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Digitising scrapbooks in Adobe Photoshop...

This month has been an interesting one in many ways. From the whole life cycle of designing large books in Affinity Publisher through to creating digital scrapbooks in Adobe Photoshop it’s been both a full-on and engaging month.

Design courses we’ve delivered during September have included both tailored Adobe and Affinity training. From laying out, designing and self-publishing a large book in Affinity Publisher, utilising AI and 3D for product design in Adobe Illustrator through to designing digital scrapbooks in Adobe Photoshop our tailored crafting courses continue to grow.

Photoshop for Digital Scrapbooks Course Brief

We thought we’d run a post on digital scrapbook design which not only is a popular craft at the moment but is also selling well online. This Photoshop training was booked by a lady in Nottingham who has been making and selling physical scrap books for many years. However the time has come when she decided she wanted to digitalise them to expand sales.

With physical scrapbooks her favourite ‘scraps’ are wallpaper and old written papers and letters preferably in cursive writing. She has some really beautiful paperwork in her scrapping collection. We actually nearly came to a full stop with the Photoshop training when she opened the box and showed us her collection. Awesome as a word comes nowhere near.

Anyway moving forward…………….

Designing Scrapbooks in Adobe Photoshop
Antique letter to be scanned into Photoshop to create a collage for a digital scrapbook

Isn’t this beautiful?

And this was just one of many. When this was originally written obviously the writer had no concept that some 230 years later it would be appearing as part of a design in a digital scrapbook.

How could they see through the next few centuries? It wouldn’t be until the mid-1820s that Babbage would get his embryonic computer ideas..

Cursive script is overwhelmingly beautiful and although we’re not hundred per cent sure it’s possible this letter could have been written on handmade paper. Laid paper came into being in the 1750s and this was written in 1794. If you’re interested in paper you may want to look up James Whatman to find out more. 

Anyway it gives an idea of what materials were worked with during the course.

Bespoke Photoshop Course Content for Scrapbooking

Our client was new to Photoshop so we included many of the standard tools used in the software. These were taught with a  ‘scrapbook twist’ so that she understood exactly what the tools did and when and how to apply them for her work.

Bear in mind the client had no interest in using Photoshop for anything other than designing scrapbooks.

The scraps to be used were mostly physical so there was a fair amount of discussion surrounding scanning and or cameras. We did discuss using a camera to import the images but decided that scanning gave a higher resolution, better image quality and more light than a camera when dealing with textures. Cameras also throw up issues like distortion if the camera lens isn’t paraallel to the text and photography can also introduce shadows and glare making textures harder to work with in Photoshop. Probably it will end up as something as a compromise at the end an both will be used.

Once the scanning discussion was out of the way we started working with some already scanned in images.

Bespoke Adobe Photoshop Training Course on digital scrapbooks
Shots of existing physical scrapbooks

Photograph lace with a side soft light source to bring out shadows & make it more dimensional

Scanning & Cameras in Digital Scrapbooks

Scanner – best for flat items

Pros:

  • Even, consistent lighting (no shadows).

  • High resolution (300–600 dpi) giving crisp detail for print.

  • Good colour reproduction.

  • Perfect for wallpaper, paper textures, pressed flowers, lace that can lay flat.

Cons:

  • Limited because of the scanner size.

  • A 3D texture such as lace can scan in a bit flat

Camera – best for textures /3D

Pros:

  • Can capture depth, shadows, and texture.

  • Flexible size. It can photograph large wallpaper samples or objects.

  • Allows for creative lighting such as light angles to show off lace detail. 

Cons:

  • Needs good lighting setup to avoid glare/shadows.

  • Resolution depends on your camera quality.

  • More post-processing (cropping, perspective correction, color balance).

What Tools & Features were used during the Photoshop Course

As well as the practical tools this particular Photoshop course provided the opportunity to work with some really creative processes such as overlays, pattern design and in-depth masking techniques.

If you can’t select something accurately in the first place then you’re pretty dead in the water so one of the first things we looked at was the selection tools and how to use them for this type of work.

 Obviously we also included Layers, Adjustment Layers and many of the tools contained in the software as a matter of course (no pun intended there)

  • Selection tools including Object Select, Smart Select & the Lasso tools
  • Adding & working with Layers in Photoshop
  • Working with Adjustment Layers for colour, contrast etc
  • Using the Tools /Tool properties 
  • Adding Overlays to Layers
  • Working with Brushes, editing brush tips, creating new tips
  • Adding a quick mask /working with layer masks /transparency
Digital Scrrapbook design in Adobe Photoshop course

Bespoke Adobe Craft Courses

Whether its self publishing your own book, designing a digital scrapbook or preparing large display stands we specialise in Tailored Adobe Training Courses and can work with you on your own projects.

View our 5 star rated reviews on Reviews.io or get in touch to find out how we can help with your training.

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What other software can be used to design digital scrapbooks?

  • Photoshop offers the most versatile approach to any type of projects resembling this but there are some alternatives.

Adobe Photoshop (full)

Best for professional results.

  • Maximum control over photos, text, effects, and page layouts.
  •  Advanced tools: masks, brushes, custom textures, smart objects, adjustment layers.
  • Photoshop is perfect for print and ensures crisp, colour accuracy.

  • Ideal if you want the scrapbook to look like a high-end, published photo book for the coffee table but with a much steeper learning curve than Elements or Express

Photoshop Elements

Strong balance of control and very easy to use

  • This is built fo photo projects like this and comes with pre-design edits and effects. It’s loaded with scrapbook features such as drop shadows etc.
  • Like Photoshop it has layers and layer effects
  • You can control print features such as resolution and colou
  • Ease of use if you want pro-looking results but with less complexity than full Photoshop.

  • Downside: Missing some advanced tools (smart objects, CMYK print profiles, etc.).

Adobe Express

Best for speed and casual projects.

  • Express comes with a wide range of template, web page spreads. Express is super fast to use and great for quick scrap-books and offers the ability to change book sizing quickly and easily

  • Express is perfect if you want something fast and attractive but aren’t too worried about professional print quality.
  • It has limited design functionality and you have much less control over high quality print.
  • Easy to share to social media and online blogs etc

In Short

  • For the most professional scrapbook (high quality, print-ready, custom layouts) the the full Photoshop version is best

  • For a semi-pro but user-friendly project (printable and polished): Photoshop Elements.

  • For a casual, digital-first scrapbook (social sharing, speed): Adobe Express.

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