Digiscrap

Everything You Need To Know:

2022 update: I had to delete all the previous information - the internet changes, sites aren't renewed, stores close up shop.

HOWEVER.

Here is a very reliable designer who has kept us her shop presence.  She is AWESOME.

Kate Hadfield Designs

Kate's Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking

 

Also, look for some Facebook groups to join - just search for "digital scrapbooking" and try out a few :D

Looking for (Digi)-Inspiration?

2022 update: of the 5 links I had listed, only 2 are still valid.  I'll leave those here.

Here are a couple places you'll find really cool digital scrapbook pages:

Sweet Shoppe Designs Gallery  

Gallery Standouts Blog 

 

I'll also say that looking through other people's scrapbook pages is the best way to get ideas and find your style.  I've found a lot of great stuff on Pinterest - try some of these search terms:

• scrapbook layouts
• scrapbooking ideas
• digital scrapbooking

That will get you started.  :)

About Digi-designers.

Before I tell you about where to find digital elements (free and for purchase), let's talk about the people who create the digital designs.

Designers share their work in 2 main ways: through a major store (like Sweet Shoppe Designs) or through their personal website (like Traci Reed Designs.) Usually when you buy through a major store (site), you will be dealing with the store's customer service; buying through a designer's personal website has you dealing with the designers themselves.

2022 update: it seems that designers use Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for their online presence, and Etsy for purchases and downloads if they're not affiliated with a store. 

My favorite thing about digital scrapbooking is that with the internet, the playing field is leveled.  Designers don't have to get noticed by a big company or find large amounts of start-up cash to get a product ready to offer.  Just about anyone with talent, a computer with access to the internet, and a little e-knowledge can jump in.  (Whether they thrive or not depends on other factors, but I love that anyone can try!)  Designers can start out and remain independent and still thrive.  [Digital scrapbooking right now is a wonderful community -- designers talk to each other, buy each others designs, leave feedback on layouts posted at web galleries, post comments responding to questions on digi-message boards, and respond to customers (and fans!) in e-mails.  I hope this remains as the "industry" continues to move forward.] Well, that didn't age super well.

Here are some things you need to keep in mind about digital designers:

1.   Above all else, they are people.  They are mothers.  They are wives.  They are daughters.  They have homes and families and lives to take care of.  They aren't raking in money selling their designs.  Seriously.  Even the most popular ones.  They pour their hearts and time (a LOT of time) into their kits.  Many are SAHM's making a little extra money to supplement staying home.  Some have full-time jobs in addition to designing.  Give them the benefit of the doubt, be patient with them, be respectful and kind when you e-mail them.

2.  Overwhelmingly what I have heard from them is that they DO care about their customers.  They WANT to hear from their customers.  They love to see pages made with their elements.  Sending an e-mail with a link to a layout you made will not bother them; most likely it will be flattering and fun for them.  They enjoy feedback on the kits they made, and many are open to suggestions for future kits.

3.  If you have a problem with an element from a designer, e-mail the designer directly. Give them time to answer the e-mail (I say 48 hours.  Some may think differently.)  As one designer says, "PLEASE let us know if something's not right with a kit or element, and never feel like you're 'bothering' us with an email. If we've chosen to sell our designs, we've also chosen to take on any and all questions and concerns about them."

4. In the same vein, THINK before posting on message boards [(like TwoPeas or DigiShopTalk) ope, moot point] about a digi-designer.  If the problem can be resolved in e-mail, it's best left to e-mail.  People are very impressionable -- it only takes reading one bad thing that may or may not be true to plant an idea in someone's subconscious.  When you have a GOOD experience with a designer, it's nice to let others know -- give the designer a shout-out and tell the world.  It's nice to feature them on your personal blog, too -- designers really appreciate this.  But be careful about jumping to be negative -- the problems you're having might be something you are doing wrong. Do you really want to put a designer's reputation at risk because of a little problem YOU had?

