When it comes to making memories, some of us in the world have an innate desire to do it creatively. For like us, special days and ordinary days must be chronicled alike. Of course we hold a special place in our hearts for birthdays, weddings, first days of school, concerts, holidays, vacations and summer pool parties what each document must be. But with so many options out there today… so many stores and companies especially dedicated to our scrapbooking needs, which way is the best way… traditional scrapbooking or digital?
Traditional Scrapbooking
Let’s start with the traditional option of scrapbooking (which has evolved immensely over the past decade). Traditional scrapbooking is ghost paper, printed image, stickers and cut as a way to record your memories. Here are some pros and cons to consider before taking this hands-on creative route.
Pros
- · Personally, I just enjoy this method more. I think you should spend enough time on the computer for work and other social activities. Sitting down with actual materials, instead of virtual ones, is a nice change from our family life.
- · I feel much more creative and rarely encounter traditional scrapbooking. Perhaps it is the freedom to arrange the page however you like, multiple times in succession, without “saving a file” that makes sense.
- · My partner is a positive favorite of traditional scrapbooking. When a scrapbook is delivered, sharing materials is a big benefit that you can’t do from a single PC. If you just need the perfect shade of blue for a picture, or a monkey sticker, or a metal circle, chances are good that someone else in the room has one, and you’re allowed to use it. Scrapbooking can be an expensive hobby, but sharing materials makes the budget a little more manageable, and the hobby creates camaraderie among a group of people who enjoy the same hobby.
- ·. But a thick, plastic sheet protecting traditional white pages will stand the test of time (and rips and fingerprints) much better.
- · If you have a lot of extra-meat you want to include in your scrapbook, it’s easier to do that with traditional scrapbooking. For example, tickets, wristbands, stories, postcards and brochures all make excellent additions to any traditional album, but are much more difficult to include in a digital album. If, for example, you just got back from vacation and have tons of fun and extra scrapbooking, I would recommend a traditional scrapbooking experience for you.
Cons
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Traditional scrapbooking requires more space, in many aspects. First of all, you need somewhere to keep your supply of paper, pictures, stickers, punches, scissors, etc. to store, use various with milk crates with a plastic ring, three plastic organizer drawers and a special rolling scrapbook case. The trip to the retreat requires many trips in and out of the car, but I usually consider my workout that day to be more of the rest Traditional albums, once completed, will also require more shelf or coffee table space than their newer digital counterparts.
Digital Scrapbooking is a newer version of scrapbooking. This scrapbook mode allows the maker to create pages online with images from their savings computers and then print them in a variety of scrapbook styles. hardcover, paperback, leather bound. Several companies including Creative-memories, Shutterfly, and even Wal-Mart, have this modern version available. Here are some pros and cons to consider before choosing this computer-based route.
Pros
- · It is cheaper. While you will pay for the work (printed book) and probably the shipping, the price of your art is compared to a cabinet with boards and tools. it is much cheaper. Some programs require you to purchase downloads, but others, such as Shutterfly and My Publisher, offer free programs. Another aspect of digital scrapbooking that keeps the cost down is that you don’t have to print out hundreds of pictures that you may or may not use. Upload all your photos and use only half, no worries, it costs you nothing. Print hundreds of pictures in several different sizes and use only half of them, they are well left with many unnecessary, unused and expensive prints sitting in the box.
- · Digital scrapbooking allows the user to manipulate pictures more easily. Crop it, change it to black and white, fix the red eyes, whatever…and then use the best version of the picture, for what happened to you to decide to print it 2 months ago.
- · Digital scrapbooking is faster. When you learn to navigate the project of your choice, digital scrapbooking as a process goes much faster. For example, you can work on a page or two for half an hour without scraping all the material or dedicating an entire afternoon to scraping.
Others prefer the look and feel of the finished product. The quality is great. Digital scrapbooks, look like you bought it at a book store. For people who don’t have many children around, this may seem like a more durable and long-lasting scrapbook choice.
Cons
- · Being around a bunch of people working on laptops isn’t nearly as fun as everyone is engaging with each other, talking about their current projects or the memories they have going on. Not that socializing is possible with digital scrapbooking, that just seems less likely.
- · As I said before, sometimes we are just tired at the computer. This option leads us deeper into that form and dependence.
- · Some people feel that they are limited by the choices available in online programs. They want more paper choices, more fonts and more decorations. I believe the options are growing, but right now, some of the lobbyists and Michaels have digital information hitting the bases.
All that said I would probably agree that digital scrapbooking is the more practical option… for reasons of speed, cost and space. But I still prefer the hands on method of traditional scrapbooking purely to enjoy the element. I have done both, and I will do both. It’s your choice to make, but either way, I’m sure you’ll create something beautiful and worth keeping. Goodbye and happy scratching.
