Scrapbook Software Tips

Ken Glauser posted:

Take a notebook or a mundane daily diary or journal and add some decoration with a border and you end up with a scrapbook. The notebook, diary, journal or scrapbooks have the same basis for production. They all are filled with thoughts, ideas and feelings. What separates a scrapbook from the others is the visual impact and beauty of the production. In a way, the scrapbook allows you to show off your events or thoughts so that other people will enjoy seeing it. All these mentioned items preserve memorabilia and legacies. It is just that the scrapbook dabbles in creativity and imagination whereas the other items are plain and simple.

Just as with many other facets of life these days, scrapbooking has also been changed with the advent of the computer, internet and things like printers and scanners. These items of hardware have the same effect as the printing press on scrapbook presentations. They all make the process faster and easier. Desktop publishing and new software has also made scrapbooking easier for everyone. You could have a scrapbook and not use a single piece of paper. Doing this is known as digital scrapbooking and it has taken off in popularity. Whereas all these new-fangled computerized methods use to be the domain of geeks and techno-nerds, they have now branched out to the practice of scrapbooking. People of all ages from anywhere in the world now have access to many things to help them produce their own special scrapbooks. Because of the internet and lots of scrapbook oriented websites, the options have skyrocketed. Never in the past could someone do as much as they can now. Another facet of digital scrapbooking fits in very nicely with the world of social networking. Sites like Myspace and Facebook are a good match for displaying your scrapbooking skills.

Over the years, scrapbooking has gone from a hobby for elitists to today where it is a viable commercial activity. Both brick-and-mortar locations and websites have mushroomed into what you see today. It used to be a small scale activity but now it is expanding day by day. With all the new entries into the scrapbooking industry, there are new scrapbooking techniques and lots of them. Because of the myriad of choices for scrapbooking, it is hard to pigeonhole particular scrapbooking techniques. There really is no right or wrong way to decorate a scrapbook. This leads to new and unique scrapbooking techniques every day. Don’t get me wrong, there are scrapbook techniques that will definitely benefit your presentation but a little bit of imagination with a smidgeon of creativity will go a long way.

So where does one go to look for new and different scrapbooking techniques? There are websites, books, and friends who also scrapbook. Scrapbooking is a learning experience and while you are creating your masterpiece, you will see interesting techniques you may not have thought of in the past. Go ahead use them and share them with your friends. Get them to share their scrapbooking techniques too.

When you plan your scrapbook, take some time and think the whole process through to the finished project. You start out with the most important portion of the scrapbook; the paper. Paper should be sturdy with a long life and be acid-free. You want your work around for a long time and the correct paper is essential for long life. As you plan the design of your scrapbook, keep mental notes about different supplies needed. Supplies such as pens, inks and stencils should be carefully planned for to make your project. Go into each scrapbook with the correct planning and you will find it easier to express your thoughts and end up with beautiful presentations.

A lot of scrapbooking techniques highlight the need to have index pages or highlight pages. They will inform you about where to locate them and how to display them. These special pages should be instantly noticeable as special pages with unique colors and symbols. Another way to distinguish pages is with bookmarks with tassels. Tassels are both decorative and functional in a scrapbook.

There are many elements to the art of decoration. Decoration shouldn’t be overdone as it will make your project look gaudy. The right type of decoration is critical in scrapbooking techniques. Choose decoration carefully with planning before you start. Visualize it and then go with it. There are many choices you can use. Stamps, embellishments, rub-ons, stickers, snow globes etc. can really glitz up your scrapbook if not done to excess. Choose carefully and use each appropriately.

Want more versatility for your scrapbook? Here are a few ways to add impact to your project. You can add pop-up pages, trinkets that are attached to pages, punch craft, peek-a-boo and panoramic pages will make your scrapbook unique and wonderful. Scrapbook techniques are limitless and very diverse. Go ahead and explore these techniques and add versatility to your scrapbooks.

heart2heartdesigns posted:


Creating a beautiful digital scrapbooking layout is easy! There are only 3 elements needed to create a basic layout a piece of background paper, at least one photo, and some journaling.  



