Use These Seven Easy Rules To Get the Perfect Digital Scrapbooking Supplies Collection Today!
Written by Gracie Madsen   
Thursday, 05 November 2009 15:38
Digital scrapbooking kits are everywhere on the Internet. The trick is, how do you put together a great content collection on a budget? Once you find all of these kits, how do you sort out which are the ones you actually need for your scrapbooks?
by GracieMadsen


Digital scrapbooking kits are everywhere on the Internet. The trick is, how do you put together a great content collection on a budget? Once you find all of these kits, how do you sort out which are the ones you actually need for your scrapbooks?

Here's the silver lining: there are many beautiful, low-cost digital packs and themes, and even gorgeous digital freebies that will work really well for you. Lots of professionally-designed kits sell for under five dollars on some of the top scrapbooking sites. Plenty of designers and talented amateurs will even share their stuff for free when you agree to only use their content in personal projects (i.e., not for resale or redistribution).

Even still, collecting the right digital scrapbooking supplies can be overwhelming. Downloading everything you come across on the Internet may not be the best idea, even if the items are free. You want the best-quality, most versatile kits you can get, and you don't want to clutter your computer with items you will never use.

1. Step one in stocking your perfect digital scrapbooking stash is to get out pen and paper and itemize the kinds of scrapbook themes you are likely to make, such as School, Little Boy, Grandchildren, and Genealogy. It's a good idea to include a few "general-purpose" kits that you can use in a whole bunch of different scrapbook types. Once you search for the themes on your list, you can turn your attention to checking out what's included and the quality of what you find in those kits.

2. The next thing to do is consider the various components of a complete scrapbook page: embellishments, backgrounds, paper scraps, and photoshapes. If you come across a kit that includes all of these items, you may have struck scrapbooking gold! Kits that have a variety of element types, held together by a coordinating style, are the savvy way to go.

3. Remember that the best digital scrapbooking supply sites show you "what's in the box" by listing exactly what's included in each kit they sell. Preferably, you will also be shown images of the elements that are included in your kit, allowing you to view what you get before your buy, and also to decide if the style of the kit suits your taste. Nobody wants to spend money or precious time on downloading content that isn't at all like you thought it would be.

4. Some kits come with coordinating theme pages, plopper/quick pages or editable templates. Editable templates are by far your best value here as you have the option to "tweak" the layout's pre-fab design. You can also use an editable template over and over again, tweaking it each time to keep your pages looking fresh and original.

5. Another great way to extend the use of your digital scrapbooking supplies is with a creative digital scrapbooking software program. The best programs allow you to easily colorize, crop, and add effecs to your embellishments and papers. That means that you can alter the look of your digital content with a few mouse clicks, and use that same content in a whole variety ways in a whole bunch of projects.

6. This tip is priceless: look for mega digital content packs that feature a variety of designers. Mega packs come chock full of editable template layouts, and kits with coordinating embellishments, photoshapes, background papers, and scraps. The mega pack offers everything you need to make tons of great-looking pages, plus a choice of style since every digital artist has her or his own unique creative approach to design.

7. Your choice of digital scrapbooking software program also plays a role in building a smart scrapbooking content collection. You want a program that comes with a generous starter content pack or bonus pack with everything you need for your layouts. Preferably, look for software that comes with template pages you can edit right in the software and versatile kits so that your scrapbooking experience is smooth and easy.

When it comes down to it, it's all about starting with a simple plan, meaning that you know the kinds of digital scrapbooking themes you're looking for. The next step is evaluating your choices for quality, making sure that items coordinate well and that the kit gives you all the necessary components for scrapbooking. You can really go the distance by adding fully-editable templates to your stash, and using a creative software program that lets you easily transform the look of your elements for use in different projects.

About the Author:

Learn more about digital scrapbooking supplies. Stop by Gracie Madsen's site where you can find out all about digital scrapbooking software and what it can do for you.