Before You Start Digital Scrapbooking

What to consider before you start digital scrapbooking

First things first, what is digital scrapbooking?
Digital scrapbooking is pretty much the same as paper scrapbooking in the sense that you’re arranging your photos, decorating and designing your page with a common theme. The difference is, in digital scrapbooking, you’re doing everything on the computer with software and graphics. You share your page via email, blog or by printing them.

Things to keep in mind…

Set-up

You’re going to need digital or scanned photos, computer, software and a printer if you’d like to print your own layouts. You have tons of software options and almost everyone offers a free trial version. To get started you can try something like paint.net, which is completely free. Once you get the hang of how the program works and find out how addictive it is, you might want to try something a little more advanced. If you want a program that allows the basics, so you can focus on your layouts, then try Adobe Photoshop Elements or get a digital scrapbooking package from Corel. Digital scrapbooking can be an almost free hobby if you keep it simple by using free software and graphics, considering you already have a computer and digital camera. The only thing you really need to pay for are the printed pages.

Getting Started

You need to decide on the size of your layout first. The standard sizes are: 8×8, 8.5×11 or 12×12.

You may want to take into consideration as to how you’re going to share your final page. Are you going to print them? Have them printed? Share them online? Email?

Do you want to create your own embellishments or purchase them? How do you know what size to make them? Digital scrap booking has matured to the point where you don’t have to create your own graphics (elements), you can find some online for free or purchase them from an online store.

When choosing photos, keep in mind the size of your layout versus the size of your photos and how many photos you would like on the page.

Now you’re ready to embellish your page!