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A couple of months ago I wrote a review of Photoshop Elements 6 - The Missing Manual.

And since then, I’ve have quite a few emails asking me if Photoshop Elements is the best software to pick for digital scrapbooking.

Well first of all, let me say that I am a long time user of Photoshop Elements. So that is obviously going to influence my opinion.

And in my opinion, Photoshop Elements is the best choice for someone entering the world of digital scrapbooking.

Are there other great graphics editing software programs on the market?

Yes!

The full blown Photoshop CS (also made by Adobe) is acknowledged as the standard setter for graphics editing.

The Gimp is a free graphics editing software package with many of the powerful features of Photoshop.

Paintshop Pro is also a strong contender for digital scrapbooking functionality.

But I still stand by Photoshop Elements as the best choice for a new digital scrapbooker.

Why?

Well let’s start with Price.

Apart from the Gimp (it’s hard to beat ‘free’), Photoshop Elements comes with a far lower price tag than either Photoshop CS or Paintshop Pro.

And for less that $100 you can get a program that provides you with all the functionality you need to create great digital scrapbook layouts for now and the future. Photoshop has even more functionality, but being really targeted at professional graphic designers, I think that it’s over endowed with functionality which can prove more complex and confusing that is needed for digital scrapbooking. Especially for the beginner digital scrapbooker.

Paintshop Pro is less expensive than Photoshop but still more expensive than Photoshop Elements. Although I think Corel have a deal on at the moment which prices it similar to Photoshop Elements.

And there’s the learning curve.

I have trialled both Photoshop and Paintshop Pro and I found them complex and difficult to perform the functions that I wanted. And the Gimp is also reputed to have a very tough learning curve.

Now having said all that, once you have mastered the learning curve of any software package, you will be a convert. And of course you will feel that your software of choice is the only way to go…just as I feel about Photoshop Elements.

Tutorials

Another significant advantage for Photoshop Elements is the tutorials that are available for it. Many tutorials abound on the Internet. Sometimes though, that can be a little intimidating. Especially as they often make assumptions that the viewer has a level of expertise and understanding of the terms that may not actually be the case.

I’ve been thinking about this for some time. I think a lot of people feel overwhelmed when they think about starting digital scrapbooking and then they’re so put off because the tutorials seem so complex, that they walk away.

Tutorials designed for the beginner Digital Scrapbooker

So I’ve created an exciting Step by Step Digital Scrapbook website that’s especially designed for absolute beginners to digital scrapbooking and is packed with all you need to know to get started.

And if you would like some more step-by-step coaching, you can choose to join my mentoring program which is just for newbies. I don’t believe there is any other program available that’s quite like this. Now you can join in the excitement of digital scrapbooking without feeling overwhelmed with learning so much new technology.

So if you’ve been thinking about digital scrapbooking but maybe were a bit nervous of taking on the technology, pop over and have a look around and find out all about it.

Other Related Articles:

Photoshop Elements 6 - The Missing Manual

Shortcuts for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements

The Gimp Installation Guide

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Please welcome this week’s Guest Writer on Scraps of Mind.
DreamScrapper is a scrapbooker and designer who loves to share tips and techniques with her readers on her blog DreamScrapper. You can find her designs at her web site DreamScrapper.com. I love her title for today’s article. So sit back and find out how scrapbook layouts are a lot like sandwiches.
Don’t forget, you too can join the Journalist Team at Scraps of Mind and showcase your work to other Scrapbookers by writing a Guest Post and getting published on Scraps of Mind.

Note: Click on the layouts to see a larger image with credits.

I was thinking just the other day that digital scrapbooking could be compared to sandwich making. I’m sure that every reader has at some point made a sandwich for themselves or for someone else. Of course, different occasions call for different sandwiches, but all sandwiches utilize layers of ingredients, just as in digital scrapbooking, people use various layers to create a layout.

The Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich

A mom or dad may quickly spread two pieces of bread with peanut butter and jam to give to a child for an after school snack. This type of sandwich provides necessary protein, grains, and fruit (in the form of jam) and is quick and easy to assemble. A simple layout can be made in much the same way by utilizing a background paper, a photo, and a matte for the photo. To complete the layout, add one simple embellishment, a title and journaling, as desired.

In Moments, I used a very simple format - one background paper, a photo on a matte with coordinating paper strips behind it, a snowflake embellishment and a one word title.

Fancier occasions demand fancier sandwiches.

The Ribbon Sandwich

Quite often, local churches or community organizations offer some form of “Tea” during the course of the year. Common to be served there are finger sandwiches. These are sandwiches made by slicing a whole loaf of bread into long, thin slices and carefully removing any trace of crust. The bread is lightly buttered to seal the bread from the moist fillings. The bread then has a filling applied (egg salad, tuna salad, cream cheese and cucumber to name a few) and the bread is either rolled up or further slices of bread and different fillings are added to create layered sandwiches. The rolled or layered sandwiches are then sliced into individual “rolled” or “ribbon” sandwiches.

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Well for many of you, Spring is in the air. The birds are singing, the sun is shining and the air is fresh with the new season.

And thoughts turn to Spring Cleaning.

So now is probably a good time to think about Spring Cleaning your Scrapbooking Stash.

Erika gave you paper scrapbookers some great ideas for clearing out and organising your scrapbook supplies.

But what about Digital Scrapbookers?

One of the great things about digital scrapbooking is that there’s no need for lots of space to store your ever expanding stash of digital scrapbooking kits and elements.

Digital scrapbooking takes up no space!

Or does it?

All those digital kits take up ever increasing space on your computer. You know how big those files are.

We just keep on adding to our digital supplies folders. And I know I don’t help by publishing the Five Freebies on Friday lists, just so you can go and grab more goodies to add to the stash.

But do you actually use all the supplies in your stash?

I know that when I first started digital scrapbooking I was on a mission to download every freebie I could find. You know…just in case I might need to use it.

So my digital supplies folder was absolutely huge. And that made actually finding anything an hour’s exercise in browsing through my stash looking for the ‘perfect’ kit.

And you know what? I reckon that out of all the stuff that I had I only used about 20%!

I would have my favourites and they tended to be the kits I kept on returning to, to use different combinations of papers and elements to create my different scrapbook layout looks.

And all the time I was clogging up my computer with all these digital scrapbooking kits that I had never used and probably would never use in the future. Just as if I could never get any more if I needed them.

So I thought, enough!

And I’ve been on a purge of my scrapbook stash to delete all the kits that I have never used in over a year and have no plans to use.

It was hard. And I had to be really disciplined with myself. But I’m so glad I did it.

At last my computer can ‘breath’. I’ve got gigabytes of space back and searching for the ‘right’ digital scrapbook kit for my layouts takes a fraction of the time.

So maybe now is a good time for you digital scrapbookers to consider doing a Spring Clean of your digital scrapbooking stash.

It’s well worth the time and the effort.

And your computer will love you for it.

Other articles you might like:

Try Some Repetition in your Scrapbook Layouts

Shortcuts for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements

Methodical or Haphazard Scrapbooker - which one are you?

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Get more mileage out of your digital scrapbooking kits.

The Scrapbooking Edge Video Tutorials

will show you how.

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