5.  It takes a LOT to design and offer kits.  As digi-scrappers we need to respect designers for the work they put into their elements.  We need to realize that there are costs involved that we're not aware of -- design programs, fonts, websites and bandwidth, advertising, etc.  Time is taken to plan a kit, decide on the colors, experiment to get all the elements just right, tweaking terms of use, making sure all the files are named correctly, formatting the kit for download, making a previews graphic . . . it's not like it's taking them 20 minutes from start to finish.  A designer's time is valuable.  The art of their designs is valuable.

6. (When you are posting the layout on-line): ALWAYS give credit where credit is due.  Most designers will include a Terms of Use document (the best are in Notepad form instead of Word or Works, because then a program doesn't have to be opened to read it).  The TOU will tell you what you can and can't do with the kit, how to contact the designer, and anything else you need to know.  Always keep the TOU with the elements.  Save the kits by designer name so you're not left wondering where you got something.  (It takes NO time at all to make a new folder with the designer's name and store their kits there.  It's actually a lot easier to find what you're looking for then.)  Even if you change or alter an element, you still used that element as a starting point and you need to give credit.  Unless you made it from scratch, it's not yours. It's standard when posting layouts to share the designer's full name and the name of the kit. 

The Basics of Zip Files

Ok, so a lot has changed since I wrote my first Win-Zip tutorial.  (You're probably going - what is Win-Zip?)  Since then Windows caught up and most of your versions of Windows can unzip files for you, without a special program.  So I'm re-writing this, trying to cover all the bases and explain the whole thing.

If you want to digi-scrap, you will need to un-zip files. If you've never done this before, don't worry -- it's not as scary as it seems.

Files are "Zipped" -- compressed -- for easier downloading.  When files are zipped, you can download SEVERAL files all at once instead of one at a time.  ('Cause dude . . . one at a time SUCKS.)  Zipped files are a little smaller and faster to download.  You have to unzip them before you use them.  When you're done un-zipping, the zipped originals don't need to be saved (unless you want to back them up for archiving -- but then you've have to unzip them again, and why waste the time?)

ANYWAY.

I explain everything with the assumption that you're working from a Windows XP or higher operating system.  Apple users and dinosaur operating systems, sorry, can't help ya.

 

A zipped file has a very distinct graphic.  If you have Win-Zip on your computer, the zipped file will look like a file cabinet in a vice.  If not, it will look like a regular folder, but with a zipper on it.

Let's talk un-zipping a file in Windows.  

Right-click on the zipped file . . . my old computer, I was able to choose "Open With" and "Compressed (zipped) Folders."  This is a part of Windows for me.  (See image at right for visual.)  This immediately opened up the folder for me and I was able to just drag the extracted folder to a place on my desktop.  No problem.

My current computer, I just right click and then choose "Extract All."  I'm going to have some faith in you that you can follow the prompts that come next, like allowing you to choose where the file save to, then hitting the "extract" button.

Organizing your Elements

When you download a digital element (and unzip it), you need some place to keep it.  Those kits add up pretty quickly and all of a sudden you have 114 different kits sitting in your downloads folder.

Different scrappers have different ideas about how your elements should be organized.  If you have a fabulous system for this would like to share in the comments of this post, feel free. 

Here's my top advice
:: Have ONE place that you keep ALL your digital scrapbooking stuff.  A folder can have several sub-folders in it, but you need to have one place where you KNOW all your stuff is
:: Organize first and foremost by designer, first name first.  (This is how they are listed in the stores.)  Keep the kits intact and keep the designer's Terms of Use WITH the kit.  Make sure the kit folder name has the designer's name in the folder if possible (for example: the kit I used to make the elements for this page?  I named the folder ShabbyPrincess_ShabbyCitrus.)

