The Digital Alternative

When I was at a Creating Keepsakes Convention this summer, I took a class on digital scrapbooking. I had already played around with my newly acquired Photoshop Elements (PSE), but was looking for more. I'm happy to say that I found it, along with a new term - hybrid scrapbooker.

What exactly is a hybrid scrapbooker? I can assure you it's not a scrapper that operates best on half-caff coffee, but rather someone who does digital and traditional scrapbooking.

In today's age of digital "everything," it makes sense that scrapbooking would naturally branch off into more technical options. That's not to say that the digital world will overtake the more traditional form of scrapbooking, but it does provide new opportunities to those traditional scrappers who are looking to try something new or for those out there (present company included) who are more adept at wielding a mouse than a pair of micro-tip scissors. It can also be a cost-saving option, if you're looking to save a few dollars on scrapbooking supplies.

So, let's take a look at some of the reasons why digital scrapbooking is a good alternative to traditional scrapbooking:

Helps you to think "outside the box."

We all have times when we suffer from scrapper's block or even anxiety about "ruining" a layout because of the money we've spent on the supplies. I've found that with digital scrapbooking you are free to experiment with page design because anything you don't like can be taken back with the click of the mighty Undo button. No wasted paper, no sticky messes to clean up and no stress about how you're going to fix a "mistake." The filters and brushes provide what I like to call a palette with unlimited possibilities.

In this layout, I created all of the patterned blocks and title using parts of the pictures I featured in the layout (and actually came up with more that I liked and saved for future use).

Color coordinating is no longer a challenge.

Do you spend what seems like forever in your local scrapbook store trying to find "the" paper to match your photos? That's no longer a challenge with digital scrapbooking. Digital scrapbooking allows you to create your own unique scrapbook elements by pulling colors directly from your photos.

To create your own "cardstock" using colors from your pictures, use the following steps (for PSE 4.0):

• Open the photo file you would like to use.
• Then, double-click on the background color box. The Color Picker Dialog box should appear.
• If you drag your mouse over to the picture, you will see that your cursor has changed to look like a medicine dropper. If you left-click anywhere on the picture, the active color in the Color Picker will change to that part of the picture.
• Once you are satisfied with the color, click OK.

Now that your background color is set, open a new 12" x 12" image (or appropriate sized file), by selecting New (Blank File) from the File menu. When prompted to set the image size and resolution, make sure to set the Background Contents to Background Color.

NOTE: This neat little trick doesn't just work on pictures, but can also work on screen captures from a website. To get a screen capture of a website, press Ctrl + Print Screen button.

Saves time and money.

I find that I am more prone, these days, to create digital scrapbook layouts because it saves me time from taking the normal steps to create a paper layout like...

• Uploading digital pictures to get them printed,
• Waiting for the pictures to arrive, and
• Going to the store to get supplies.

With digital scrapbooking, you just pull your pictures off your flash card and into your layout, and you can buy your scrapbook supplies right off the internet. An added bonus with digital scrapbooking kits, you buy it once and have it to use forever.

If you don't want to go completely digital, you can create the base of the layout - photos and paper - digitally and then add embellishments after you print it out. Some people like to do this because they want to maintain the 3-D aspect of traditional layouts.

It makes sharing layouts with family and friends easier.

If you're like me, you create multiple copies of a layout for the grandparents, aunts, friends, etc., but making multiple copies canbe not onlytime-consuming, but expensive. Digital layouts allow you to make it once and order multiple print-outs (much like a picture) or, for an even simpler solution, you can e-mail the layouts to family and friends. If you decide to do this, just make sure to compress the file and save it as a JPEG.

I personally will never go completely digital, as I feel that there is always something special about making something (literally) by hand. Plus, it's fun to roll up your sleeves and get covered with glue, glitter and ink every once in a while.

NOTE: You may want to try the latest version of Lumapix's Digital Scrapbooking Software. Download it here.

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