Digital Scrapbooking

For generations, scrapbooks were made of paper and plastic. And those still make for great media to record your memories. But since the invention of the personal computer and, even more so, the Internet, scrapbooking has reached new heights. Scrapbooking has gone digital.

Not so much a replacement for offline scrapbooking, digital scrapbooks expand the range of options. New forms of creativity, easier production and manipulation of images and text, and all sorts of other benefits flow from digital scrapbooking. But before talking about some of them, it's best to explore just what digital scrapbooks are.

Digital scrapbooks either create or store those treasured photos, poems, journal entries and more on a computer. The source of the images can be either from a digital camera, some photos scanned by a scanner or off the Internet itself. The text can be a old diary scanned or re-typed, created using word processing software, or copied from any of the millions of sites around the world.

Many scrappers prefer a mix of offline and digital scrapbooking. That allows them to use all the tools for creativity available - image manipulation software, text editors, as well as craft skills like coloring, sewing, hand illustration or calligraphy.

Many software packages exist to help the scrapbooker create and manipulate images on a computer. Photoshop is one of the most well known, but there are many others. Mastering one takes practice, but most can be picked up and used in no time for basic functions like copying, cropping and changing basic attributes.

You may want to change the resolution, the image size, select and mix portions of the image or change the colors and contrast. With image software, that's easy to do. And it can be done with more than just photographs.

Scrapbooks contain all kinds of images: copies of reality, pure imaginative inventions and a mixture of the two. Image software provides a range of functions for integrating drawings with photos, zooming, layering text over images and much more. Very high-end packages like the pros use cost hundreds of dollars. But there are many others that range from free to just a few dollars.

Fortunately, both image and text can go both ways using a computer - in or out. You can use a digital camera to create an image, then upload it to the computer using supplied hardware and software. You can use image manipulation software to alter or just print it, then put the output into your offline scrapbook.

But you can also create text off line, scan it into the computer and store the results forever. You can use word processing software to make it easy to copy huge blocks of text, change fonts and print it out to add journaling to your hardcopy scrapbook.

Computers add sound and video capability to go beyond a manual scrapbook. You can record the baby's first word or first step. You can store those experiences forever on the hard drive, on an Internet storage area or burn them to a CD. Store the CD inside your offline scrapbook and you have a complete album containing text, photos, words and video.

The possibilities are limited only by your boundless imagination.

Scrapbooking has remained a popular craft thoughout many generations all over the world. The desire to preserve precious moments has urged people to collect mementos such as pictures and small souvenirs, and then arrange them in a creative manner to help reminisce about memorable times.

While several scrapbookers prefer traditional methods of memory preservation by using good old paper, scissors and glue, a lot have ventured out into the hi-tech world by making digital scrapbooks.

The popularity of digital scrapbooking is growing steadily. In fact, many of the traditional scrapbooking magazines have released special issues featuring digital scrapbooking or the making of scrapbooks with computers.

Some hobbyists have introduced themselves into the digital scrapbooking art by just making parts of their scrapbooks on computers and then printing them out to attach to their normal albums.

However, others have ventured into full blown digital scrapbooking, i.e. making scrapbooks entirely on the computer, as it saves time and materials, plus it provides many more capabilities not available with traditional methods.

Many digital scrapbookers are photographers who use digital cameras and have their pictures stored in their computers. The beauty of their work would go to waste if they are just stored there in folders, so they came up with interesting ways to showcase their photos. Not only are digital scrapbooks quick to make, they can also easily be distributed and used as portfolios. Otherwise they can be quickly shared to just about anyone who has a computer.

Digital scrapbooking is quite simple. There are few things needed to make digital scrapbooks. First of all, you need a computer with a decent graphics card. Next, you need digital imaging software such as Adobe Photoshop. Such software is not only designed to edit pictures but also to make layouts such as scrapbooks. Obviously, you need photos. You may also use scrapbook templates such as Simply Digital, which helps beginners with design ideas. For those who want to print their work, a good quality photo printer and photo paper is needed.

With these materials, digital scrapbooking can be easy. Like traditional scrapbook making methods, it basically involves designing backgrounds, adding pictures, inserting accent designs, adding texts and titles, and so on. The good thing about digital scrapbooking is everything can be easily edited and mistakes can be easily removed.

With digital scrapbooking, you can be nostalgic without being passé. Memories can be easily preserved and cherished with digital scrapbooking.

Digital Scrapbooking Using Your Computer to Create Exciting Scrapbook Pages

Digital Scrapbooking Using Your Computer to Create Exciting Scrapbook Pages This creative resource is the first to focus on the exciting scrapbooking creative possibilities created by computer technology. Crafters will learn to manipulate pictures with photo-image editing software, use scanners to design themed background papers, draw on clip art, make all-digital pages, and even stage a digital family reunion. Author Maria Given Nerius Studio Lark Books Format Book

Digital Scrapbooking Using Your Computer to Create Exciting Scrapbook Pages

As quickly as scrapbooking is becoming a major hobby for men and women of all ages, good old fashion 35mm cameras are disappearing, taking with them one of the main scrapbook necessities - printed photos. No longer, it seems, are people running to the store to develop their shots and get prints. Rather, they're downloading disks onto a computer, leaving the pictures on a hard drive or in cyberspace.

So, what does this mean to scrapbooking?

Digital photography is a great way for the less talented photographer to get some great pictures. This translates to better photos for a scrapbooker, which is a good thing. The advent of the digital camera and photo disk has taken the "cost fear" away from amateur photographers. No longer is their a need to conserve film, only taking a shot or two of a pose to save film for later. Instead, the disks allow shutterbugs the freedom to take tons of pictures of the same subject without getting hit with a huge developing bill and a bunch of useless pictures.

The more shots a photographer takes of a subject, the better chance there is for a great shot to come out of the deal. This is wonderful for the scrapbook lover when it comes down to having better materials. Plus, there is a better ability to review shots before having them printed out - either on a home printer with photo paper or through a service that puts them on real photo paper.

In addition to the flexibility to shoot more and better photos, digital also offers other possibilities. For those who are afraid to crop with scissors, the computer allows virtual cropping. You can try out a look before you commit. Plus, you can even play with layouts online before gluing things down.

Another interesting advantage to digital pictures is the fact scrapbooks can now be created and stored wholly online. It's no longer necessary to create a paper and print scrapbook. These can be solely the domain of the computer world. The downfall here is nothing to "hold on to" for future generations though, so keep that in mind.

Digital cameras also give shooters the ability to pick their prints before they buy. You only have to buy the ones you want and you can crop and size them before the prints are made.

Digital photography has put a damper on actual prints, but that doesn't mean scrapbooks have to suffer. In fact, if used well, a digital camera can really improve the overall quality of a finished book by making the photos better and giving more possibilities.

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