GETTING STARTED
WHAT IS DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING?
It's just another form
of scrapbooking. Since so many of us own computers, many have found & love
the new art form of digital scrapbooking. It allows you to use your computer as
a tool for scrapbooking. Some enjoy doing creating their scrapbooks 100%
digitally, while others incorporate digital elements into their traditional
pages. For instance, you can create or buy digital papers & print them on
from your own at home printer to use on your pages. Computers make it easy to
whip up a journaling block or title in minutes. Why not create that title or
journaling block with some pre-made kits? Or your own custom designs? Digital
scrapbooking is a whole new art form that is exciting & creative. Don't let
it intimidate you, there are many digital scrapbookers willing to answer
questions & help out. You can also find many magazines, books & websites
to educate & encourage! It's a challenge to learn & try new techniques.
But, enjoy the process!
WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?
You
will need 2 basic things:
A photo editing program: something like Adobe
Photoshop (PS), Adobe Photoshop Elements (PSE), Jasc Paint Shop Pro (PSP),
Microsoft Digital Image Pro (DIP), Ulead Photo Impact (PI), Corel Draw or any
kind of program that supports .png files & layers.
At least 256 MB RAM on
your computer operating system. (obviously the more the better)
You can also
add to the mix:
Scanner
Printer
digital camera
Other digital goodies
for the more advanced scrappers.
WHY DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING?
FREEDOM: You have a lot of freedom with your layouts. You can print them in
various sizes & put them in albums. You can keep them in a digital album;
creating slideshows with music, burning them on Cds/DVDs, emailing or sharing on
the web.
USE YOUR FAVORITE TRADITIONAL SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES: Digital scanning
is a great way to use your traditional supplies without feeling guilty that you
bought them! Of course, be careful & honest not to infringe on copyrights of
these products. Just as in traditional scrapping, be sure you give credit to the
product & make sure you only use the scan once, just as if you were actually
using the product.
CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM ELEMENTS: Creating custom papers,
metals, tags, brushes, etc. can be half the fun! You can use personal elements
in your life to scan, photograph & create your own custom elements to make
your pages uniquely yours.
USE PRE-MADE KITS: There are so many talented
digital designers out there that create kits with papers, elements, brushes,
etc. This is a great way to quickly create pages. It makes it very easy to drop
& drag your photos onto a template or simply assemble a kit in a matter of
minutes!
SCAN PHOTOS & NEGATIVES: You can scan your old photos or
negatives (need a special negative scanner) to use your film photos!
VERY
LITTLE MESS: No adhesives, utensils, or other supplies to make a mess.
Everything you need is a mouse click away.
CHILD FRIENDLY: For those of us
with small children, you don't have to worry about small piece in little mouths!
And with older children, computers are so fascinating to them. Have them sit
down with you & create digital scrapbook pages together!
The list could
go on & on.add your favorites to this ongoing list!
HOW DO YOU
PRINT OUT YOUR PAGES?
There are several options. You just need to find out
what is best for you.
ONLINE SOURCES: There are many online labs that can
print out your pages in various sizes & various photo papers. Professional
printing can assure you it is acid free and will last years. You can upload your
photos from your computer, select the size, color, papers & you'll have them
delivered to you door in no time.
LOCAL PHOTO LABS: You can have them printed
at local labs or copy centers as well. (i.e. Kinko's, Costco, Sam's,
etc.)
HOME PRINTERS: If you choose to print them at home, you have a variety
of choices.
LARGE FORMAT PRINTERS: You many not want to give up your fabulous
12x12 albums or pages, so you would need to have a large format printer. There
are some very good ones out there by Epson, HP or Canon. Shop around for the
best prices.
REGULAR FORMAT PRINTERS: If you can not afford or do not want a
large format printer, you have some size options; 81/2 x 11, 10x10, 8x8, 6x6,
etc. There are many albums out there that are made in these smaller sizes to
accommodate these smaller pint outs.
PAPERS: Paper is the KEY. It is
recommended that you use paper that is compatible with your printer; i.e. Epson
printers work well with Epson papers, etc.
PHOTO: There are several choices
of photo papers; matte, satin, luster, glossy, etc. Each photo finish will give
you a different look & feel. Experiment & find out which ones best suite
you &your style & taste.
ARTISITC: There are also many fine artistic
papers that are made specifically for ink jet printers. You'll find exquisite
watercolor, canvas, linen-based & fabric papers for ink jet printers. You
will be amazed at how beautiful the ink prints onto these papers. They add a
very artistic flair to your creations. Again, experiment to see what best suites
you.
STICKERS: You can buy self-adhesive inkjet papers to create labels,
cards, & all sorts of fun things. Look for matte, colored, clear, &
glossy.
INKS: There are a lot of different ink jet printers out there with
different choices. You can find photo printers with archival inks, too. The
companies claim their longevity surpasses that of photo labs.
COFFE TABLE
BOOKS: There are companies out there that can take your files & print them
in a beautiful bound book. Wonderful heirlooms!
WHEN YOU SAVE YOUR
FILES:
WHILE CREATING: Save often. Save at either 300 dpi for
high-resolution prints. (Some say to save at 200dpi.experiment & see what is
best for you.)
ALWAYS keep a layered file (.psd, or .tiff can be saved in
layers) so you can go back & make changes if necessary. Once you flatten
your image, it's a done deal! No going back.
PRINTING: When you go to print
whether it's at home or you want to burn it on a disk for a lab, flatten the
image, but keep it at your highest dpi you were working with. (200 or 300).
Trying to print a layered file is a pain, don't do it.
EMAIL OR UPLOAD ONTO
INTERNET: Flatten & save at 72 or 75 dpi. This can be done in your image
size window. On some software programs, there is an option to 'save for web'.
This will compress it into a .jpg file for the web. Recommended quality: high.
But, you can also SAVE AS .jpg at a high quality, too. It's just not as
compressed as your web file.
So, yes, for 1 layout, you will have 3
versions:
High-resolution layered file saved at 200 or 300 dpi:: for
changes.
High-resolution flattened file saved at 200 or 300 dpi:: for
printing out.
Low-resolution flattened .jpg file for email or the
web.
Suggestion: Keep each of them in different folders, i.e. SCRAPBOOK
PAGES, PRINTED PAGES, WEB PAGES Or something that works for
you!
Publication info:
When submitting your layouts for
publication, it is recommended to send a low resolution file to the magazine.
(with your supply list). WHEN it is picked up for publication, they will ask for
a 300 dpi version. This is when you will send them your high resolution
flattened image. Most likely, they will ask for a smaller size like 6x6 or 5x5,
so you will
just need to adjust the image size to those dimensions. (but NOT the dpi.)
So, NOW, you will just have to have a new folder for
your published layouts! Congrats!
DOWNLOADING & USING DIGITAL
KITS
DOWNLOADING:
In order to download the digital kits, you will need
WinZip or some other software that
will allow you to 'unzip' these files. You can google winzip and download it.
These kits are all 'zipped' up so you can 'unzip' them to the proper size & use them in your software programs.
This will allow you to see your individual pieces or elements. It will automatically save it on your desktop.
Mac users, double click on your zipped file, PC users, right click to open it up.
USING:
After it is opened, you can save it somewhere
in your folders. Name the folder & remember where you have saved
it, so you can access it easily when you want to create a layout.
For the brushes, see the "INSTALLING BRUSHES" tutorial. Brushes work a bit differently.
To create your first layout, simply open the elements you want to use. Drag & drop (or cute & paste depending on the program you are using) to Your new layout.
Be sure to look at our digital scrapbooking tutorials section to show you ways to teach yourself various techniques to enhance & create your layouts.