There are many reasons why you might want to put your scrapbooking page layouts online. You may just want to share your latest album project with family and friends or post a photo of a scrapbooking page onto your personal blog. If you want to be part of the online scrapbooking community, you can submit your page layout photos to a forum gallery. Finally, a photo of your scrapbooking page can be entered into online contests, competitions or a scrapping challenge.
Getting your traditional scrapbook pages into a digital form can be done with two different methods. You can either use a high-quality digital camera to photograph the page or scan the page into your computer. Either method can turn out an excellent photo of your scrapbooking page, but each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Taking a photo of your page layout with your digital camera can be a challenge. You need to carefully consider available lighting. Use natural lighting, and turn off your flash. Flash can cause reflections on photographs and shiny page elements. Go outdoors for natural light or indoors near a sunny window. For best results hang or lean your page upright to avoid distortions.
Once you have photographed your scrapbooking page, upload it to your computer. You can use any photo-editing software to make corrections before you place the photo online. You may need to save the photo in a web-friendly size and format. Most sites have guidelines for image sizes.
If you want to use a scanner to convert your scrapbooking page to a digital format, you need to consider the size limitations of your scanner. Scanners are now very affordable. However, models that accommodate 12x12 pages are usually more expensive and less available.
You can still use a standard flatbed scanner for your scrapbooking page. However, you will need to first scan a 12x12 page layout in two sections. Once you have the two pieces of your page, use an image editing software, like Photoshop, to merge the two pieces back together. It may take some trial and error to do this, but the results in the scanner are usually of higher quality than using the digital camera method. If you are using a high-quality scanner, the scanned page layout will show truer, brighter colors and sharper images overall.
Most scrapbooking pages are three dimensional and use objects that are raised on the paper. When you scan the page in a flatbed scanner, you may have shadows caused by your embellishments. You may still need to use your image editing program to correct these shadows caused during the scanning process. Scanning scrapbooking layouts takes a little practice, but once you've done it a few times, it often is quicker than the digital camera process.
Whether you choose the digital camera or the scanner method, putting your scrapbook pages into a digital format is the first step towards getting them online. Sharing your pages with others on the internet allows you to become a part of the online scrapbooking community. Look for scrapbooking forums and build your own gallery of page layouts for others to see and discuss. You may even want to enter your page layouts in scrapbooking contests or submit them for publication. There are many ways to share your scrapbooking pages online.
1. One of the easiest scrapbooking techniques to learn is paper tearing. Paper tearing adds a soft edge to your cardstock and texture to your pages. You can choose to tear just one edge of a paper or tear completely around a mat or frame. Try tearing the bottom edge of a tag or mount a sticker to cardstock and tear around the ends.
2. Matting highlights photos and page elements. Double or triple mat a special photo on the page. Match the mat color to enhance the photo. Photos aren't the only page elements that can be matted. Mat a sticker or dimensional embellishment.
3. Add metal embellishments to your pages. Scrapbooking isn't just about paper. Use brads, paper clips, eyelets and staples as accents on your pages. You can also use them to attach other embellishments, like ribbons and tags, to your page.
4. Ribbons can be used as borders on your layouts. Take both ends of a ribbon piece and tie them together. Now cut the ribbon so the knot will be positioned as an accent on your page.
5. Add something extra to your paper accents. Run your paper edges and frames along an ink pad to add some additional depth to your page.
6. Take out the sandpaper. Distressing your page elements is quick and easy. Just rub the sandpaper along the edges of your chipboard. You also can sand some cardstock paper giving it a different effect.
7. Keep journaling simple. The important thing is to document the photograph. Use bullet lists for journaling or just stick with who, what, where, how and when.
8. Use your own handwriting. Instead of printing out journaling from your computer, try using your own handwriting. It is much more personal, and future generations will appreciate seeing your handwriting.
9. Tags are one of the most versatile page elements available. Put your page titles on tags. Photos or journaling blocks can be mounted onto tags as well.
10. Scrapbooking page kits keep everything coordinated. Using page kits makes putting together a scrapbooking layout fast and simple. All the paper and page elements work together, and most kits have instructions and ideas for layouts.
11. Use a rubber stamp to create your own patterned page. For example, stamp a leaf image randomly on a piece of cardstock to make your own autumn-themed patterned paper.
12. Make your pages interactive. By adding envelopes and pockets to your pages, you can involve others in your scrapbook album. Hide little journaling notes in envelopes, and try tucking memorabilia into pockets. You can also create mini scrapbook albums on your pages that fold out with more photos.
These scrapbooking ideas are quick and easy, and they can inspire you to get more pages done. Keep your layouts simple, and try one of these ideas to add interest to your next scrapbooking page.