Great Programs for Digital Scrapbooking
If you spend more time scraping glitter and glue off your desk than you spend on your scrapbook designs, digital scrapbooking is for you.
Two of the most popular programs for digital scrapbooking are Photoshop Elements, and Scrapbook Factory Deluxe (which was used to create this Grandparent's Day design).
At the bottom of this page, you'll find a list of online resources that can help create great designs.
Photoshop Elements Packs a Powerful Image Editor
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a popular program among digital scrapbookers because it's a powerful image editor you can use to crop, edit, and enhance images, as well as combine pictures and text to create completely custom designs.
That's why we created an introductory lesson -- to help you find your way around this image program and discover how powerful it is and what you'll need to learn to get the most from this versatile tool. Follow this link to learn more about Photoshop Elements.
Scrapbook Factory Deluxe Features a Gazillion Templates
The best-selling scrapbooking program on the market, Scrapbook Factory Deluxe features a gazillion templates, graphics, and fonts. Okay, maybe not a gazillion, but 5,000 templates and 40,000 graphics sure seem like a gazillion as you scroll through all the categories of scrapbook designs.
The program combines a simple image editor with a layout program that is similar to Microsoft Publisher, except Scrapbook Family Deluxe is easier to use and not quite as powerful. If you’re a graphics design professional who has worked with a program like Quark or InDesign, you may get frustrated because you won't have as much control. But if your goal is to create scrapbook pages without spending weeks learning a complicated program, you're going to love this tool.
Even if your experience with computers is limited to withdrawing money from your ATM, you shouldn't have trouble learning Scrapbook Factory Deluxe. The opening screen makes it easy to get started. First you select the kind of project you want to create (in addition to scrapbooks, you can create journals, cards, envelopes, t-shirts, calendars, and more).
If you choose Scrapbooks, a new window opens listing a collection of template categories, such as Holidays, Hobbies, Pets and School Events. Each of those have subcategories underneath them that open to reveal thumbnail images of each template. For example, if you choose the Holidays category, a subcategory menu appears with a list that includes Christmas, Halloween, and Grandparents' Day. If you choose Halloween, you'll find templates with pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins. Clicking on the “Next” button, opens a screen where you can type in your own message. When you choose “Next” again – Presto! The page is automatically created. If you want to make further changes, you can double-click on any piece of text or image to edit it.
Some of the layouts and artwork are simplistic (bordering on cheesy), but many are beautiful. You can alter them as much as you like, adding images and text, changing backgrounds, fonts, colors, borders, etc. You can even start with a blank page if you prefer, and use the backgrounds and graphics in the program to create your own designs from scratch.
Inserting images is super easy, but I was not impressed with the program's built-in image editor. If you want to fix red eye, edit or crop photos, you'll be better off using a dedicated image program, like Adobe Photoshop Elements, before you insert your picture into Scrapbook Factory Deluxe.
When you're finished with your masterpiece, you can save your page in a variety of formats, including PDF (the portable document format common on the Web) or an image format such as JPEG or TIFF. One confusing thing is that there is no way to close a page without creating a new design or closing the program, although when you do create a new page the program automatically reminds you to save your first design.
Overall, this is a great program at a reasonable price (especially when you consider all the graphics and templates that come with it). Even if your first love is traditional scrapbooking, remember you can always further embellish your designs after they are printed. After all, you don't want your glue and scissors to feel completely left out.
— by Janine Warner, review first printed in Scrapbook Answers, 2006
- 5,000 customizable templates and projects
- More than 40,000 ready-to-use graphics and background textures to add to your projects
- 1,000 different fonts
- The program sells for $39.95.
- To learn more visit www.novadevelopment.com.
Scrapbook Factory Deluxe Highlights:
Scrapbooking Resources on The Web
Even I'm amazed at the vast array of books, magazines, and online resources dedicated to scrapbooking. Among the many advantages of using your computer for scrapbooking are all of the great resources you can find on the Internet--from page designs and layout examples that are sure to get your creative juices flowing, to papers, stamps, and so much more. Although some of these online services charge for their template designs and other scrapbooking goodies, you'll find lots of free ideas on these sites as well.
As digital scrapbooking grows in popularity, the number of Web sites dedicated to the art grows as well. The following is just a sampling of the many great Web sites that can help you in your digital scrapbooking efforts.
Scrapbook-elements.com
One of the most popular digital scrapbooking sites on the Web, Scrapbook-Elements is dedicated to the art of digital scrapbooking. On this site you'll find lots of tutorials, tips, and a wide range of page layouts and other products you can purchase from their online store.
Memory Makers Magazine
www.memorymakersmagazine.comAnother big player in the world of traditional scrapbooks, Memory Makers offers loads of design ideas and other resources on their Web site, as well as books and magazines.
Creating Keepsakes
www.creatingkeepsakes.comIn addition to publishing one of the most popular magazines on scrapbooking, the Creating Keepsakes Web site features a wide range of resources and products on their Web site.
Scrapbook-bytes.com
The slogan on this site, "Changing the scrapbooking world one computer at a time," speaks to their dedication. In addition to many great templates and design packages you can purchase on the site, you'll find a gallery of designs submitted by visitors. This site offers more interactivity than most, with a chat room and discussion area where you can compare notes with other scrapbookers.
Find Rubber Stamps Online
Long a popular element of traditional scrapbooks, rubber stamps make it easy to add art and images to your pages. Even if you create your pages on a computer, remember you can stamp your pages after you print them. And, now that your computer is one of your scrapbooking tools, you may be delighted to discover that you can find almost any rubber stamp you can imagine online. For an extensive list of companies that create all kinds of rubber stamps, visit www.rubberstampinglinks.com.
