The advent of
scanners, desktop publishing, page layout programs, and
advanced printing options make it relatively easy to create
professional-looking layouts in digital form. The internet
allows scrapbookers to self-publish their work, even if
it is just for a readership of one. Scrapbooks that exist
completely in digital image form are referred to as digital
scrapbooks, or computer scrapbooks.
While some people prefer the physicality
of the actual artifacts they paste onto the pages of books,
the digital scrapbooking hobby has grown in popularity in
recent years. Some of the advantages include a greater diversity
of materials, less environmental impact, cost savings, the
ability to share finished pages more readily on the internet,
and the use of image editing software to experiment with
manipulating page elements in multiple ways without making
permanent adjustments.
A traditional scrapbook layout may employ
a background paper with a torn edge. While a physical page
can only be torn once and never restored, a digital paper
can be torn and untorn with ease, allowing the scrapbooker
to try out different looks without wasting supplies. Furthermore,
digital scrapbooking is not limited to digital storage and
display. Many digital scrappers print their finished layouts
to be stored in scrapbook albums. Others have books professionally
printed in hard bound books to be saved as keepsakes.
Professional printing- and binding-services
offer free software to create scrapbooks with professional
layouts and individual layout capabilities. Because of the
integrated design and order workflow, real hardcover bounded
books can be produced cost effectively. Many digital scrapbook
hobbyists employ kits, or collections of matching backgrounds
and other coordinating elements. Those who create the kits
are considered by scrapbookers as digital artists. Some
of the more elaborate kits are available for purchase, while
others can be downloaded for free. Many paper scrapbookers
make their first foray into digital scrapbooking by printing
out digital elements to use in their layouts.
Scrapbooking
supplies
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