Here's an idea to easily find the kit you want to use: create an additional folder containing copies of just the previews of all the kit you have.  (Usually a preview will come with a kit that shows a good representation if not all the elements of a kit.  If one didn't COME with the kit, you can snag it from the designer's website by right-clicking on the picture and saving -- remember, we only right-click to save for good and legitimate purposes!!!)  If you keep a copy of the kit previews to all the kits you own in one folder, you can flip through THAT when you're trying to figure out what to do with a layout.  Then once you choose a kit, sort through your wonderfully organized files and grab it! 

(You can also keep a copy of the kit previews that you WANT to own, to make it easier to choose when you have extra money to go shopping.  Just be sure if the preview doesn't say where to buy them, change the file name to help you remember.)

Within a particular designer's folder -- if it's a designer I buy a lot from and who has a lot of different products -- I do even MORE organizing.  For example, Miss Mint not only sells great kits but she also has amazing Alpha sets, and stand-alone embellishment sets.  Here are some examples:   

   

I like for my folders to make sense to me -- I like all the alphas together, all the embellishment packs together, then all the kits together.  This way when I'm looking for a Miss Mint alpha, I don't have to search all over my Miss Mint folder (which is VERY full!)  So I change the file name of the kit -- instead of "MissMint_Alpha_Ripped Jean" I add an "A" to the beginning of the file name.  ("AMissMint_Alpha_Ripped Jean")  This way the folder will be at the front of the file names, alphabetically.  All the embellishment packs get a "B" in front of their name.  The kits naturally follow below them.  See example below.

If everything in your folder ever seems totally out of order, go to "View > Arrange Icons By > Name."

There are several programs available to help organize your files.  2022 update: Or there used to be.  I don't know.  I just don't happen to have any details about them. You can probably Google it :D

One last thing: BACK UP YOUR DATA!  This is SUCH an important part of the organizational process.  Computers crash.  Or get stolen!  Hard drives fail.  Back up on a regular basis, and don't use just one back-up source.  I use a second internal hard drive, plus an external hard drive.  (Gotta keep my bases covered!)

Freebies to start you out.

Ok, we have come to the part where I tell you where to get free stuff. But first, some discussion.

This is not a free hobby.  Seriously.

The thing about freebies is they tend to give us an attitude of entitlement.  It's easy to forget how much hard work designers put in to their kits.

I also need to mention here that just because you get a kit for free, that doesn't mean you can redistribute it to friends.  THE DESIGNER OF A KIT IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DISTRIBUTE IT.  PERIOD.  Please read Bree Clarkson's article, "Why it's not ok to share freebies," over at the Stop Piracy blog.

Freebies, to my thinking, serve 3 purposes:
1.  Freebies offered by designers are a great way to try out a designer's work to get an idea of their style and the quality of their product.  Freebies can also be a good incentive to visit a site or participate in an event.  (Designers: this is a GREAT way to really get people hooked on your work.  While it's true everyone is out to snatch up anything free that they can, it gets your name in our minds and your stuff on our computers and helps us figure out who we really like!)
2.  Freebies are a good way to let people try out digital scrapbooking stress-free.  When you're starting out in digi-scrappin', you don't know what your style is and you need to be able to experiment with different kinds of patterns and elements until you've found your groove.
3. Some designers really just want to create and put freebies out there.  Then again, I think some post freebies to get noticed and build a following, and then they will sell their elements at another site -- but hey, it's all good!

You really don't have to buy kits or elements if you don't want to.  But don't begrudge designers who sell their work.  When a designer has a good, quality product that they have put a lot of time and effort into, they DESERVE to be compensated.  Don't get greedy and expect tons and tons of freebies just because you want them.  Freebies actually cost the designer money, because in addition to the time and energy they have put into them, the bandwidth that all their downloading takes up really adds up.  And honestly?  You will come to a point in your digi-scrappin' life when spending $5 on a kit that you adore is SO worth the money.  (Kind of like growing up you couldn't understand why someone would pay $50 for a great pair of jeans and now you're like "OH!")

