Are you a paper scrapbooker who has decided to make the move from traditional scrapbooking to digital? Or are you completely new to the concept of digital scrapbooking? Either way, there are a few things you should know before you get started.
The first thing you need to do is research your options for digital scrapbooking software. You’ll want to select the best program possible – and not all digital scrapbooking software programs have the same features. Keep the following points in mind when selecting your software.
1. Your digital scrapbooking software should be easy to use, but it should also have many creative features that help make your pages shine.
2. It should be a good value. Beware of products that are too cheap – in fact, “free” isn’t necessarily a good thing either. As a rule, you should be able to find an excellent product for less than $50 on sale. Anything less than $40 is likely a warning sign that the product is being “cleared out”.
3. It should come with high-quality scrapbooking content (quality is even more important than quantity in this case).
4. Its included page templates should be editable and customizable. You don’t want to get locked into a page you can’t change! Also make sure your can expand your software with more digital scrapbooking content – that way you’ll always have fresh inspiration.
5. A good digital scrapbooking software program should offer a free, full-featured downloadable trial so that you can take it for a “test drive” and try everything out before you buy. Plus, you should be able to purchase and download the full product immediately, so you can start scrapbooking even if it’s 2 in the morning!
Once you have found an easy-to-use program that lets you make great looking pages, it’s time to start learning and creating. The best programs out there are intuitive and quick to learn, and you can easily begin making pages and figuring out the features by playing around. However, here are the 3 most important tips to follow when learning how to use your digital scrapbooking software:
1. If you’re the kind of person who like to know everything, start by reading the User’s Guide. Look on the Help menu from within your software for a link to an electronic “PDF” version. It should have great information that covers all the features.
2. Visit the digital scrapbooking software program’s website. The company should offer free easy-to-follow, visual tutorials to help you learn the features.
3. Visit the online discussion groups for your digital scrapbooking software. The best digital scrapbooking software products have active forums with users from around the world. You’ll be able to get answers about your software, plus you’ll learn about great tips and tricks.
Armed with the basics about the software, you can begin experimenting with laying out pages by beginning with a pre-made template, if your program includes these. Hopefully you’ve chosen a scrapbooking program that offers both fully-editable, pre-made templates plus the option to start with a blank scrapbook so you can design “from scratch”. A top-quality software product will let you click on an item, and then add, delete, move, resize and rotate elements with your mouse. Play around to get the feel for the program. This is one of the great advantages of digital – you can’t make a mistake. If you make a change to your page that you don’t like, simply choose “undo”. You can’t do that with paper and scissors!
Once you master the features of your digital scrapbooking software, you can really get creative and start making beautiful pages from scratch. Are you the type of person who loves working on a blank canvas? Your scrapbooking software should let you fully express all those great ideas! You’ll be making unique pages in no time.
But what if you’re the kind of person who admires other people’s scrapbook projects, but don’t know where to begin in creating your own digital scrapbooking pages? Once again, here is where a great online digital scrapbooking community comes in handy! Look for one that has a free members layout gallery, where you can not only post your own pages when you’re ready, but you can view other people’s work, too. Taking a look at the way other scrapbookers lay out their pages is a terrific way to inspire your own creativity (in fact, “scraplifting” – basing the layout of your page on someone else’ page – is a time-honoured practice among scrapbookers! – just make sure you give credit where credit is due!).
Another way to hone your digital scrapbooking skills is to participate in the fun challenges offered in some online communities. These challenges often center around a technique or scrapbooking program feature, and are a great way to learn. Plus, look for challenges that offer freebies; it’s a fun way to develop your skills and get free stuff for your projects!
Don’t be intimidated by digital scrapbooking! It’s much easier to get started with than people think. Just find a program that offers a free trial download, online tutorials, a helpful community forum, and fully-customizable templates to help you get started. You’ll be making amazing digital scrapbooks in no time!
Want to find out more about digital scrapbooking? Visit Gracie Madsen’s site on how to choose the best digital scrapbooking software for your needs.
- Tags: Crafts, digital scrapbooking, hobbies, Photo, photos, scrapbooking, scrapbooks, software