Scrapbooking Paper

Choosing the right Scrapbooking paper is the most important first step when designing your scrapbook. Your paper should express what you want the final project to portray. You should look for high quality material to create a lasting impression. The wide range of papers available in different colors and patterns adds to the overall impression of the scrapbook.

Scrapbooking paper comes from a wide variety of brand names. Some manufacturers produce sets suitable for certain themes, such as pink for girls or blue for boys. Others offer patterned papers such as blue marble, turtle shell, plaid, and floral. Choosing the paper that is appropriate and suitable for your design and style or theme means spending time meandering through the wide selections available.

Typical scrapbook paper includes vellum, cardstock, transparencies and labels.

Vellum paper is a translucent paper that is semi-transparent. It is categorized by weight, the smaller the number the lighter the paper and more see-through it is. There are many different weights and colors of vellum. Vellum can be printed with any laser printer and inkjet printer. When using an inkjet printer, use the economy, draft or speed settings for the least amount of ink used so there is less chance of smudging the ink. Vellum is great for printing titles and adding embellishments in scrapbooking projects.

Thicker than normal paper, cardstock is a good base scrapbooking paper. It holds up well to embellishments and for matting pictures to. It is available in many colors and sizes, as well as smooth and linen. The linen cardstock will be slightly rough and look like linen cloth.

Label papers are a great way to make stickers for your scrapbooking needs. Just print your design from a good printer and peel or cut out the design. Stick them onto your scrapbooking paper. Transparencies are clear pieces of paper that look like glass. They can be used for a variety of techniques to add a special dimension to your pages.

Scrapbooking paper needs to blend well with your theme and embellishments. A paper that has a touch of embroidery, for example, are good backgrounds for a page dedicated to a girl or maybe grandmother's photos. A floral pattern is a good background for a wedding or spring party theme while a plaid or stripe showcases a fishing expedition or vacation theme.

No matter what color, pattern, size or weight you choose, remember to buy only acid and lignin free paper to protect your photos from deterioration.