Can someone explain digital scrapbooking to me?

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

For example, if I buy a digital scrapbook package, am I basically just buying the images and printing them out on my own paper, on my own (presumably high-quality) printer? Is it a package of coordinating embellishment images that I then cut out and stick in as needed? Do I print on both sides of the paper? I wouldn't be using regular printer paper, would I?

 

I have a project idea in mind, and it may or may not involve digital scrapbooking elements. But I need to understand how all that works first.

 

Thanks!

[Photo Ninja]

No, digital scrapbooking is not exactly what you described.

 

You can buy digital kits and elements. They are usually in a .jpg or a .png format. These are things like digital 'paper', both solid and patterned, and digital elements like frames, ribbon, beads, and so on. You can print these out on paper. Some people do a hybrid scrapbooking, which would be printing some digital papers and elements on paper, then adding photos, etc. to them. But if you buy a digital kit, you need software so you can use the kit.

 

Digital scrapbooking is done with software, such as Photoshop Elements. I purchase digital elements and papers, and use them to create scrapbook pages using Photoshop. This allows a lot of options that are impossible with paper or hybrid scrapbooking. Then my completed pages can be printed, on a home printer on photo paper (I don't do this, but many people do), or at any place that prints the size page I designed. I usually use Costco, but Shutterfly is an online printer that is popular and does quality printing. Another option is to upload all my pages to a printer and have them printed and bound into a book, again, something that Costco and Shutterfly both do.

 

Basically, I open Photoshop Elements, set up my page size, then open up the digital papers and elements and add them to the page, along with photos, then do journaling. That is the brief, very basic process.

 

What is your project? I'm curious.