1. GENTRY HIGH SCHOOL
Brae Harper, Principal 201 South Giles Phone: 479-736-2667
Kathy Pipkin, Counselor Gentry, Arkansas 72734 Fax: 479-736-5202
“HOME OF THE PIONEERS”
To Whom It May Concern,
I would like to take a moment and tell you about the Lifetouch yearbook service and how
it has helped to take our yearbook program to the next level. As a new yearbook teacher in 2010,
I was literally overwhelmed by all the responsibilities, deadlines, and technical expertise required
by the job. Our previous sponsor had used a popular, “big name” publisher for years, but I was
somewhat surprised by the shortcomings of their services. They had incorporated new
technology by layering it over the existing publishing processes. This created extra steps for me
and my staff, in particular the ability to mix black and white photos on pages with color photos.
In addition to this, I had to FedEx all my portrait cds to the publisher. This created more
frustrations and deadline worries for us. But as a new sponsor, it was the only system I knew so
I thought this is just how the yearbook publishing business worked.
One day in 2012, Jaci from Lifetouch stopped by for a visit to discuss our yearbook
program. It was a real eye opener to discover that Lifetouch was able to achieve all our
publishing goals and, at the same time, in a much more simplified fashion. Since they were our
portrait photographers, there was no longer a need to FedEx ours cds to the publisher. Lifetouch
simply uploaded them to the yearbook website (Volumes) for us to access. Another nice surprise
was the quality of their materials- they were very good. The paper was thick and our cover had a
nice finish. We did not take a step back in quality at all. Moreover, the customer service has
been outstanding. As with any web-based project, glitches in the system will arise. These
issues, limited as they were, were handled in a timely fashion and have never created any delays
in our workflow. But perhaps the biggest help to me, as a beginning yearbook sponsor, was the
realization that my yearbook representative was nearby, and could be there to help at the drop of
a hat if needed. This had never been the case previously and it made a big difference to us
psychologically.
Jaci has over twenty years of experience in yearbook publishing and understands all
facets of it, from graphic art design to marketing. She is friendly and works well with my
students. It goes without saying that money is always a concern for a sponsor. Lifetouch was
able to build us a quality book and in the process save us thousands of dollars. In fact, after our
second year with Lifetouch my principal said it was the first time that the yearbook program
actually managed to make a profit. Trust me when I say that using Lifetouch as our yearbook
publisher has completely changed our attitudes about the yearbook program. Our stress is lower
and our creativity is higher. If you are considering using Lifetouch as your publisher, rest
assured it will be a decision you will not regret. I cannot imagine making a yearbook without
them.
Sincerely,
Patrick Lanford, Gentry High School