What is Digital Scrapbooking?

Digital scrapbooking is the process of utilizing the latest in electronic technology to create scrapbook pages. Instead of using a traditional hard copy scrapbook and cutting out elements to paste into the book, digital scrapbooks allow users to create electronic books that are loaded with different colors, fonts, banners, and images such as photos and drawings. Digital scrapbooking makes it possible to share the scrapbook quickly and easily with one or more people, while still retaining control of the original copy.

As with all forms of scrapbooking, photographs are often the focus of any digital scrapbooking project. Pages that are configured as photo collages, as well as images that are accompanied with captions, are created using basic software programs. The pages may be configured with a wide range of backgrounds and colors, as well as employ many different types of decorative borders and other visual elements. Because there are a number of free images on the Internet, digital scrapbooking enthusiasts have virtually no limit on the elements that can be employed to create the pages within an electronic scrapbook.

There are several advantages to digital scrapbooking. First, the hobby is relatively inexpensive. While there are software programs designed especially for creating scrapbooks, it is possible to use just about any basic word processing document software to create the book and pages. In addition, the vast number of free downloadable elements mean that both children and adults can enjoy scrapbooking, without ever having to buy anything.

One other benefit to digital scrapbooking is that the background of the pages can be changed at will. Instead of having to rip the page out of a physical book and start all over, the owner of the book can simply access the page, make the changes, then save them. The elements on the page can also be rearranged if desired. The elements in a photo collage can be added to, taken away from, or altered in any way the user prefers.

Once the electronic scrapbook is complete, the entire work may be uploaded to a web site. This allows anyone to enjoy the book by visiting the site. It is also possible to copy the scrapbook to disk and give copies to friends and other loved ones, or even email the finished product to selected parties. Digital scrapbooking also allows the file to be printed and professionally bound, if the user desires.