If you say to yourself "But I could make something just like that -- for free!  Why buy it?" then by all means, go ahead and try. (But don't blatantly rip-off someone else's designs, 'cause dude that's SO not cool.)  You may decide that you don't need to buy elements, you can just design your own.  But then people may start asking you to share the elements you create, and you'll realize that for all your work and the effort you've put into them, you don't want to just give them away.  So . . . yeah.

Be grateful for freebies.  Be appreciative.  Be nice. Send the designer an e-mail and tell them thank you when they've put up a freebie you enjoy.  When you enjoy a designer's freebies, take a look at their designs for sale if they have them.  But don't feel like they OWE you anything.  Freebies are a gift, not an obligation.

Digi-scrapping has changed since I first wrote about freebies, and at this point, I'm not sure where to point you to freebies, except for:

1. Shabby Princess
2. Miss Mint has a new free kit at Peppermint Creative every month!
3.  Pixels and Company has a freebie section in their shop.

--> Many designers and stores include freebies within their newsletters or message boards -- so be sure to sign up for the newsletter when you register at a site!

Getting ahold of Elements.

Ok, and there are three ways to GET the elements from the Internet to your computer once you've paid for them (or found a freebie).  These ways are dependent on how the websites have been set up.  YOU don't have a choice in the matter, you do what that particular website is configured to do.  This is a head's-up to what may happen:
1. Click on the link that pops up a download box.  If your computer blocks pop-ups, you may have to click on a message that says something like "If your download does not start in 10 seconds please click here."  In the file download box, when asked "Do you want to open or save this file?" choose "save."  You are then given the option of choosing where to save the file.  I would recommend having a folder on your desktop just for downloads so you always know where they are.  Select this folder, then hit "ok."  Once the file is done downloading, the saving box that tells you the percentage of the file downloaded will show "Download is complete" and you can click "Close."  Then un-zip the file and have fun!
2.  For small elements, sometimes clicking on the element will make the full-size, large file to load in your window.  Once it's loaded fully, you right-click on the picture to save it to your desktop.  Weird way to do it, but that's the way some sites have some elements set up.
3.  Purchase a CD and get the files sent to you in the mail (remember mail?  The post office?) in one compact, organized, download-free disk.

There are a few ways to find elements.
1.  Look at my list of ALL the digital scrapbooking stores and start looking around!!!
2.  Keep a list when you're browsing layout galleries of names of designers whose products you tend to like.  Then Google a designer's name to find them.
3. Check out this directory: Digital Scrapbooking Top 50
4. Visit the Gallery at DigiShopTalk.com
5. A lot of designers will have a links sections of their sites, linking to THEIR favorite digital scrapbooking sites. See if you see something new there.
6. Keep an eye out when you are looking at scrapbooking magazines and see which sites are listed in supply lists for pages that are digital.

Once you choose an element or kit you want you buy, you will probably have to create a user account with the site you're shopping at.  (Use a valid e-mail address, because they may need to contact you about your purchase or use e-mail to finalize the transaction.) You will also probably need Paypal.  If you don't have a Paypal account already, you may want to set one up.  Some sites will let you pay straight with a credit card, but some accept only Paypal.

Once you have paid for a kit, there are different ways sites will get them to you: 
1.  Some sites will take you to a download screen immediately after you have hit "submit" in Paypal. 
2.  Other sites require a waiting period as the transaction clears, and they will then send you an e-mail with further directions. 
3. Sometimes you have to sign in to your user account at the site and go into "My Account" or "My Downloads" to find the download keys. 
4.  Of course, if it is a disk you have bought, you will need to wait to get it in the mail.

Monitor Calibration

The reason you should calibrate your computer monitor is to "make sure the display will be in sync with the output."  Plainly speaking?  To make sure { what you see on the screen } and { what comes out in printing } matches.  There's nothing more heart-breaking than printing an image and realizing you've over-brightened it (and all the others in that set of photos) and SAVED OVER all the originals, thinking you were fixing them (and thus losing a LOT of detail in the pictures that you can't get back!)  This would happen if your screen was showing too dark.  If your screen was showing too light, you might adjust all your pictures too dark and end up with them looking like you were snapping pics in a dimly lit room with a wonky flash (but to YOU, while working at your computer, they looked perfect!) 

