Digital vs. traditional - SBB Digital Scrapbooking Forums | Scrapbook-Bytes

EllenLogan · #1 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

Hi all: I am new to this whole scrapbooking thing (paper or digital). I was hoping to get some advice of why you all prefer digital to paper. If I decided to go digital what software do I need, can i still use non digital embellishments, does the quality of digital embelishments look cheap. Any advice would be great. Thanks

danib · #2 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

Welcome to SBB!!
here is a page that will get you started answering some of your questions
http://scrapbook-bytes.com/cgi-scrip...icle_146.shtml

There is a lot of information to absorb at first but please know there is always a helping hand here

ksbalint · #3 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

Hi, Ellen. I have never been a paper scrapper, but here are reasons why I like digital and haven't even bothered to try paper scrapping:

1. No mess. I can shut down my computer and walk away from my scrapbooking, even a layout in progress, with nothing to have to clean up.
2. Recoloring, resizing background papers and elements. You simply can't make a ribbon in real life larger than what it is, or make a slide mount the exact color of blue that's in your dress.
3. Reuse elements, background papers over and over without any additional cost.
4. You can experiment with a layout until your heart's content, and then easily go back anytime you'd like. For instance, if I cut up a piece of paper in real life to try it out on my layout then decide I don't like it, that paper is cut up forever. I have to get a new one to try again. But if I cut a piece of digital paper, try out then decide I don't like it, I just go back to my original digital file and try again.
5. You can turn your own stuff into elements. For instance, I took a photo of my son's Halloween costume (a gigantic car) and the helmet he wore without him in it. I'm planning on cutting out the car from the photo and cutting out the helmet and using them as embellishments on my layout.
6. Crop with other scrappers in your pajamas. Most of the crops I participate in here at SBB are at night, so I can get comfy, don't have to worry about going out or what I look like.
7. I think digital layouts look better than paper ones. There's never any stray glue on a digital layout, for instance.
8. You can reproduce a digital layout over and over with no additional work and only the cost of printing it. Reproducing a paper layout takes more time, plus you have to buy the extra supplies.
9. I get my digital layouts published in bound books by MyPublisher. This could be done I suppose with paper layouts if you photograph or scan them but it's easier to do with digital layouts.
10. My last reason is that I love all of the digital scrappers here at SBB. And no one in the paper world could replace Amy Edwards, the owner of SBB.

I hope this helps.

frankcassiesmom · #4 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

I love love love digital. Firstly, I could not afford paper scrapping to use all the embellishments and patterned papers I would like. Secondly, I couldn't afford the space needed to paper scrap. And with 3 under 5 I couldn't have stuff like that without it getting totally ruined

That said there are so many perks to digiscrapping. UNDO - you can with one stroke fix mistakes. You can resize your pictures as you scrap, you can reuse your supplies indefinitely instead of just one time. You can print in whatever size you need, you can print extra copies for gifts for grandparents, etc. I can email my pages to my grandmother and she prints them out to show her friends. There are things digitally using brushes, etc that cannot be reproduced in paper. You can recolor papers to match your photos. And NO they don't look CHEAP!!!! With anything there are differences in quality amongst designers. but here at SBB we pride ourselves on keeping top quality designers. So many times people look at well made digital layouts and have no idea they aren't 3 dimensional. Many paper scrapbooking magazines publish digital layouts right next to paper layouts and you can't tell at all. Go through the gallery here and find some layouts that you really like (there are lots of new digiscrappers in the gallery too lol) and take a look. Going through the gallery and seeing some AMAZING layouts is what convinced me to digiscrap in the first place. I JUST LOVE IT!! ALso there is such a great online community here with chat crops, free stuff, events and all around fun!

Welcome!!!
Kim

AmyShell · #5 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

Kim and Kathryn both said it very well.

Digi is the way to go.

I tried paper scrapping myself about 9 years ago, I sucked at it. LOL! I just got into digi scrapping just a few months ago. I love it! First and foremost, I can't afford to paper scrap. Wow, that is one expensive hobby! Second, I have no where to store all that "stuff" and I would constantly be chasing my two yo out of it, which would leave no time for actual scrapping. She can't mess up anything on the puter.

You can start with all the free stuff out there for scrapping, SBB has tons. It's a great way to try it out.

I personally use Picture It version 10 for my scrapping. It's not a very advanced program, but it's easy to use and works for me. I think a lot of people use Photoshop. Check out the link Dani provided.

ksbalint · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

Ellen,

Now that the store here has reopened, take a look at some of the kits there to get an idea of the quality. I'm sure that you'll find some some amazing elements there that could rival those in paper scrapbooking.

damselfly · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

I tried doing the whole paper but I've learned that me and glue, we don't mesh well. But really, you don't have to choose. I know a woman who flips between both and her books look very nice.

Synthea · #8 (**permalink**) 11-01-2005

Welcome to SBB! I've never paper scrapped, because I just can't afford it and that is one of the main reasons why I love digital scrapping. Also, the creative bounds are limitless. You don't have to search far to find that perfect element, and if you're creative enough, you can make your own so your options are truely limitless to making your page totally yours.