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Discover Digital Scrapbooking: The 5 Most Important Things You Need to Know
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.
First, you need to find a good digital scrapbooking software program to use for your projects. Not all digital scrapbooking software programs are created equal, so you should definitely keep a few important points in mind when selecting a program.
1. A good digital scrapbooking program should be easy-to-use, and yet offer creative features that can 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. The ready to use scrapbooking templates should be fully-editable. Plus, it should be easy to expand with more digital scrapbooking content in the future.
5. Make sure the company has a free trial version available for download on their website. That way you can take it out for a "test drive" and make sure you love it before you buy it. If there is no trial download available, you should ask yourself "why?".
Once you've done your research and found the perfect program, it's time to start creating those layouts! The best digital scrapbooking programs are intuitive and easy to learn. You should be able to start making pages just by starting it up and playing around. But, to get the most out of your digital scrapbooking software, follow these important tips:
1. The "User's Guide" is a great place to start, especially if you're an "instruction junkie"! A good digital scrapbooking program will include this documentation in electronic PDF format (no wasted trees!), preferably from the Help menu within the software.
2. Check out the program's website. You should find free and easy to follow tutorials. A combination of video tutorials and lessons will help you learn to use the software very quickly.
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.
Informed with the basics, you can begin experimenting! Start by selecting a pre-made template, then add in your photos to personalize the page. Hopefully you picked a digital scrapbooking program that features fully-editable template pages (plus the option to create a page from "scratch")! Use your mouse to edit your layout - simply point and click to add embellishments, delete paper scraps, move objects, and even resize and rotate photos. Don't worry about making a mistake! Simply choose "undo" if you make a change that you don't like. That's big advantage over paper and scissors and glue!
After you get the hang of it, you can start to use the more advance features included in your software. This is where you can really get creative. Perhaps you have some great ideas from your paper scrapbooking experiences? With your digital scrapbooking software, you'll be able to create scrapbook pages that are as creative as you are!
Not yet ready to start making pages from scratch? How about drawing inspiration from other digital scrapbookers? Check out your software's online scrapbooking gallery. Not only can you post your layouts when you're done, but you can view other people's work! Seeing what other scrapbookers are doing is a great way to get inspired and stoke your creativity. In fact, this "scraplifting" (basing your layout on someone else's design), is a time-honored tradition among scrapbookers. You just want to make sure you give credit where credit is due!
Another way to improve your skills is to participate in online crops and challenges. Look for them in the online forums. These challenges often focus on a particular technique or inspiration and are a great way to learn more about digital scrapbooking in a fun way. Keep your eye out for challenges that offer freebies and downloads - you'll develop your skills, plus get free stuff for your stash!
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!
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