digital scrapbooking 101...need help!

[rsjj]

i just came across someone's digital scrapbook page...can someone please let me know what programs/software there are available, what i would need to start something like that? and everything is stored in your computer, right? and why digital scrapbooking, vs. the regular kind, where you can show others?

i am still a novice when it comes to scrapbooking...and as far as technology is concerned, i only know what i need to know to get what i need to do done, so i'm pretty "handicapped" in that area as well. but would appreciate any help in this matter, in the most basic lameman's terms would be good! thank you!!

 

[nicurn]

I would look over on 2peas now that they have a digital photography section (at least I think they do) maggie

www.twopeasinabucket.com

 

[MousseauMob]

Here's a couple of other good sites that explain things.

http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/Scrapping101/basics.shtml

http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/index.php?categoryid=1

For a list of sites with freebies - page kits, embellishments etc try!

http://www.digitalfreebies.com/topsites/index.php

 

[Timon]

There are several ways to scrap digitally. You can use software entirely designed for scrapping (CK has one called scrapbook designer plus) where you can just pop in your pictures to ready made layouts or you can make your own with premade items as well. Then you can also use programs like Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Picture It, etc. I use Photoshop and create my layout entirely myself.

They are very different methods. That's all. Digitally, you can print out your layouts (that's what I do) and place them in your scrapbook. I am doing my RCCL cruise entirelly in digital format. I've only done about 6 layouts but when I am done the album I will post them. I've also done some miscellaneous layouts which you can see HERE . I printed these out and they are hanging up in my SB room as decoration.

You can also just keep them digital and have them on a website where your family members from all over the world can look at them.

I also scrap traditionally. Which I still love doing.

I like the bulkiness and home made feeling of traditional scrapping but I really love the versatility I have in Photoshop for adding stuff and blending stuff together!

I sometimes use Photoshop to do something neat with my photos then print them out and put them in my sb layouts then sb it normally.

Either way, scrapping is fun fun fun!

 

[rsjj]

thanx for all your tips & links! will go reading thru them! actually, it was yours MouseseauMob, that i came across & was intrigued!

any other tips/suggestions, greatly appreciated!

 

[bubbasmom99]

I do both digital and paper scrapping. I use Picture It mainly. I have Digital Image Pro and Paint Shop Pro but I am slowly teaching myself to use those programs. Picture It is SIMPLE for beginners, so I highly recommend it as a starting point.

There are so many freebie kits out on the web right now that you could definitely get started playing around without spending a small fortunte (unlike paper scrapping!).

But I do still love paper scrapping too.

A couple more sites: www.shabbyprincess.com (great kits and they're free!) and www.digitalscrapbookplace.com (great freebies AND wonderful tutorials for beginners).

Here are a couple of my digital layouts:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/bubbasmom99/sarahdanceboth.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/bubbasmom99/diva.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/bubbasmom99/bubbadoo.jpg

http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=598308

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/bubbasmom99/SarahFlowersEpcot619x478.jpg

Ugh, I just realize I seem to scrap alot more of my daughter than my son

 

[MousseauMob]

thanx for all your tips & links! will go reading thru them! actually, it was yours MouseseauMob, that i came across & was intrigued!

any other tips/suggestions, greatly appreciated!

Oh cool! I'm so glad I could intrigue you!

I'm new to this also, but I don't think I'll ever go back to traditional scrapbooking. I seem to be much better and faster at it digitally. For me the undo function is a life saver and I can do a page in a fraction of the time it would take me traditionally with no mess.

I'm planning on using MyPublisher.com to create the book instead of printing them myself once I have my album done. I've used MyPublisher.com in the past for photos and text, but this will be the first time using full bleed to edge pages and fully scrapped pages.

I also LOVE all the freebies out there. I haven't had to create my own or buy an embellishment or background yet. Which for me is VERY different from traditional scrapbooking where I have to buy EVERYTHING and then I never get around to using them. I know, it's a sickness...

I use Microsoft Digital Image Pro - I tried out Adobe Photoshop first but I was too impatient to learn a new environment. I'm so used to a Microsoft interface that I was instantly productive with Digital Image Pro. Although I have read that Photoshop is probably more powerful then Digital Image Pro, most things I've read on it say's it's not as easy to learn and use.

Here's my two latest layouts!

Happy scrappin' and I'd LOVE to see your layouts once you dive in!

 

[MousseauMob]

I've also done some miscellaneous layouts which you can see HERE . I printed these out and they are hanging up in my SB room as decoration.

I LOVE your pages! They look awesome!

 

[MousseauMob]

A couple more sites: www.shabbyprincess.com (great kits and they're free!) and www.digitalscrapbookplace.com (great freebies AND wonderful tutorials for beginners).

Your pages are wonderful! I loved them. It's so obvious when I look at others layouts how much I still have to learn.

I love shabby princess, and the freebies thing is one of my favorite parts of digital scrapbook! I have the Diva page kit also - although I can't remember now where I got it from. The freebie link I posted earlier has a large list of sites to get downloads from including shabby princess. Freebies - How cool is that!

