How to Start Digital Scrapbooking

Feeling like there's got to be a better solution for photos than keeping them by the hundreds on your phone?

You're right.  There is.  

Digital scrapbooking is my favorite way to preserve photos and memories because it's fast, convenient, and cost-effective.  I recommend it to everyone I know (and everyone I don't), so if your photos need a home where they can be loved, you're in the right place.

Did you know that scrapbooks are older than photography itself?  Families often kept scraps and mementos in books for safekeeping, and the first “scrapbooks” were often the family Bible.  As early as the mid-1400s, people recorded births and deaths in the front covers of their Bibles, and according to “The Fascinating History of Scrapbooking,” publishers in the 1800s started including extra pages in the fronts of Bibles for this very purpose.  This made family Bibles into heirlooms because they preserved and housed the history of a family.

If you’re old enough that the term “scrapbooking” seems like a burdensome, time-consuming chore, I have some great news.

If you’re young enough that “scrapbooking” is old-fashioned and outdated, I have some great news.

The Great News

Whether you’re a former scrapbooker or a never-scrapbooker, this is the great news for you:

Digital scrapbooking is easier, more efficient, and often less expensive than traditional scrapbooking.  And it’s 1,000 times more meaningful than keeping your photos on your phone or computer.

If you’ve never done any sort of scrapbooking before (maybe you’re a young-un who lives in a digital world and doesn’t see a need), keep in mind the heirloom qualities of the first “scrapbooks,” where families would keep their own history, in essence, and pass it down to a new generation to help them know who they are and where they come from.  Preserving pictures in hand-held pages today serves exactly the same purpose.  As you know, phones aren’t exactly heirlooms.  (Check out these five reasons your photos don’t belong on your phone!)

 

If you are a traditional scrapbooker looking to make the switch, I highly recommend the article I wrote based on a class I taught on this subject, “How to Transition from Paper to Digital Scrapbooking.”  I answer 5 common questions about switching to digital, including what digital offers that paper doesn’t and what to do if you already have scrapbooking supplies you don’t want to waste.  And then, of course, I show examples of digital scrapbooking right in front of your eyes via video.  Those who attended live LOVED it!

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find several affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

STEP 1:  Choose from Digital Scrapbooking Options

In over 15 years as a digital scrapbooker, I have become acquainted with several digital photobook and digital scrapbooking options.  There are a lot of variables in publishing companies.  The two big things to look for are quality and longevity.  Your pages have to be top-quality, otherwise all the work (and money) you're putting into them will have to be done all over again in 10 or 20 years (sometimes less).  You also want digital backups of your books or pages to be around for a while.  Some companies are fine deleting your projects and your photos after a while (Walmart and Shutterfly, to name two). 

Here’s my choice for the best digital scrapbooking available.  There are actually three options here, so there's something for everyone.

After quality and longevity, I think the best digital scrapbooking advice I can give is to choose something you will love.  If you love doing it, you're much more likely to do it.

So if Design & Print's software and free, easy templates look like your style, DO THAT.

If you like the creativity and flexibility of pages in Artisan look amazing, DO THAT.

Here's a little more about Artisan if that looks like your digital scrapbooking preference.  It's definitely mine!

There is so much that you can do with Artisan software that I have created two additional resources to help!

1. Artisan Cheat Sheet - I put this together when I first started using Artisan to help me remember how to do something I just learned.  I update it periodically, so I suggest you bookmark it!
2. Artisan Quick Tips with Jennifer - This is basically the video version of the Artisan Cheat Sheet, which is nice, I think so you can see how 

There's also an online digital scrapbooking group for Artisan users!  They have TONS of videos and fun resources (including blueprints, which are like templates) for free, too.  It's called Pixels2Pages and has a monthly or yearly membership fee.  The ladies who run it are called Pixies, which is kind of adorable, and you can learn more about the Pixels2Pages online scrapbooking group here.

Note:  Artisan runs on a PC, but MAC users can use it with a partitioning program.

a screenshot of me creating my digital scrapbook using Artisan

Please also consider photo privacy when choosing a digital scrapbooking option.  The company you use should not reserve rights to our photos to sell your data or photos.  I didn't think that was a thing until I did a little research and wrote this article which will most likely blow your mind:  What You’re Really Signing Up For with Digital Photo Storage.  So, please:  know what you’re signing up for when you choose a publishing (or photo storage) company!

All the options you see recommended here at Photo and Story Treasures will always meet the highest quality, longevity, and privacy standards!  It matters. 

STEP 2:  Get Ready – Photo Organization

Most people I know stop right here.  The idea of photo organization is so overwhelming (and understandably so) that the idea of leaving your pictures to die on your phone sounds preferable to creating a family heirloom book with photo and story treasures inside.

But you’re better than that!  You can do this!

I first recommend that you choose your topic.  Do you want to make a photo-storybook about your summer adventures, baby’s first year, the Hawaii trip, or a family yearbook of 2017 or 2020 photos?  Just focus on one thing, not all the pictures you own.  Some people like to start with the most recent (pictures from this summer), but some people like to start at the beginning (the wedding, baby’s first year, or wherever you left off).  Go with what sounds easiest and most doable to you.   

Next, organize and choose photos from just that topic. You may have a lot more photos than that.  That’s ok.  They’ll wait.  Do one thing first, start to finish, and the momentum will propel you forward.  (Because it’s fun, super exciting, and so rewarding.)

I’ve created several resources to help with photo organization.  Find many of them here, including video tutorials.

STEP 3:  Make an Appointment with Yourself

Just like going to the grocery store or the dentist or the gym, nothing happens without making time for it.  So make a digital scrapbooking appointment with yourself and then be a friend (to yourself) and keep it. 

Alternatively, you may want to recruit a friend you can work with.  All you need for digital scrapbooking is a laptop, so getting together is pretty easy.  I used to do this all the time—we’d take turns at each other’s houses and our kids would play together.  Or you can always do Girls Night at any local restaurant or shop with good wifi.  Or you can even get together with friends long-distance thanks to Zoom and such.

And you are invited to do your digital scrapbooking with me!!  I host an online digital scrapbooking work time (sometimes daytime, sometimes evenings) once every season.  It’s free for anyone using my fave, Forever, and is lots of fun!  You can find details of the next event and a link to join it right here—just scroll down until you find “Photo Rodeo – Rein in Your Photos.”

I have one last idea for you to help you make sure your good intentions get done.  Have you ever thought about working with your kids/grandkids to put together your photo and story treasures?  Based on some experiences I’ve heard from people who do it, I wrote Preserving Your Pictures as a Family Tradition.  If you like the idea, read that article and see what suggestions are helpful.

STEP 4:  Just Do It  ~  Enjoy!

Now’s the fun part.  Just do it.  Take those precious photos and preserve them as family heirlooms that tell your story.  It will mean the world to your family, plus it’s so good for your heart and soul!

I love what happens when you preserve your photos and tell their stories—both for the person doing it and the person receiving it—so if you need help or have questions, let me help you on the road.

Create yourown heirloom-quality photo-storybooks by following the steps here.

Then share this post with someone who wants to put their photos into their hands, too!  No experience necessary.

Save and share this article by Pinning this image to Pinterest,
or use other share buttons at the left.

Follow Photo & Story Treasures on social media here: