Choosing a Scrapbook Album

As I sit here ready to write this article, I am looking at my album collection. Over the past nine years I have collected them with careful concern as to the style, durability and even brand. When I first started back in 1998 the choices were few and far between. My first album was a black 8" by 8" spiral-bound album. It didn't have page protectors and I soon outgrew it when I found 8 ½" by 11" 3-ring albums. At first they offered only solid colors, but soon I found cute patterned designed albums. I bought those up as soon as I found them.

The market soon thereafter took a big turn and increased the album and paper size to a 12" by 12" dimension. This increase gave you much more room to fit things on your page, which I happily did and still do! Some of the brand albums were actually 11 ¾" by 11 ¾" making it necessary to trim the pages to fit in their page protectors. I stuck with the 12" by 12"s to avoid this. Since then, an amazing abundance of albums and sizes have hit the market and each size offers the buyer a wide array of possible uses. Here are some common album sizes:

• 12" x 12"
  
  
  

• 11" x 8 ½" (Landscape)
• 8 ½" x 11"
  
  
  

• 9" x 9"
  
  
  

• 8" x 8"
  
  
  

• 6" x 6" (great when working with 12" by 12" papers)
  
  
  

• 4" x 4"
• 3" x 3"
  
  
  

Choose the Size

The choice of the best album size for you is normally based on what you will be using the album for, although another issue that does play a part is the size of the photos you will be working with. If you prefer to work with 5" x 7" or larger photos, that will guide you toward an album that is 9" x 9" or bigger.

Here are a few common, everyday themes that I see in scrapbooking and some suggestions for sizes:

• Family everyday photos - 12" x 12"
• Day trip to local Botanical Garden - 8" x 8" or 6" x 6"
• Child's professional portraits - 8 ½" by 11"
• Short Vacation - 9" x 9", 8" x 8"
• Long Vacation - 12" x 12", 11" by 8 ½", 8 ½" x 11"
• Child's School Memories - 12" by 12"
• Mother's Day gift - 6" x 6", 4" x 4", 3" x 3" or even your own creation
• Child's everyday photos - 12" x 12"
• Special book about your kids - 9" x 9", 8" x 8"
• Birthday party pictures - 6" x 6" or smaller

Choose the Style

Another factor in your album choice is the choice of binding. There are several styles including post-bound, 3-ring or D-ring, strap-hinge, and spiral, along with specialty albums (such as ribbon-bound).

• Post-bound is an album that normally has from two to four metal posts holding the album together through the spine. The page protectors are placed onto the posts, and capped on the end of each post with a post screw. These albums are normally very sturdy and easily expandable, and they come in a wide variety of styles and sizes.

• 3-ring (or D-ring) albums are those with three metal rings either circular or "D" shaped, similar to notebooks. Page protectors can easily be added into the album. However, one drawback if you scrap two-page layouts is having a very large gap between pages due to the rings.

• Strap-hinge albums are made with either leather or plastic straps that run through the album spine. The user must use background papers with the "staple" hinge on the end that the strap goes through. The album normally has side-loading page protectors rather than top-loading as the post-bound or 3-ring have. One drawback to strap-hinge is the difficulty in changing the pages once they are strapped in.

• Spiral-bound is the last major album choice. Many companies are releasing new versions of these that include page protectors, but many are still sold without them. These are easy to use, great for smaller themes, and normally less expensive. You can usually add to the album. One drawback of these is the large spiral which can be easily bent and make the album a bit bulkier on the end.

Whether you are shopping for an everyday family album or special mini book for a gift, the scrapbook market has exploded with more album choices that you can shake a stick at! Purse shapes, hearts, flowers, you name it, they are all out there. The choice is yours!