Ugh, I just realize I seem to scrap alot more of my daughter than my son

 

[Renysmom]

I've posted before that I converted to DS about 3 years ago and will not go back to paper.. It is more fun for me to do it digitally and I love the fact that I can print multiple copies and am able to pre-scrap for my pictures. I currently have about 50 pages just waiting for my disney pics and journaling to be added. It passes the time for me while I wait for October to get here.

A few hints, you will need a large HD to dl all the free stuff out there.. I have over 30 CD's burned if kits and embellishments that I have DL'd, I bet in total 90% of them are free.. I DL everything to a folder called new and as soon as I reach 650 MB I burn them to a CD then I move them to seperate folders on my HD which I created by theme or by designer. Make sure you back them up as even external drives crash and you can lose everything.

In the DS world, scrap lifting is very acceptable.

If you post a layout, like with paper, its proper to list the creator, kit, etc. used.

There is no right software, it is what you have and are comfortable with.. Each software has its own +/-'s.. I use PSP as I have used it for about 10 years, I struggle with photoshop, I think because Iam so comfortable with PSP.

There are tons of sites out on the web now, most with freebies and tutorials and you will find that posting a question on message boards, like here, is well received and everyone wants to help everyone.

There are no disney scrapkits available at this time, no one wants to touch the copywrite issues but you can create/buy kits that work well with your pictures very easily. Also, if the pages are for your own use (and you are not publishing them except for your own album) and you clearly state that the graphics are owned by Disney, it is okay to add a mickey or donald to the page. Again this is only when you are using them for your private use. Maybe Disney will create their own DS kits soon, there is a great demand for them.

Yahoo has some great DS groups where you can learn a great deal.

DS is not for everyone but I encourage anyone who wants to try it out to do so.. As I said, I get a great deal of satisfaction from it and it costs me so much less money.

Here is my website.. www.renysplace.com Feel free to roam the digital links page, I must have about 50 sites on there by now as well as some of my pages. I do have about 10 new ones to upload and will try and get that done this weekend.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

 

[tubachick]

EVERYONES PAGES ARE WONDERFUL!!!!!
I have to spend less time here on the boards, and more time experimenting with my photo programs!!!!

Thanks for sharing the links, the layouts, and the ideas

 

[Renysmom]

As promised, I updated my website with my latest digital layouts (19 and still scrapping ).. Please feel free to look over them and see what can be done..

Warning though, I am no where near as talented as some of the DS'ers out there.

www.renysplace.com and follow the links

 

[rsjj]

As promised, I updated my website with my latest digital layouts (19 and still scrapping ).. Please feel free to look over them and see what can be done..

Warning though, I am no where near as talented as some of the DS'ers out there.

www.renysplace.com and follow the links

thanx for sharing!

couple questions for all...after looking/browsing thru the links, and reading up on info...

1) kits...you just buy them or (download them for free), and use them as paper/embellishments, like in traditional scrapbooking?

2) e-paper/e-cut outs...are those the "kits" you are all talking about? or maybe that's something completely different! and if so, someone please explain that that is!

3) i subscribe to a scrapbooking pack monthly thing, where they send me papers & things for my "traditional" scrapbooking. if i go the digital route...i wouldn't need that subscription, right? since everything will be done on the computer?

4) when you do print out your pages...do you print out on 12x12 paper? and just insert it into a regular scrapbook?

5) this is an important one! i think! do i need a whole new printer/computer for this? can someone tell me what i would need to be able to do this on my computer? my DH just got a new computer...and had various upgrades (?) and what not...(can you tell, he's the computer genius, not me!) i hate to get into this, and find out that our computer cannot accomodate such things! so with this info, i can ask him if our computer is capable or not.

again, thank you so much for your patience & assistance!! really appreciate it!

 

[bubbasmom99]

1) kits...you just buy them or (download them for free), and use them as paper/embellishments, like in traditional scrapbooking? Yes. The kits usually come as a zip file, and there are different elements in different files. You can use all, some or none. Some also come with "ploppers" where the page is already laid out and you just insert your photos.

2) e-paper/e-cut outs...are those the "kits" you are all talking about? or maybe that's something completely different! and if so, someone please explain that that is! Have not tried the e-cuts. I beleive these are files that you print out on cardstock and then cut out.

3) i subscribe to a scrapbooking pack monthly thing, where they send me papers & things for my "traditional" scrapbooking. if i go the digital route...i wouldn't need that subscription, right? since everything will be done on the computer? There are digital kit subscriptions too, so if you want to switch over, you can still get a monthly delivery of new stuff. If you go 100% digital, you probably wouldn't need the paper kit anymore.

4) when you do print out your pages...do you print out on 12x12 paper? and just insert it into a regular scrapbook? You can print in any size you want!

5) this is an important one! i think! do i need a whole new printer/computer for this? can someone tell me what i would need to be able to do this on my computer? There are wide-format printers that can print 12x12. Some people will print onto 12x12 cardstock or photo paper. Some use a photo printing service (Winkflash, Snapfish, etc. Costco is really cheap too). You can also print 8x8 format or 8 1/2 x11 which will fit a standard printer. Just depends on what you want to do. I have yet to print out any of my digital pages. I just do it to play around but I still like the paper stuff for my Disney pages.

