YearbookOrderCenter.com Dedicated consumer-facing e-commerce portal for parents and students to purchase yearbooks and yearbook advertisements directly. Handles individual orders, ad purchases, and delivery tracking separate from the school ordering system.
• Press Pass Academy Varsity Yearbook program providing high school journalism students real-world experience covering the National School Spirit Championships and visiting Walt Disney World® theme parks. Students build journalism, leadership, and storytelling skills under real deadlines. Part of Varsity Yearbook's events and experiential learning offerings.
• Sales Assist Automated email marketing tool for yearbook and senior ad sales. Sends professionally designed promotional emails to families, tracks purchase activity within eDesign, and supports sales campaigns throughout the school year.
• Flyer Generator Online tool that allows yearbook staffs to generate custom sales flyers and promotional materials for yearbook advertising and order campaigns.
• Yearbook Discoveries Shop E-commerce storefront selling physical yearbook-related merchandise including banners, banner stands, apparel (T-shirts, caps, totes), teaching tools, recognition items (Applause Cards, Adviser Journals), stickers, lawn signs, and recruiting materials. Products are organized into categories such as Marketing + Sales, Teaching Tools, Distribution Day, Recruiting, and YBK Essentials.
• Events, Camps and Workshops Program of yearbook camps, workshops, Adviser Experience events, and eDesign webinars held throughout the year. Includes summer camps and virtual workshop sessions, serving as team-building and professional development opportunities for yearbook advisers and student staffers.
• Yearbook Fonts Library Collection of fonts available for download from Yearbook Discoveries, specifically curated and licensed for yearbook design use, referenced under the Design section of the Education menu.
• Recruitment Kit Varsity Yearbook resource designed to help advisers recruit new students to join yearbook staff. Includes recruitment materials, templates, and campaign ideas for attracting new staffers at the beginning of a school year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23 schools received NSPA Pacemaker finalist recognition in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Herff JonescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerff Jones is the parent company of Varsity Yearbook (operating as Yearbook Discoveries). The partnership encompasses comprehensive yearbook production including printing, design tools (eDesign), curriculum materials, and sales support. Herff Jones has been a leading provider of scholastic yearbooks and graduation products for over a century.
• National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSPA is a professional organization that provides the Pacemaker award, scholastic journalism's preeminent recognition. Varsity Yearbook supports NSPA membership and competition participation among its customer schools. The partnership includes photo exchange programs for election coverage.
• Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSPA provides the Crown Awards, recognizing excellence in scholastic publications. Varsity Yearbook encourages and supports customer schools in CSPA competition participation.
• Journalism Education Association (JEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEA partners with NSPA for the annual Spring National High School Journalism Convention where Varsity Yearbook schools are recognized and celebrated. The convention provides training and networking for yearbook advisers and students.
• Walt Disney WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPress Pass Academy program provides students real-world journalism experience covering the National School Spirit Championships while visiting Walt Disney World theme parks. Students build confidence, leadership, and storytelling skills under real deadlines.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VarsityYearbook
• YouTubeyoutube.com/varsity_yearbook
• Facebookfacebook.com/varsityyearbook
• Instagraminstagram.com/varsity_yearbook
• Pinterestpinterest.com/varsity_yearbook

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about yearbookdiscoveries