The Digital Scrapbooking Alternative

 The digital scrapbooking alternative: 

As digital artwork is making its way into the mainstream; so is digital scrapbooking. For sure, we have a certain understanding about digital art, but what about the digital scrapbook? 

Traditional scrapbooks are made by hand with materials such as papers, pens, letter cut outs, adhesives, and any other embellishments you can think of. The main principle is  to create a wonderfully decorated page that would give a creative meaning to the message you want to present. Digital scrapbooking works on the same principle. You create unique page with decorations to enhance the meaning of the massage you want to address.

What sets the two apart is the method of achieving this principle. As mentioned, traditional scrapbooking uses material such as papers, pens, letter cut outs, adhesives, and other embellishments. Digital scrapbooking on the other hand uses computer graphics that replace  these traditional materials. You may say it is harder to work on the page design on the computer than on the actual page (traditional scrapbook), but  to be honest once you learn the techniques, it is almost the same.

Take the following for example:

The traditional scrapbook will work on a background or layout (sometimes called a template),  with pictures, texts, and embellishments. The process goes like this: you place the pictures on the background, place some embellishments related to your theme,  and write some text.

The digital scrapbook works on software with all the available digital embellishments and texts. You have scanned pictures to be placed on a chosen background. Put some texts and add some more designs. Then, with some more editing on the colors and borders, you have created a scrapbook page.

(Speaking of software. There are several software that would let you create digital scrapbooks. These are Microsoft® Digital Image Pro, Photoshop® Elements or Adobe® Photoshop®, Ulead PhotoImpact®, or Jasc Paint Shop Pro®, to name a few.)

Oftentimes, it is much easier to create a digital scrapbook than a traditional one. This is because software that lets you create digital scrapbook has ready to use templates for texts and backgrounds, not to mention the editing tools you need. These features make it easier to create  unique pages. Downloadable templates are readily available over the internet to widen up your choices on text, embellishments, and backgrounds. This is unlike traditional scrapbooks where everything depends on the products and color shemes you have on hand.

To further illustrate how a digital page is created, here are the steps to follow:

·  Create a new image from a blank canvas

·  Define the size of the page you will use.

·  Enter the settings you want to adapt.

·  Add the photo

Photos determine the color scheme of the layout, therefore, you may want to see first what picture will you going to use before determining the mat of the canvas.

To add a photo, you must first save one on a file. You can either scan pictures or take them from your digital cameras.

·  Create the background

Now that you have a determined canvas and photo, it is time for you to select your background. Here, the choices are endless. You can download images from the internet or use your photos to be the background itself. You can edit the texture of the background to match the theme you want to achieve.

·  Create the photo mat

Photo mats let the background and the photo meet on a certain point.

·  Add the text and embellishments

Ready made texts and embellishments are one good feature of digital scrapbooking software. This helps you to put important touches fast and easy.

·  Apply some finishing touches

Final editing is as important for placing everything in order. Make use of built in features such as shadows, embossing effects, and others. This would help your page look more attractive as it highlights whatever you want to show off.