 

[MousseauMob]

5) this is an important one! i think! do i need a whole new printer/computer for this? can someone tell me what i would need to be able to do this on my computer? There are wide-format printers that can print 12x12. Some people will print onto 12x12 cardstock or photo paper. Some use a photo printing service (Winkflash, Snapfish, etc. Costco is really cheap too). You can also print 8x8 format or 8 1/2 x11 which will fit a standard printer. Just depends on what you want to do. I have yet to print out any of my digital pages. I just do it to play around but I still like the paper stuff for my Disney pages.

Just a couple of other ideas on this, I think some people don't print them at all, they share them electronically - either email, web page, web postings, or a web / electronic album.

Additionally, what I'm planning on doing is using MyPublisher.com to print and bind them in a nice album. I won't have to buy the album, the paper or worry about printing - ok, there's a trend here, I guess I'm a bit lazy!

 

[MousseauMob]

Warning though, I am no where near as talented as some of the DS'ers out there.

You're too modest! I loved your pages!

 

[Renysmom]

RSJJ - You asked:

1) kits...you just buy them or (download them for free), and use them as paper/embellishments, like in traditional scrapbooking?

yes, yes and yes.. Kits cost anywhere from $3 to about $8 although I have seen a few for $10.. Very reasonable considering you can use them over and over again.. Also as I told you before there are hundreds of free kits available on the web and yahoo.

2) e-paper/e-cut outs...are those the "kits" you are all talking about? or maybe that's something completely different! and if so, someone please explain that that is! I am not sure what you are referring to.

3) i subscribe to a scrapbooking pack monthly thing, where they send me papers & things for my "traditional" scrapbooking. if i go the digital route...i wouldn't need that subscription, right? since everything will be done on the computer? I've seen a few sites that do the paper monthly kits have now started monthly digital kits, check and see if yours has and how to convert. I dont paper scrap anymore but I know some who do both still.

4) when you do print out your pages...do you print out on 12x12 paper? and just insert it into a regular scrapbook? I print my layouts, usually in 8 x 10 or 8 x 8 although my printer (Canon I990 can print up to 13 x 19).. I just don't like the 12 x 12 size, too big in my opinion.


5) this is an important one! i think! do i need a whole new printer/computer for this? can someone tell me what i would need to be able to do this on my computer? my DH just got a new computer...and had various upgrades (?) and what not...(can you tell, he's the computer genius, not me!) i hate to get into this, and find out that our computer cannot accomodate such things! so with this info, i can ask him if our computer is capable or not.

You need lots of ram and either a large hard drive or the ability to burn CD or DVD's. Since his computer is new and has lots of upgrades I am sure it is fine. You also need some type of graphic program which allows the use of .png files.. Paint Shop, all Photo Shop, Dig Image Pro all use .png files.


Let me know what else you have questions on.

 

[Renysmom]

You're too modest! I loved your pages!

Mousseau - Thank you for the nice compliment

 

[rsjj]

5) this is an important one! i think! do i need a whole new printer/computer for this? can someone tell me what i would need to be able to do this on my computer? my DH just got a new computer...and had various upgrades (?) and what not...(can you tell, he's the computer genius, not me!) i hate to get into this, and find out that our computer cannot accomodate such things! so with this info, i can ask him if our computer is capable or not.

You need lots of ram and either a large hard drive or the ability to burn CD or DVD's. Since his computer is new and has lots of upgrades I am sure it is fine. You also need some type of graphic program which allows the use of .png files.. Paint Shop, all Photo Shop, Dig Image Pro all use .png files.

first of all, let me thank everyone for being SO helpful! i can't thank you all enough!!!!!

and Renysmom...that's the exact info i was looking for! had my DH read that part...and he said our computer have all that!! so i'm really excited!

and you also mentioned that you have a publisher print your album out...may i ask how much would that cost? roughly? so i know...

again, thank you everyone for all your help in this! and all your tips & suggestions & ideas are really greatly appreciated!!!

 

[MousseauMob]

and you also mentioned that you have a publisher print your album out...may i ask how much would that cost? roughly? so i know...
QUOTE]

I use MyPublisher.com, you can go to their website and see all their info. http://www.mypublisher.com/default.php. Small paperback pocket books are $9.95 for up to 20 (8 x 6) pages and 80 photos. Hardback books are $29.80 for up to 20 (12 x 9) pages and up to 120 photos. Deluxe Hardcover are $59.80 for 20 (16 x 12) pages and up to 240 photos. I love them because it's really the easiest most convenient thing. I pull my pages in to their free album software, click their order button, it's all sent to them electronically, and about 5 days later my album arrives in the mail. WARNING: I have used them for photos, but I haven't used them for fully scrapped pages yet. As soon as my album is complete, I'm going to use them with fully scrapped pages and I'll post back what I thought. I loved the quality of the photo albums I've done with them and I see no reason the scrapped pages won't be beautiful as long as it's saved as a high resolution image, but I need to test it first.