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What is Computer Scrapbooking?

Computer Scrapbooking is anything related to using a computer to enhance or create scrapbook pages!

Print, Cut, and Paste
Most people begin the adventure into Computer Scrapbooking by using their computer to create design elements that are printed, cut out, and then attached to regular scrapbook pages. Creating text for journaling (captions) and toppers (headlines) is an easy first step. There is a huge variety of computer fonts available that are great for scrapbooking. Using computer clip art is also very popular and economical too. Two big advantages with both computer fonts and clip art is that their supply is unlimited (you can always print more) and that there is much more flexibility in sizing them to best fit the scrapbook page designs.

Creating Complete Page Designs
The next step in Computer Scrapbooking is creating entire scrapbook pages on the computer that are printed as an entire page. This is an easy progression from doing print, cut, and paste. The difference is that decorations and text are all arranged and formatted on the computer and printed as a single page except for the photographs and possibly the photo frames. The page is used as is, or, the unprinted edges may be trimmed off and the page attached to a complimentary backing paper. Regular photographs are still used and are attached to the computer generated page.

Totally Computer Generated
For many people, once they are comfortable with doing complete scrapbook page designs on the computer, this next step is too hard to resist! At this point, not only are the pages being done completely on the computer, but digital photographs are also used so that the complete page, photographs and all are combined and printed as a single unit. Quality scanners are today very economical and can be used for scanning old or new photographs as well as all kinds of memorabilia that can make wonderful additions to scrapbooks. The popularity of digital cameras is growing by leaps and bounds with many of the newer models offering excellent photo quality. Using scanned or digital photographs also opens a world of possibilities that were impractical or impossible before. Software programs abound that will let you manipulate digital photographs or add special effects in an almost unlimited number of ways!

And the Future?
Today, computers greatly enhance and expand the things we can do for scrapbooking while at the same time making the craft easier and more economical too. Digital technology will continue to open up all kinds of new ways for people to create and share scrapbooks. There are lots of fun things just on the horizon, but we'll save that for another time!

Article by David Sutphin
David is an avid computer scrapbooker and the owner of Dream Maker Software, publisher of Cliptures clip art.