Digital Scrapbooking?

[scrub-jay]

Any digital scrapbookers out there? After having every intention of scrapbooking (and moving with paper/embellishments/etc multiple times) I think I am going to give digital a try.

I'd open to any suggestions, total newbie here!!

TIA!

-C

YES!!! Love. It. Oh my gosh, if you're decent with computers, you will get addicted so fast. It's not just the digital scrapbook pages, but the photo editing itself. You can do some really cool stuff, and salvage pictures that were *almost* perfect.

It's expensive, though. If you don't want to dive into it head-first, I'd try a place like snapfish that gives you a lot of flexibility for creating albums. My BIL has created some great looking books that way.

But if you want maximum flexibility for effects and photo editing, try Photoshop. Here's how I'd start, to minimize cost until you're sure you want to do it:

1 - Get a backup system for your computer, even if it's just faithfully burning pictures onto CDs. I learned this the hard way. You can always go back and edit pictures or make a different kind of album when you have more money and more knowledge, but you can't get the digital pictures back if/when your computer crashes. I am so thankful that I only truly lost a few pictures. Most of them had been downloaded onto our other computer as well.

2 - Make notes/journal about your pictures when it's fresh. I do it in an excel file, by date.

3 - Find a digital scrapbook web site that you like, so you can ask questions. I started with www.digitalscrapbookplace.com. They're fantastic with absolute beginners and have tutorials. But the pages in their gallery aren't that impressive, so you'll graduate from that place shortly. You can find lots of different stores & styles to copy. Many digital scrapbookers do extractions, where you mask out everything but the kid(s) and add a scene around them, like this:

It looks cool, but I got tired of messing up my family album by taking out the backgrounds. There are also extremely clean, simple styles - check out http://ozone.oscraps.com/gallery/mem...1073&protype=1
Right now I'm at www.oscraps.com. You can find decent inspiration in their gallery, and they do ok with questions. Also try Sunflower Scrap, Shabby Pickle Designs, and After Five Designs.

2 - Download a free 30-day trial of Photoshop Elements from the Adobe web site. When that one runs out, uninstall it and download the free 30-day trial of Photoshop CS. That way you get two months free! Photoshop Elements is much less expensive and less flexible than CS. Either way, if you buy Photoshop, get it from the bookstore for a hefty student discount.

3 - If you want to add page elements, look for freebies. You can get tons of downloads free. You also can do a lot just with photos. Some of my favorite layouts that I've done involve only a neutral, faded picture (like sand) in the background, and then some other pictures blended over that. No purchase of page kits needed.

4 - Figure out how you're going to print. Doing this early in the process helps with organizing your work and minimizing cost. Costco seems to be a favorite among digital scrapbookers, but there are lots of places that offer print services. Some do 12x12, some 8x8, some custom. I print my own and do custom sizes.

Hope that helps!

[scrub-jay]

That is really helpful! I should mention that I have a Mac and due to DH's previous photography passion we have a copy of Photoshop CS1 (I know it is a bit outdated) but I don't know how to use it yet.

ETA: I really like the page you displayed, that looks really nice!

Awesome! You're all set, then!

Again, others might have suggestions for creating books through other places like snapfish, and it's worth looking into.

Here's a tutorial for creating a first page with Photoshop. (Ignore whether you actually like how their example looks.)
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com...ayout_ag.shtml
I use a resolution of 300 pixels per inch, instead of their recommended 200 ppi. (Most scrapbook kits are created in 300 dpi, but some of this site's samples are 200 dpi, so you'll have to drag the corner handle to enlarge them.)

Did CS1 come with Bridge, the file organizer? The good part of using Bridge is that when you double click files, it will automatically open them in Photoshop. Bridge seems to tax computers a bit, so hopefully you already have a photo backup system, too.

Good luck!

ETA - I'm using We R Memory Keepers albums, because you can have your 12x12 pages mixed in with 8x6, 12x6, and lots of space for 4x6s.

[TigerLily]

Yay digital scrapbooking is awesome! If you use Iphoto, you can make pretty decent book through there. Shuttefly has a LOT more options though. LOVE IT

[cylverdust]

I have been interested in trying but never have.. gonna give it a go. Thanks for all the info.. e,cited to check it out..