Whether you’re completely new to the concept of digital scrapbooking, or you’re a traditional paper scrapbooker wanting to make the move to digital, you’ll want to know a few things before you jump right in.

The first thing you need to do is research your options for digital scrapbooking software. You’ll want to select the best program possible – and not all digital scrapbooking software programs have the same features. Keep the following points in mind when selecting your software.

1. A good digital scrapbooking program should be easy-to-use, and yet offer creative features that can make your pages shine.

2. It should be affordable, but beware of products that are too inexpensive as well. As with most things in life, “free” isn’t always the best value. A good rule of thumb is that the best products will cost under $60, but you should be able to find a sale and get 20% off if you look around.

3. It should include high-quality scrapbooking content. Lots of “clipart” isn’t the same thing. Quality is much more important than quantity when it comes to digital scrapbooking.

4. The ready to use scrapbooking templates should be fully-editable. Plus, it should be easy to expand with more digital scrapbooking content in the future.

5. Choose a product that you can purchase online and then download right away. If it’s 2AM and you want to start digital scrapbooking, you don’t want to wait weeks for it to come in the mail! Also, look for products that have a free, fully featured trial download on their website. You want to be able to try everything out before you buy.

Once you have found an easy-to-use program that lets you make great looking pages, it’s time to start learning and creating. The best programs out there are intuitive and quick to learn, and you can easily begin making pages and figuring out the features by playing around. However, here are the 3 most important tips to follow when learning how to use your digital scrapbooking software:

1. The “User’s Guide” is a great place to start, especially if you’re an “instruction junkie”! A good digital scrapbooking program will include this documentation in electronic PDF format (no wasted trees!), preferably from the Help menu within the software.

2. Check out the program’s website. You should find free and easy to follow tutorials. A combination of video tutorials and lessons will help you learn to use the software very quickly.

3. See if your program has an online scrapbooking forum. An active scrapbooking discussion forum is a great resource for learning about your software. Digital scrapbookers from all over the world will be there and you can advice around the clock, plus you’ll find great tips and inspirational ideas!

Armed with the basics about the software, you can begin experimenting with laying out pages by beginning with a pre-made template, if your program includes these. Hopefully you’ve chosen a scrapbooking program that offers both fully-editable, pre-made templates plus the option to start with a blank scrapbook so you can design “from scratch”. A top-quality software product will let you click on an item, and then add, delete, move, resize and rotate elements with your mouse. Play around to get the feel for the program. This is one of the great advantages of digital – you can’t make a mistake. If you make a change to your page that you don’t like, simply choose “undo”. You can’t do that with paper and scissors!

Once you get the hang of the different features included in your software, it’s time to get creative and make beautiful pages. Maybe you have a lot of great ideas from your previous scrapbooking experiences. If you’ve chosen the one of the best digital scrapbooking software programs, you’ll be able to lay out your pages exactly as you wish!

But what if you are someone who admires other people’s scrapbooks, but don’t really know where to begin creating your own pages? Once again, here is where an online digital scrapbooking forum comes in very handy! It’s a great place to look for inspiration. In particular, find one with a free members layout gallery. That’s where you can post your pages, plus also view pages by other people. Seeing how other scrapbookers design their layouts is a great way to learn and increase your confidence.

Another way to hone your digital scrapbooking skills is to participate in the fun challenges offered in some online communities. These challenges often center around a technique or scrapbooking program feature, and are a great way to learn. Plus, look for challenges that offer freebies; it’s a fun way to develop your skills and get free stuff for your projects!

Don’t be intimidated by digital scrapbooking! It’s much easier to get started with than people think. Just find a program that offers a free trial download, online tutorials, a helpful community forum, and fully-customizable templates to help you get started. You’ll be making amazing digital scrapbooks in no time!

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