We could stop here but we’re not going to…. Next we’ll add some word art.

 

Then, last but not least, let’s add a flourish.



Now you have a finished digital scrapbook layout ready to print, post in an online gallery, or send by email.

Just like with traditional scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking layouts can be clean and simple or they can include everything but the kitchen sink (without getting bulky). Whatever style suits your personality is possible with digital scrapbooking. The wonderful thing about creating scrapbook layouts digitally is that either style is possible with the same photograph.

Digital Scrapbook Design Elements: 



Alphabets

Background Paper

Custom Shapes

Digital Stamps and Brushes

Embellishments

Fonts, Fonts, Fonts!

Frames

Journaling Spots

Overlays

Quick Pages

Tags

Templates

Text Trails & Shapes

Word Art

and much more…



 

You’ll need a photo editing program to create digital scrapbook layouts.

Which software should I use?

A quick Internet search for scrapbooking and software will provide you with a long list of software programs. Our designers use Adobe® Photoshop and recommend Adobe® Photoshop Elements as an excellent choice. The software you choose will be based on several considerations: 

Computer operating system requirements – make sure your system will run the software you select! Some software can require up to 700MB of hard disk space and require an up-to-date operating system like Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS X. Computer knowledge – some programs have a steeper learning curve than others. If you have limited computer experience, you might want a program that will “hold your hand” through basic editing tasks. The best programs have two levels to accommodate both beginner and advanced users. Style of scrapbooking – if you see yourself designing your own embellishments then you might want to consider purchasing a software program with high flexibility. But don’t panic, there are PLENTY of digital goodies in our store for those of you who just want to get to it! Templates – You may just want to get on with putting your layouts together. Most of the software programs will come with some templates. The more popular ones will also have additional templates available through third party vendors like those in our online store. Tutorials – Again, the more popular software programs will have more tutorials available. Heart2Heart Designs supports Photoshop Elements with instructional written and video tutorials. Flexibility – It’s all about the tools. The more features the program has the more flexible it will be. But don’t ignore the learning curve! File Format Support – Be sure the program supports a wide range of graphic file formats. At the very least it should allow you to import and export JPEG and PNG files. Web Integration – Many of the new programs let you save your work in a web compatible format. Making them easy to post online or email to friends and family. Price – this isn’t always the first consideration! Do some research so you only have to purchase the software once. Until, of course, the next upgrade is available.

 

You can download the layered PSD file used in this article here.

John Foster posted:


Everyone is getting tech savvy, then how can one expect scrapbookers to be away from the magic of digital world. With the invasion of internet in almost every field, life has come full circle. Now scrapping too is getting digital with the scrapbookers due to many reasons, firstly, it reduces time and secondly every thing is available on the web. All that one needs to have for digital scrapbooking is equipment, such as scanners and color printers. Digital scrapbooking offers various scrapbooking solutions on the net. You can also install high-performance good scrapbooking software that is easy to use and is compatible to your desktop.

In fact, it is a newer concept and provides a variety of fun activities at a lower cost in comparison to traditional scrapbooking. You just have to download animated images, stencils and fonts in a wide range of styles that are available in the clip art section. In fact, you can also download digital scrapbooking in various frames and borders for your cool looking digital scrapbook. Digital scrapbooking additionally offers experience by providing you with the computer programs that are easy to follow and takes out frustration that you always experience while creating a conventional scrapbook. In fact, the software that you are using to make a digital scrapbook comprises of fonts, templates, layout designs and various other tools.

It is also a pleasurable thing for those who are always on the run and because of the time constraint do not get time to maintain their scrapbooks, hence a digital scrapbooking is a fantastic idea for them. The digital scrapbooking involves very less time, and one just has to place or drag his or her material like pictures, e-cards, downloaded personal photographs and many more with just a click of a mouse! And voila your digital scrapbook is ready for viewing. In fact, you can also let others to view your digital scrapbooking by connecting it with various other links for both limited and unlimited viewing.