Digital and Hybrid: Scrapbooking with Your Computer
12 March 2009
Author: Jessica Martin
As a die-hard traditional scrapbooker, I have to admit that digital scrapbooking sucked me in after the birth of my daughter. The biggest draw for me was that there is no mess and no cleanup. However, I soon longed for the feel of paper in my hand and embellished pages in my scrapbook, and discovered that hybrid scrapbooking was a great solution! Whether you enjoy the freedom of digital scrapbooking or the flexibility of hybrid scrapbooking, hopefully after reading this article you will be ready to begin scrapbooking with your computer!
Digital Scrapbooking:
Digital scrapbooking is using your computer to design a layout from start to finish. There are many software options out there, and most offer a similar range of features. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a common choice because it is relatively inexpensive and full of features. The sky is the limit with digital scrapbooking:
- You can create all of your own elements from scratch (as in our digital textured cardstock tutorial) or download pre-made elements from the internet. Visit the related resources links below for a few digital scrapbooking sites that I have used successfully. Each offers freebies that you can try before making a purchase.
- Print your layouts at home or through a photo processor. If you order prints through a photo processor, depending on the site you use and the size of your layouts, prints can be ready in an hour or mailed to you in a few days.
- Design and print layouts in almost any size imaginable I started with 5 x 7 because the prints were relatively inexpensive. I also used a standard 4 x 6 size to design my daughter’s birth announcement and other cards to be mailed. With the increasing popularity of digital scrapbooking, many photo processors now offer 12 x 12 prints and wide format printers allow you to print 12 x 12 at home.
- Share your projects with friends and family around the world. You can email individual layouts or share an entire album through a photo processing or photo sharing website. If you blog or participate in social networking sites, you can share digital projects there too. Websites like www.smilebox.com even allow you to build and share an entire digital scrapbook online.
Hybrid Scrapbooking
Then what is hybrid scrapbooking? In its simplest form, hybrid scrapbooking is using your computer alongside traditional paper scrapbooking methods. If you have ever printed your journaling off of your computer, you are essentially a hybrid scrapbooker. But in this age of digital scrapbooking, hybrid artists have many options:
- Print creative titles and journaling blocks using either photo editing software or word processing software such as Microsoft Word. This is probably the most common application of hybrid scrapbooking.
- Enhance, alter and manipulate photographs before adding them to your layouts.
- Arrange photographs into a collage, possibly including text, then print for use on your layouts
- Print digital papers for use on traditional projects. I like to use typography to create customized papers that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Try using the words to your favorite song, your wedding vows, or your school mascot to design a one-of-a-kind paper. For a fun variation on this idea, check out www.wordle.net.
- Print digital elements and add them to your layouts. This is also a great option when making a batch of cards because you can print the element as many times as you need.
- Create a digital layout then print it out and add traditional embellishments to it. This is one of my favorite options. I love the freedom of digital scrapbooking, but I also love the dimensionality of traditional scrapbook products. Here you have the best of both worlds.
Digital and hybrid scrapbooking offer so many creative options. Hopefully you are inspired to begin scrapbooking with your computer!