Myths about Digital Scrapbooking

Many traditional scrapbookers resist the temptation to experiment with digital scrapping because of some prevalent myths about going digital. This article will debunk these notions and explain the advantages of dipping your toes in the digital scrapping world.

Myths about Digital Scrapbooking

Digital Myth #1.
To create digital scrapbooks, I need to be a computer guru and learn complicated software.

Fact.
Today’s digital scrapbooking software is easier than ever to use- even for the amateur. Most programs offer free 30-day trial downloads, which is generally enough time to give it a try. And while it might take a little time to learn, you’ll find that the endless array of beautiful, innovative scrapbook designs and photo collage frames is well worth the minimal effort.

Digital Myth #2.
My digital scrapbooks will look amateurish because I lack experience with them.

Fact.
Even the beginner digital scrapper can produce professional-looking photo collages with the wide variety of easy-to-use scrapbook designs and collage frames available today. Electronically edited photos are of higher quality, computer text is consistently straight, and computer font is always legible. Generally, digital scrapbook pages look more professional than traditional creations and boost the pride scrappers feel in their projects.

Digital Myth #3.
Digital scrapbooking is more expensive than traditional scrapbooking.

Fact.
By switching to digital scrapbook designs, you can actually save yourself money … and time. If you already own a computer, all you need to buy is the scrapbook layout software and digital scrapbook kits, which are fairly inexpensive. The equivalent in paper, scissors, glue, embellishments and albums is far more expensive, and once you use them, they’re gone. Digital scrapbook designs and collage frames, on the other hand, can be used indefinitely. Think of the money you’ll save on gas driving to and from the craft stores, and the money you could save on gifts by giving personalized photo collages to friends and family.

Digital Myth #4.
Switching to digital scrapbook designs will limit my creativity.

Fact.
You can take your creativity to exciting new levels with the variety of digital scrapbook designs and collage frames available now. Choose any design you like and turn it into just about anything you want. You can mix and match or create your own unique styles. Adjust the colors, sizes, patterns, arrangements … add audio and even video… your options are limitless.

Digital Myth #5.
I don’t have time to learn how to make digital scrapbooks.

Fact.
Today’s digital scrapbooking software programs are so user-friendly and intuitive that they make learning them a breeze. Once you get the hang of it, digital scrapbooking is a great timesaver. Correcting mistakes, editing, moving items around and revising are much easier and quicker to do digitally than they are by hand. You can size and resize your backgrounds and photo collage frames with a few simple mouse clicks and create beautiful keepsakes in no time.

Digital Myth #6.
I need to own a digital camera to create digital scrapbooks.

Fact.
Even if you only have a film camera, you can still create digital scrapbooks by scanning your images onto a computer or having your film images put on a CD. And you can finally put to use those electronic photos your friends and family members have e-mailed to you. Of course, with today’s digital camera prices going down all the time, you may find you’d like to buy a digital camera anyway!

Digital Myth #7.
If I move to digital scrapbooks, I’ll have to give up the traditional art of scrapbooking and the social and bonding aspects that come with joining my friends and family in making scrapbooks.

Fact.
On the contrary, digital scrapbooking broadens social circles. Many digital scrappers get together to share their digital resources and knowledge about editing programs. They go to scrapbook conventions and meet others in online digital scrapbooking chat rooms. Plus, you can take advantage of the digital scrapbook’s ability to help you keep in touch with faraway friends and relatives via e-mail, Web sites and easily printed copies of scrapbook pages that you can mail to them. You can also burn them to CDs and DVDs.

Of course, you can still make traditional albums and consider integrating your digital scrapbook designs into them. And as you learn new techniques and tricks digitally, you’re apt to spark your creativity with traditional scrapbooking.

You don’t need to become an expert digital scrapbooker overnight. Start out small by making a simple digital photo album, then work your way up to a full-fledged scrapbook. Happy scrapping!

Digital scrapbooking diva Sasha Byers explores the world of documenting memories digitally, providing insight and ideas on how to create digital photo collages and scrapbooks. She offers tips on scrapbooking important events, travels and major life periods such as childhood, school athletics and a child’s transition out of the nest. She also debunks common myths about digital scrapbooking and addresses frequent questions on this popular new hobby. Sasha’s blogs provide answers, tips and digital scrapbooking ideas to help you create sharper, more attractive scrapbooks in half the time.

Digital Scrapbooking Made Easy

One of the bonuses of creating a digital scrapbook is the fun of using many difference photos. When working on scrapbook pages online, it’s a cinch to download digital photos, color correct and add them to your scrapbook project. However, even with this easy technique, sometimes your photo well will still run dry.

Digital Scrapbooking Made Easy

Finding unique photos online can solve your problem. Everyone has that moment while creating digital scrapbook pages where they wish they could include a celebrity to give their pages a comedic or glamorous tone. “Oh, if only I could Photo Shop Brad and Angelina into my digital scrapbook, these scrapbook pages would be perfect,” is not an uncommon thought.

Or, maybe you need a picture of a business to beef up your scrapbook pages. Perhaps you just took a trip to Hawaii and were having so much fun drinking the frozen lava flows that you forgot to take a picture of the restaurant that was a key part of your trip. You wish you had the picture on file to include it in your digital scrapbook and are kicking yourself that you do not.

Well, there are solutions to these problems. Many web sites can help you add to your scrapbooking crafts with the pictures they already have posted. It’s super easy (but not always legal, so don’t stop reading yet) to snap up all the photos you want for your digital scrapbooks, right clicking them and adding them to your Save As pile. Once you have the shot of the restaurant in Hawaii you were patronizing it’s easy to use your scrapbooking tools to jazz it up.

Many of the online software programs you buy support this feature. They can even help with screenshot importing, allowing you to take screenshots and paste them in without having to pull up the Paint site. This makes it easy to pull up all of the visual information you need to make your digital scrapbooking layouts unique.

However, before copying anyone’s work, it’s critical to ask for permission. Although this practice of beefing up your scrapbooking pages with online photos will probably not get you in hot water or the clink, it’s a best practice to get permission before nabbing any of the photos or sites off of the web.

To do this, get in touch with the site that posted the pictures or page. If the site is that restaurant you ate at in Hawaii, your odds are good the site won’t care if you use it for free scrapbooking. But if it’s a place with a copyrighted photo of Angie and Brad, for example, you might get the turn down – and won’t even be able to offer to pay.

If you can’t get permission to use the photo you want, check stock photography sites for similar options. These sites are awesome to find pictures to use for your scrapbooking pages. Sometimes, you will have to pay a small fee and yes, this could cut into your free scrapbooking budget. If the picture is Bran or Angelina, it just might be worth it.