Printing Digital Scrapbook Layouts,
Collages, and Photo Books

(revised 11/29/2011)
 


supplies: 12x18 Simply Storyboards Scrap.Templates 2

The most frequently asked question we receive is “How do you print your digital layouts and photo books?”  It is our hope that this article will help answer most of your questions and help you gain confidence about printing our papers for traditional scrapbooking, as well as gain understanding about how to print your finished digital layouts in an archival manner. 

Also, see our blog series on printing your digital art here.

Paper/Page Template Size Formats and Print Resolution (dpi)*: Our Simply Digital downloadable Page Paks & Paper Paks are sized at 12x12 and 12x24 and our Scrap.Templates are sized at 12x12, 8x8, 12x18, or 12x24. The templates and papers on our retired Simply Digital Graphic CDs are sized in 8.5 x11 or 12x12 formats. All of our products are sized at 300 dpi resolution for professional print quality. See some examples of our product line below.
 

Customization and Printing Options:

When using our digital graphics to create finished page layouts, you are only limited by your imagination as to what you can do. You can crop or re-size the papers to other sizes, such as 8x10, 8.5x11, 8x8, etc. to print on your standard printer or you can see below for wide format printer options or on-line printing options for 12x12 prints. With the realistic embellishments included in our Page Paks or Element Paks, printed layouts appear 3-D, however are suitable for framing as they are flat!  Further, your scrapbook albums filled with printed digital layouts will not have the bulk of traditional embellished layouts. See our tutorials on using Page Paks and Quick Page ScrapOvers for more details on using our products and resizing them to other sizes. Most of our tutorials are for Adobe Photoshop Elements, but Adobe Photoshop and Corel Paint Shop Pro follow similar steps.

Besides creating entirely digital layouts, you can also use our products for hybrid scrapbooking, i.e. a combination of paper and digital. Maybe you'd like to add one of our Scrap.Edges to a photo before printing or want to print and cut our journaling mats to use on a traditional page. You can also print our paper designs as full-sized sheets for use with paper scrapbooking. Treat them just like scrapbook paper, and they’ll have a nice white torn edge when tearing. These are all fun ways to use our products in more tactile crafting.

A totally awesome feature of using digital graphics in your scrapbooking is the color possibilities are endless. If you like our Naturals Series Paper Paks, but would like them in different hues, see our tutorials on changing colors with Adobe Photoshop/Elements or Corel Paint Shop Pro.  There’s no need to be stuck on a layout because you don’t have the perfect shade of paper to match your photos!  The same goes for any embellishment!

Note:  we recommend printing on high grade matte finish photo paper, as it has a wonderful sheen similar to traditional layouts. After printing your layouts or papers, it is recommended to let the ink dry for 24 hours before framing or using to maximize print life.  Then, simply add the layouts to your scrapbook album or frame in the format of your choice.

 
supplies:
Nature's Sketchbook Photo Art Blends 3
Say it Again 3 Scrap.Words

Printer and Paper Choices:

The many options available for photo printers and papers can be overwhelming. The great news is the major printer companies manufacture top quality products and offer great information on their websites.  Here are some links to some affordable Epson, Hewlett Packard, and Canon printers/papers on the market.  Each person's needs and preferences are different, so doing your own research is the best way to find a suitable printer and paper.  Also, this article was revised in Spring of 2008, so models will change as time goes on.

The all-in-one Epson RX585 is available for around $149, and prints borderless pages for standard letter-sized paper, using Claria Hi-Definition ink.  The photo quality is superb when using Epson photo papers and inks, is waterproof, smudge-proof, and dries instantly.  The Epson Stylus Color 1400, R1800, and R1900 can easily accommodate 12” wide papers. 

Hewlett Packard and Canon also offer quality photo printers and more information can be found to the right.

In the summer of 2003, Epson released their new products for scrapbookers: EPSON Matte Scrapbook Photo Paper to be Offered for Standard 12" x 12" and Letter Size Photo Albums; EPSON Semi-gloss Scrapbook Photo Paper to be Offered in Letter Size.  

The EPSON Matte Scrapbook Photo Paper is an acid-free, lignin-free, buffered paper for printing layouts, photos and other elements for archival scrapbook pages. The paper is two-sided, made of 100 percent cotton, and will be sold in letter size, as well as a size that fits standard 12" x 12" albums, making it the only scrapbook size archival printable photo paper on the market at this time.  It is stated that you can print on both sides of the paper, allowing for two scrapbook pages.  This paper is compatible with all dye-based and pigment-based ink jet printers from all manufacturers.  See product package for print life test results. Atlex is also a distributor of this paper.

For standard letter-size (8.5x11) layout and paper printing, check with your printer manufacturer for more options for archival papers, as well as artistic papers, such as canvas, watercolor, etc to create an artistic, frame-able piece.  Home printing is becoming very, very popular and the paper manufacturers are creating many different options to meet their customers' needs and desires.
 

Click here for Epson printer information  

EPSON Stylus Photo 820

Click here for Epson paper information PremierArt™ Matte Scrapbook Photo Paper for Epson


 

Click here for HP printer information

Click here for HP paper information

Click here for Canon printer information

Click here for Canon paper information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-line Photo Printers:

You can crop our layouts to 8x10, 8.5x11, or enlarge to 11 x13 or 11 x14, if you'd like to frame and mat in a standard sized frame.  You can also leave as is at 12x12, as many on-line photo printers are offering this popular scrapbook size. You can then upload a JPEG or PDF to an on-line printing service.  Each service offers differing quality and services, so please research for your own requirements.  Here are some of the most popular on-line companies:

www.shutterfly.com (also prints 12x12's individual pages, and many different sizes of digital scrapbook photo books)

www.costco.com (also prints 12x12's)

www.snapfish.com

www.scrapbookpictures.com (also prints 12x12's)

www.mpix.com

www.persnicketyprints.com

www.whcc.com (pro print lab)

 

 

Copy Centers:

Another viable option for printing your 12x12 layouts, if you aren't able to invest in a wide format printer, is to save the image file as a 300 dpi PDF, JPEG, or TIFF format file to a CD and bring to a professional copy center, such as FedEx/Kinko's. They will print your 12" layouts as 11" layouts on 11x17 archival paper for about $2.  Just trim off the white edge, and mount on 12x12 cardstock for a laser quality page.  They will print standard 8.5x11 layouts for under $1.  Ask your copy center about the estimated print life of their inks and other archival questions, if that is a concern for you. 

Photo Books:

A hot trend for digital photography enthusiasts is having coffee table books printed for themselves and for family and friends' gifts.  They offer a hard cover, bound book of memories in different cover options, and you can use the Simply Digital™ product line to create your content!  Save the finished layouts in the manufacturer's specifications (usually in PDF or JPEG format), upload to their site, and they will print your book in the quantity you desire.  Here are some sites that offer this service and have technical help on their sites to help you successfully print a photo book:

www.shutterfly.com

www.mypublisher.com

www.creativememories.com

www.blurb.com

www.whcc.com (pro print lab)

That's just touching on all you can do with printing your digital artwork. If you have any other questions about printing, resizing, print resolution, etc., please contact us at support@cottagearts.net.

Happy Printing!

Michelle Shefveland and the Team at CottageArts.net