I would hate for you to spend tons of time working on a page layout, only to find out after having it printed that it's all a little "off" because the colors and brightness you saw on your screen weren't accurate.  I'm not an expert in this by ANY means (in fact, half of the stuff I read about it, I don't understand!) but I do know that after I calibrated my monitor my pictures started looking a hell of a lot better once I printed them.  Sometimes monitors don't "hold" calibration well and you have to make sure you check occasionally to see if it's still fairly accurate.

If you have Adobe Photoshop installed on your computer, you should have what is called Adobe Gamma available to you for calibration.  It should be automatically installed to your Control Panel.  Now, I have WindowsXP Professional on my computer, and I was having a HELL of a time figuring out where in my Control Panel it was.  Click on "Start," (you know, that big button at the left bottom corner of your computer), then "Settings," then "Control Panel."  If you don't see an Adobe Gamma icon and the window looks like this above example, there's an easy way to find it.  In the box on the left, you need to click "Switch to Classic View." [image 1]  Then double click on the icon to get started. [image 2]  { This picture to the right can be enlarged by clicking once on it.  My friend Kelly calls this making the picture "pop."  ;o) }

I've heard that the Adobe Gamma isn't PERFECT, but unless we're graphic designers or WAY serious about our photos, it will probably be good enough.  And hey, it's free.  I know this isn't an in-depth explaination, but I just want to put monitor calibration on your radar and have you realize that it's probably something you need to look into.

If you want to know more ('cause dude, I don't have the energy to learn it all and then explain it!!!) you can read more here first, and here.  Or Google any combination of Photoshop and gamma and calibration and see what you can find!

Picture/Layout/File size

or, Dots, Pixels, and Inches.

Ok, this can be confusing.  I'm going to try to explain it the best I can understand and cover what you need to know for digital scrapbooking.  I'm not going to go in-depth because it gives me a headache.

Have you ever heard (read) the terms "DPI" and "PPI" and wondered what in the world they are?  DPI is DOTS per inch.  This is technically a term for PRINTING.  The higher a printer's DPI capability, the high quality image the printer can produce. Now, our digital images are made up of PIXELS.  Thus PPI -- pixels per inch -- is technically the term we should be using when talking about a picture's (or layout's) resolution.  But somehow along the way, the terms DPI and PPI became interchangeable, so you will hear either term used to refer to digital image quality.  Within Photoshop, next to the Resolution box, it says "pixels/inch."  In "Image > Image Size," the top part you can deal directly with pixel dimensions, and underneath that is document size in both inches and resolution.

When you're working on a layout, all of the page elements need to be the same resolution.  Or you at least need to be aware of the resolution so you can be deliberate about size.  Most digital scrapbooking elements you get will be 300 PPI.  An element at a different resolution will be a very different size when it's dragged onto your layout.  For example, in this picture, the red was created at 4x6 inches, 300 ppi.  The yellow was created at 4x6, 200 ppi, and the blue at 4x6, 100 ppi.  Although the layers are all 4x6 inches, the ppi's affect how big they are in relation to each other.  I re-sized it after I made it -- to 100 ppi, to fit the blog -- but the point is the proportions, which stayed the same.

Here is a definition I found in a Photoshop book:
The number of pixels in an image = the resolution x the image dimensions.
Thus an image at 100 ppi at 8x10 inches will be 800 pixels wide and 1000 inches tall.  (That's why I like 100 ppi, the pixels are easy to predict.)
An 8x10 image at 300 ppi would be 2400 pixels wide and 3000 tall.  On your desktop or exploring folders, you can see these dimensions for each picture when you have the area active where the pictures are and you hover the mouse over each picture.  The pop-up box would say for the above 8x10 at 100 ppi example, "dimensions: 800 x 1000."  Next it will say what kind of an image it is (JPEG) and how much file space the saved image takes up in MB's or KB's.

