Journaling by Hand

I am new to the whole computer font craze that has swept the scrapbooking world. There are literally hundreds of fonts that can be found on the internet for free. There are websites specifically designated for offering fonts to all who care to download them. There are several companies, such as Creating Keepsakes, that have put out computer programs with a variety of fonts and images that today's scrapbookers can use on their layouts.

However, being the purist that I am, I still journal in my own handwriting almost all the time (see example to the right). There is something special and unique about one's own handwriting that I feel needs to be preserved for future generations. The most common argument from scrapbookers against using their own handwriting is that they have terrible handwriting. But your handwriting and the way you write tells as much about a person as a photo, and in my opinion even more. When future generations look at what we have painstakingly preserved, it will mean so much more to them to be able to read the story behind the photos in their ancestors own handwriting.

Here is a list of some of the pros and cons of journaling by hand vs. computer journaling:

Journaling by Hand Pros

-handwriting can tell so much about a person

-complete picture of who you were

-faster to journal by hand than taking the extra step to computer journal

Journaling by Hand Cons

-messy or illegible handwriting

-cannot fit a lot of journaling in a small space

Computer Generated Journaling Pros

-an extensive variety of fonts and sizes available on the internet

-can fit much more journaling in a small space (see example on the right)

-more professional looking layouts

Computer Generated Journaling Cons

-lacks personality

-computer ink is not acid free

Whichever way you chose to journal just be sure to journal frequently. Most pictures would be meaningless without at least a who, what, where and when. Also be sure to journal at least once or twice in your own handwriting in your scrapbooks. Future generations will be glad you did.