Free How to Scrapbook with Photoshop
Tutorials

From LoveToKnow Scrapbooking

Free how to scrapbook with Photoshop tutorials can be a helpful resource for anyone interested in improving their digital scrapbooking skills.

Digital scrapbooking is a fun way to preserve your memories.

Photoshop vs. Photoshop Elements

As you're searching for free how to scrapbook with Photoshop tutorials, it's important to make sure you understand the difference between Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

Adobe Photoshop is the image editing software used by graphic design professionals. It's a sophisticated program that can produce a number of amazing effects, but it has a very steep learning curve. It's also very expensive, with prices ranging from $700 for the basic version to $1,000 for the extended version.

Photoshop Elements is the stripped down version of Adobe Photoshop that is marketed to home users. It does most of the basic tasks you'd want to complete in Photoshop, but comes with a slightly easier to use interface and a much more affordable price tag. You can purchase Photoshop Elements for $100 or less.

Generally, when people are looking for free how to scrapbook with Photoshop tutorials, they're actually looking for information on how to use Photoshop Elements to make their layouts.

Creating Basic Scrapbook Pages with Photoshop

The basic procedure for making a scrapbook page in Photoshop is as follows:

Choose your digital scrapbook supplies. If you're just getting started, our Digital Scrapbook Freebies article lists several sites that have free project kits you can download.
Select a sketch to use as the basis for your layout. You can find some simple sketch ideas in the LoveToKnow Scrapbooking slideshows Simple Scrapbook Layout Ideas and Free Scrapbook Layout Ideas.
In Photoshop, open the file of the patterned paper you wish to use for your background.
Use the eyedropper tool to choose a color from your patterned paper that you like.
Use the rectangle tool to make mats for your photos.
Open your photo files, then copy and paste each image onto the colored rectangles you've just created.
Add any embellishments you wish to use, such as digital flowers, buttons, or ribbon. If you wish, you can add a drop shadow to the embellishments to help give the appearance of depth and dimension.
Add your title and journaling in the font of your choice. Remember to proofread your text!
Save your file, then print your digital scrapbook page or upload it to your favorite online gallery.

Online Resources for Free How to Scrapbook with Photoshop Tutorials

For more detailed instructions on how to scrapbook with Photoshop, LoveToKnow Scrapbooking suggests visiting the following helpful Web sites:

If you'd prefer to use video tutorials to brush up on your scrapbooking skills, here are a few sites to check out:

Making Your Own Digital Scrapbook Embellishments

Once you've mastered creating simple scrapbook pages in Photoshop, you may find yourself wondering how to design your own digital scrapbook supplies. When you learn how to make your own patterned papers and embellishments, you'll never have to worry about finding just the right supplies for a particular layout! In addition, many passionate scrapbookers have managed to turn their knack for creating custom digital scrapbook supplies into profitable home-based businesses.

To help you get started making your own digital scrapbook supplies, LoveToKnow Scrapbooking has prepared two simple tutorials. (These tutorials were created using Photoshop Elements, but the same basic procedure applies if you're working with the full version of Photoshop.)