Scrapbook Atlas

How to Digital Scrapbook – Supplies You Need to Get Started

Alright – all of you out there who are itchin’ to give digital scrappin’ a go but don’t know what you’ll need to do it, here is a list of supplies that you will need sooner or later in order to get started. Below is a video tutorial on just the basics with Photoshop. Brought to you by digiscrap101.com. If you would like more in-depth digital scrapbooking tutorials you can check out the rest of their videos on the site. Enjoy!

Software:

There are many on the market and some are free, and do it all, (see my post about Picaboo) some are a bit pricey, but – once you make the initial investment, you’ve got this tool forever. The free scrapbook software usually will not offer as much versatility as Photoshop CS3 but, it will certainly get the job done… Below are the most common software products used in the world of digital scrapbooking. If you already have Photoshop, great! If not, check out the current scrapbook specific software on the market.

Photography

The Next thing you will need is a camera… obviously. I know many of you do have a trusty shutter bug, but if you were thinking about upgrading… Now would be the time to do it and therefore, I have added a few of my favorite cameras. Point and shoots work great, and these days deliver exquisite results. Just in case you’re a true photog at heart, go ahead and drool over the DSLR … Don’t worry – you’re not alone…

Digital Scrapbook Kits

You will now need a kit to get you started. Lots of sites offer freebies either weekly or monthly. I will be compiling a freebie list soon. But in the meantime, if you haven’t already downloaded a kit, you can just purchase a couple that you like and begin creating a digital scrapbook page layout. You will re-use and re-purpose them later so don’t worry about buying one or two – just make sure you love them.

Print Your Digital Scrapbook

Ok, so by now maybe you’ve got a page or more done, and you’re ready to print your scrapbook; you can either print your digital scrapbook through an online company that can take care of your large format (12X12) prints for you, or you can venture out on your own with a large format printer; think Epson R1900 Large Format Photo Printer…

In the long run, it may turn out to be cheaper just to order a finished photo book, rather than paying for 12×12 individual prints and later adding them to a scrapbook you bought. The only issue with this is that some companies that print photo books only offer certain sizes so you will have to adjust your layout size to jive with whatever company you are using for your photo book. Either way, you’ve gotta print your digital works of art so that you can share them with everyone!

The following companies offer high quality photo books for your digital masterpieces.