Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley
\nOctober 25, 2010 Deadline
\nDecember 2010 Issue<\/p>\n
Scrapbooking Made Easy<\/strong><\/p>\n Scrapbooking is a serious hobby for some people. Two of my cousins create beautiful works of art using special acid-free art papers, rubber stamps, decals, and photos. Scrapbooking is an art form in the hands of serious \u201cscrappers.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, there are people like me. I can\u2019t cut a decent trim using Fiskar scissors and don\u2019t even allow me near glue. I\u2019m more likely to glue the photos to myself than the pages. Yet, there is hope for those of us with scrapbook impairments.<\/p>\n Digital scrapping, also known as DigiScrappin\u2018 or digiscrap, enables us to use computer software to create virtual scrapbooks that can also be printed.<\/p>\n There are several specialized software packages available for scrapbooking. These applications sell for less than $40. Broderbund and Nova also sell special editions of their scrapbooking applications for weddings. The wedding editions include clipart and fonts appropriate to your special day and honeymoon.<\/p>\n However, you should know that \u201cscrapbook programs\u201d tend to be nothing more than general-purpose design applications packaged with a subset of the clipart, fonts, and templates. If you only want to create a digital scrapbook of your wedding, that might be great, but most people end up wanting to scrapbook more than one event.<\/p>\n Scrapbook Boutique by Broderbund Software<\/a> is based on the publisher\u2019s ubiquitous The Print Shop<\/a> for Windows and Mac. Likewise, Nova Development\u2019s Print Explosion features far more clipart and fonts than that publisher\u2019s Scrapbook Factory. Personally, I consider the $10 to $15 extra for the full design applications a bargain.<\/p>\n A graphic artist might suggest using CorelDRAW<\/a>, Adobe InDesign<\/a> or another high-end application to create a digital scrapbook. Honestly, these applications lack the ease-of-use and fun features that are the hallmark of software like The Print Shop and Print Explosion.<\/p>\n For example, the applications known as \u201chome publishing\u201d software simplify adding borders and illustrated \u201cframes\u201d to photos. Doing the same with InDesign requires time and knowledge of the software\u2019s complex approach to layers. Why not use software meant for home publishing? You\u2019ll save time, effort, and money.<\/p>\n Choosing between the programs for scrapbooking is a matter of personal preference. I like Print Explosion Deluxe for the Mac, but The Print Shop is also a good application. The main difference is the artwork included. The Print Shop includes more cartoon-style artwork, while Print Explosion includes what the software calls \u201cfine art\u201d illustrations resembling paintings and pastel sketches.<\/p>\n The Print Explosion Deluxe scrapbook templates cover everything from anniversaries to weddings. Every imaginable celebration or event has a scrapbook template in Print Explosion. Nova even includes templates like \u201cFishing\u201d and \u201cPet Memorial\u201d for scrapbooking. There\u2019s no reason for me to consider Scrapbook Factory when Print Explosion does so much.<\/p>\n Print Explosion and Print Shop allow you to send pages as e-mail messages or to save a scrapbook as a Web site. I\u2019ve sent the e-mail pages to my wife and they look great. You wouldn\u2019t want to send an entire scrapbook via e-mail, but sending a single page can be a nice feature.<\/p>\n Most scrapbook software can create photo CDs or DVDs of your scrapbook. The CDs and DVDs made with scrapbook software will \u201cplay\u201d in most DVD and Blu-ray players. This allows you to share the scrapbook with friends and family. Most newer computers can record CDs and many can also record DVDs. I purchased 50 blank DVDs for about $30 at an office supply store.<\/p>\n If you only want a basic photo album, Apple\u2019s iPhoto, Kodak\u2019s EasyShare, and Hewlett-Packard\u2019s Creative Studio allow you to upload photos via the Web and receive a printed keepsake book within two weeks. The prices vary based on the size of the book, the number of pages and any special options you order. These are photo books, not scrapbooks.<\/p>\n Serious \u201cdigiscrap\u201d hobbyists buy high-end photo printers, such as the Epson R2880 or the Canon Pixma 9500 Mark II. These printers are pigment-based and the pages will, in theory, last a century or more. These are each $800 printers and supplies are expensive. Some scrapbook stores and photo services have these printers and print pages for a small fee. Online sites, like Shutterfly, charge $6 to $8 per page for digital scrapbook printing.<\/p>\n You no longer have to be an artist to create a great scrapbook. Get out and create some memories. Be sure to take digital photos and buy the home publishing software of your choice. The results will impress your friends and family.<\/p>\n Scrapbooking Software<\/p>\n Home Publishing Software<\/p>\n Small Office Publishing Software<\/p>\n Microsoft Publisher<\/a> falls between professional design software and home publishing applications. Microsoft provides a great online library of templates and artwork, but Publisher\u2019s extra power comes at the price of usability. There are some scrapbooking templates, tailored for special events. Publisher is $139.95 and it is included with many versions of the Microsoft Office Suite<\/a>.<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s Pages software is also a small office option, but not ideal for scrapbooking. Pages is included with the iWork suite, which retails for $79. I find Pages easier and more flexible than Publisher, but Publisher has a better selection of templates for activities like scrapbooking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley October 25, 2010 Deadline December 2010 Issue Scrapbooking Made Easy Scrapbooking is a serious hobby for some people. Two of my…<\/p>\n\n
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