KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

In the case of yearbook, the more you know, the easier the process will be. We share processes, timelines and prices openly because we want you to make informed decisions with honest information. 

We remind our advisers and administrators we are “real-world printers.” We built our reputation on honesty — without any bait-and-switch, smoke-and-mirror, sell-the-sizzle shenanigans we’ve heard so much about. 

THE MORE YOU KNOW

ANNUAL INCREASES: We consider mandatory, annual price increases unethical. We will communicate clearly when the cost of materials triggers a price change, while honoring all existing price agreements. Otherwise, the price we quote is the price you pay. Upgrades and changes — all pre-approved by you in writing — will be itemized on your invoice. We stand behind our “no surprises” billing policy.

BROKERS: We own the presses. Our technical support and customer care team members are full-time employees housed in our North Mankato, MN complex. You work direct-to-source, free from broker or intermediary fees which can add up to 25% to your cost. This explains why our prices are so competitive. 

ECONOMIES OF SCALE: As a proud member of the Taylor family of companies, we benefit from the shared resources for finance, billing, legal and other oversight functions. These vast support systems keep our yearbook leadership team lean, focused and nimble. We are free to make yearbooks better, easier, fun and more affordable without investors and their “multi-asset, alternative investment firms.”

TECHNOLOGY: Our online page creation, e-commerce and photo-sharing platforms run swiftly and efficiently thanks to our dedicated team of programmers. We launched them, in HTML-5, in 2017, and perform continuous monitoring and improvements to keep them leading-edge.

PENALTIES: Some old-fashioned companies have conceived other ways to increase your invoice amount, such as missed deadline fees and overtime. Question these every time you see them. Working with American, you control your ship date. It’s that simple. When you finish your book, that’s your final deadline. Then, our production begins, keeping all your pages together for consistency and efficiency. Seven weeks later, your books arrive. No late fees. No overtime. No stress. This is how the real world of printing works.