Digital Scrapbooking

While there are many purists out there who believe that the computer has no part in Scrapbooking...it's hard to dismiss the fact that the computer and the Internet is here to stay.

Here is a short primer for those that wish to begin integrating the Computer and Scrapbooking.

I have NO creativity...what can I do?

"Clip Art" is available to help you. Here's a short history of what "Clip Art" means. Many moons ago, a designer had to draw illustrations themselves for a layout. Then, they found that companies offered artwork for a fee that they could "clip out" and paste into a layout. Today, you can get "Clip Art" on the internet or CD-ROM for a very reasonable fee and import this artwork into a software package.

What software is available?

Graphics professionals use Adobe Illustrator to draw artwork and Adobe Photoshop to manipulate images that are scanned into a computer. There are numerous graphic packages available at a wide price range for you to use. American Greetings offers several software titles, such as "Crafts 2" and "Scrapbooks & More" that are dedicated to scrapbooking.

So I use a program to draw a layout...then what?

You will need to print the artwork out. BE CAREFUL...many low cost printers print images that will fade after a few short months. They are not meant for archival purposes that your scrapbooks need.

What about ink-jet printers that I see advertised everywhere?

Be careful. Some printers are not up to the challenge of printing photo quality results. Also, many papers are not acid-free. We can certainly understand your need to use low-cost methods to produce your scrapbooks, but some of these printers are really not meant for long term viewing of your photos.

I have some AWESOME photos, but they are in a digital camera. How do I get a print out?

ScrapbookGifts.com has researched several output methods and we recommend using an Epson 2000P Archival Photo Printer. This ink-jet printer will produce a print using special archival inks and lightfast paper to produce a print that will last over 100 years without a noticeable color shift. Unfortunately, this printer is now discontinued and only available on Ebay and similar sites. We are currently testing the latest printers and will update this site when we find one we recommend in place of the 2000P.

You can also e-mail your digital photos to companies that will produce photo prints and then mail them back to you. Kodak offers a convenient way to upload and print your digital photos. Check out: http://www.photonet.com.

Interested in finding out more?

E-mail us at info@scrapbookgifts.com.