Scrapbooking has always been a great way to display your favorite family photos. Thanks to modern technology, the way we collect and share photos has evolved in the digital landscape. Online scrapbooking (also known as digital scrapbooking or digi scrapping), has become a popular method for archiving and organizing your memories.
If you’re new to digital scrapbooking, read along to discover some tips and tricks to get started.
Online Scrapbooking Benefits:
- The files can be shared or printed (rather than having one family scrapbook, think of it as the same one but each family member has access!).
- Multiple users can collaborate if everyone has the same software.
- Scrapbooks can help jog memory for older users who are experiencing memory loss.
- Online scrapbooking is budget friendly (spend less on paper and supplies!).
- The pages and projects are editable in case you ever want to add photos or need to change names or dates.
- Online scrapbook software can also create other projects such as birthday cards, invitations, workshops, and presentations.
Now that we’ve covered the many benefits to online scrapbooking, let’s dive into some helpful advice for digital scrapbook beginners.
If online scrapbooking seems intimidating, just think of it as PowerPoint but with a little more pizzazz! Once you get the hang of the scrapbooking software you decide to use, you’ll open up a whole world of opportunities. You’ll be able to make different template sizes depending on your project, add endless elements such as digital stamps or photo edits, and even print your designs for a tangible scrapbook.
Scrapbooking Software Options:
- Adobe Photoshop Elements
- Forever Artisan
- My Memories Suite
- Project Life app
- Gimp
Adobe Photoshop Elements is considered the best platform for online scrapbooking. The software is more user-friendly than its big brother Photoshop. Each software will include similar features such as custom template sizes, graphics, illustrations, and unique fonts.
If you don’t find a specific design element you want on your software, you can always purchase a scrapbook kit or bundle online. These kits are made by other online scrapbookers who share the downloadable files with you after purchase. Once you become an online scrapbooking expert, you can even make your own scrapbook kits and monetize the artwork.
Additional Tips:
- Check out a few free trial test runs for scrapbooking software before committing to your favorite platform.
- Print out your digital projects for traditional scrapbooking. A lot of people use online scrapbooking as a means to completing a traditional scrapbook. This feature is called hybrid scrapbooking.
- Remember to digitize your photos with Legacybox so you can use the images on all your online scrapbooking projects!
- 300 dpi is a good image resolution size if you want to print out your pages.
- If sharing online, save the files in smaller sizes that are easier to email
- Edit your photos before scrapbooking! You’d be amazed how a little bit of digital editing can go a long way on a photo.
- Use Google searches or YouTube tutorials for self-teaching tips on specific scrapbooking software. Even Photoshop experts don’t remember every trick in the book, that’s why photo editors and online scrapbookers often refer to video tutorials or online searches to refresh their memory on specific editing tricks.