If an image is printed larger than there are sufficient pixels, it will look pixelated.  It won't be a smooth, clear image, you'll be able to see the pixels the image is made up of (it will look like a bunch of little boxes.)  Because of this, when you are creating something with the intention of printing it, you need to save it at the right resolution.  Now, there is some debate about 200 ppi versus 300 ppi in terms of Photoshop speed, but I personally like to have my pages and pictures all at 300 ppi.  So when you're starting a new workspace for your scrapbook page, make sure the resolution is high enough.  It's easy to size down, but next to impossible to size up and retain quality.

Saving for the internet is another matter.  I don't remember/understand the technical reason why, but for the internet high resolutions don't make much of a difference for viewing.  The recommended ppi to save for internet usage is 72.  I like using 100, but that's just me.  So long story short: for most people, use 300 ppi resolution for all pictures and layouts, and use 72 ppi resolution for sharing your stuff on the internet.  But be VERY CAREFUL after re-sizing to a smaller ppi that you not save over your image like this.  Once you save over a file and then close it, you can't get those pixels back, and that's SO not cool!  I'll talk more about the saving process here.

A space to work with.

Your first step in starting a digital scrapbook page is opening up a blank workspace to drag and drop elements to.  First you have to decide which kind of page you are making -- square (12x12 or 8x8), or rectangle (8.5x11).  A lot of people who are making 8x8 go ahead and create it at 12x12 because (1) theoretically if you wanted to make a 12x12 someday you could, and (2) most digital papers come at 12x12 so you won't have to re-size everything.  But that's your call.

~ Remember, all pictures in these posts will enlarge if you click on them. ~

Ok, so open your Photoshop program: you will probably see something that looks like this.  (See right.)  There are some palettes such as the Toolbox (long one on left), Navigator, Color, History, and Layers (right) that are probably open (these are the default palettes.  You can close the Navigator and Color ones if you want -- I personally don't use those much. You will always want the Layers palette available.  Palettes can be re-sized by dragging a corner, or moved around by dragging from the blue bar at the top of each.  If you close a palette and need to open it again, they are accessed through "Windows" in the file menu.)  The rest of your screen is just an empty, gray space.

Makes you think "Hmm . . . now what?!!!"

We want to open a space to work with.  Go to "File" and "New" to create a new image (space to start from.)  In the "New" box you can set the size, resolution, and background you want for your new space. First, size:  If I were making a 8.5x11 layout (vertical, not landscape), next to width, I would type "8.5" and make sure the drop-down size measurement said "inches" (as opposed to pixels or centimeters or whatever.)  Next to "height" I would type "11" and make sure "inches" was selected.

For resolution, there is debate whether 200 or 300 ppi (pixels per inch -- "pixels/inch") is best.  I use 300.  Most of your elements you've downloaded will be at 300, so you will have to re-size more if you use 200.  But I've heard that at 200, Photoshop runs a little faster and the end result print quality is still fine.  That's your call.  Type in "200" or "300." 

The Mode should be default at RGB color.  Leave it.

"Contents" at the bottom determines what the base layer of your space will look like.  You can choose either "white" or "transparent."  (I used to always choose transparent, until I realized I was just going to cover the entire space up with a patterned paper anyway -- and sometimes I want to make the paper lighter by adjusting the opacity, and having white underneath to show through helps lighten it up.  I would just have to create a new white layer to put underneath anyway.)  But again, your call.

After you've made your selections and changes, hit "ok" and a new space opens up to work with -- you are on your way!  Now your screen should look about like this (see picture at right.) 

Now that you understand this process, I'll tell you a shortcut: instead of going to File and New, you can hold down "control" and "N" to open a New File.