Creating a school yearbook is an exciting project—but it also involves juggling massive amounts of content: high-resolution photos, page layouts, design files, and more. Sharing these large files can be a challenge, especially if you’re working with a team of students, teachers, and designers. That’s where Google Drive comes in as a powerful tool to store, organise, and share everything in one place.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the easiest ways to share large files via Google Drive so your yearbook project runs smoothly from start to finish.
❓ Why Use Google Drive for Yearbook Files?
Google Drive is perfect for school yearbook projects because it:
Supports files up to 5TB (as long as you have enough storage).
Allows real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and Google Slides.
Makes it easy to organise folders for photos, drafts, approvals, and final pages.
Enables sharing with specific people or the whole team—with view or edit access.
✅ Step-by-Step: How to Upload and Share Large Yearbook Files
Choose File upload or Folder upload, then select your large file(s) or folders (e.g. “Final Page Layouts”, “Candid Photos”, or “Teacher Quotes”).
Wait for the upload to complete. This may take time depending on your internet speed and file size.
2. ORGANISE WITH FOLDERS (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
Create folders like:
Photos – Raw
Photos – Edited
Design Layouts
Proofs for Review
Final PDF
Right-click and choose “New folder”, name it accordingly, then drag and drop files inside.
3. SHARE FILES OR FOLDERS WITH TEAM
Right-click the file or folder you want to share.
Select “Share”.
In the sharing pop-up, you can:
Enter email addresses of team members (e.g. teachers, students, printers).
Set their access: Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
Click Send.
For broader access:
Click “Copy link” in the same window.
Set the link to “Anyone with the link” and choose their level of access.
Share the link via email, group chat, or a shared document.
✅ Tips for Successful File Sharing
Compress images before uploading to reduce file sizes while keeping print quality.
Use descriptive file names like Year6_SportsPage_Final.pdf or CandidPhotos_Term3.zip.
Avoid duplicate uploads—nominate one person to manage the “master” folder.
Regularly backup your Drive to a second location or external hard drive.
Double-check sharing settings—especially before sending files to a printing company.
✅ Note on Permissions & Privacy
When dealing with student photos and names, make sure you follow your school’s privacy policy. Google Drive allows you to restrict access so only the right people can view or edit files.
? What If a File Is Too Big?
If a file is taking too long to upload:
Zip multiple files into a single compressed .zip file.
Use the Google Drive desktop app for smoother uploads.
Split the file into parts and upload them individually.
Wrapping Up
Sharing large yearbook files doesn’t have to be complicated. With Google Drive, you can easily upload, organise, and share everything your team needs—ensuring everyone stays on the same page and your final product is polished and ready for print.
Whether you’re collecting memories from across the school or finalising layouts for the printer, Drive helps you manage it all efficiently and securely.
