Printable Scrapbook Pages 

Scrapbooks have entered the digital age with printable scrapbook.  Printable scrapbook pages are designed to be used in laser and ink jet photo printers. Like traditional scrapbook pages, they are manufactured to be used with scrapbook binders.  

Scrapbooks have been around for a long time, taking many forms but with a single function. To create a record of important things.  

Originally, the name of the book described the contents. Scraps and pieces from the past, pasted or taped to the pages of an album. Snapshots from the vacation to the Grand Canyon. Pictures of the kid's graduation. Your daughter's wedding.  Pieces of history compiled for future generations. 

In the digital age, paste and tape are no longer the way to go. Photos are stored on your computer. So why a scrapbook? 

Scrapbooks are tangible, durable and fun to look through. Flipping through screen shots on a computer doesn't compare with sitting on the couch and turning the pages of a scrapbook. But that does not leave the computer out of the equation. Printable scrapbook pages are available that will allow you to turn digital images and photos into professional and artistic scrapbooks. 

The concept is simple.  

Most photographs today are taken with digital cameras. While traditional film cameras are still superior to digital for some specialized applications, the convenience, flexibility and economy of digital photography is rapidly replacing film photography as the medium of choice for snapshots. 

While most people store their photographs on their computer or in on line galleries, the desire for a physical collection of carefully arranged photos and memorabilia continue to draw people to the old fashioned scrapbook format. 

Digital photos are easy to print. Reasonably priced photo quality printers are readily available, and professional grade printing services are can be used at copy centers, drug stores, camera shops and other retail outlets. 

But that still leaves the cost of each individual print, as well as the fuss of pasting them into the scrap book. 

With printable scrapbook pages, you can save money and time, while producing unique layouts that you could never achieve with traditional pasteup methods. 

You can print one page with several photos for a fraction of the cost of printing each photo separately and then arranging them on the page. 

Scrapbook binders for holding the printable scrapbook pages are available in a variety of formats, from simple loose leaf and pin bindings to sets that resemble professionally bound books. 

Since the image is printed right on the printable scrapbook pages, the book can contain more pages with less bulk. And, since the pictures are part of the page, they can never fall off. 

Another advantage to this technology is the ability to re work, crop and touch up the images before they are printed. With traditional snap shot technology, what you got from the photo lab is what you are stuck with. 

But with digital photos, you can adjust colors, eliminate 'red eye', re frame the image, and even add special effects. All you need is a few simple software tools and you can turn an ordinary snapshot into a professional looking photo. 

Composition and background is another feature of using printable scrapbook pages for your photos. Using specially designed software, you can arrange your digital photos on the virtual page in any way you want.  Montages and collages are easily produced. And since the final result is a single printed scrapbook page, you avoid the thickness of layered photos encountered in a traditional scrapbook. 

The blank areas can be filled with a variety of background designs.  You can print a digital wallpapers, similar to the background used on computer screens. The design or images would be visible wherever there is no other image superimposed on top. For example, a single, large photo of an event (like a wedding), with several smaller, detail images carefully arranged on the printable scrapbook page. 

Framing the images is another option, and can produce spectacular results with less cost and bulkiness than using layered matting with traditional photos. 

Many people like to include other kinds of memorabilia in addition to their photos. 

• Program from the play the kids were in. 
• Tickets to the senior prom. 
• Wedding announcements. 
• Certificates and awards. 

While these can still be 'pasted in', there is another solution made possible by printable scrapbook pages. By purchasing a flatbed scanner, these objects can be scanned into an image which will be included in your layouts along with the photographs. 

Just like with traditional scrapbook paper, printable scrapbook pages come in a variety of colors, textures, finishes and designs. The type of finish is very important to the final result. Printable scrapbook pages with a matte finish will produce a softer image. Other types of paper can produce sharper images with more contrast, like the glossy prints available in traditional film photography. 

The color of the paper can be used to highlight or contrast the framing designs used on the page. The texture can be selected to match the subject matter as well. 

One of the best parts of using printable scrapbook paper is that your scrapbook is no longer a one of a kind piece. 

Want another copy for a relative or a friend? Just re-print the pages in the project, bind it up and your ready to go.