One of my favorite parts of scrapbooking is seeing all my pictures and stories in printed form. Each year, I print my pages together in a yearly photo book with additional ones made for special trips. I also hope to make yearly books for my children, but I haven't yet finished my toddlers first year album!
I've created a ton of albums in just about every different style possible. Some are very graphic and clean while others are full of clustery scrapbooking pages. Without fail, I always find one or two small mistakes after they are printed that I wish I could change. While they may not be perfect, my photo books are one of my most treasured possessions.
Here are four easy tips that I've learned over the years of printing that help me create a better photo book:
1.) Plan out your pages ahead of time. I keep a little notebook next to my computer where I jot down my plans for my pages. I don't go into much detail, but I do write down the topic of the page, the number of pictures, and the date. Later, when I'm inspired to scrapbook, I will look at my notebook and pick a spread to work on. If I'm more inspired by a certain kit, I can pick pictures that match. Plus, this allows me to have a rough idea of how many pages I need to complete before I can print a project. Printing is always the final goal.
2.) Make matching spreads. Honestly, this is a personal preference, but I LOVE for both sides of my spread to match. This means I always make two pages with each kit- paying attention that they flow nicely when placed next to each other. They don't have to cover the same topic, but I like the colors and elements to match.
One of my favorite ways to do this is by making a traditional scrapbook page and a pocket page. The more traditional page usually only uses on or two pictures, while I usually showcase many more on the pocket page.
3.) Try to use the same fonts through the entire book. At the beginning of each project, I pick two or three fonts and use them for the entire book. Not only does this make the scrapping process quicker, it also keeps your pages flowing nicely.
4.) Don't get caught up in making it perfect. I could work on a big project like this for years if I got too caught up in the process. I try to remember that only I will notice all the tiny mistakes after it's printed. My family just wants to look at the pictures and memories.
When I finish a page, I put it in a folder and call it good until I'm ready to print. Then I take a couple of hours and read and look through all my completed pages before I send it off to the printer. Hopefully, I catch all the typos and grammar mistakes on this once over, but if not it's okay. Done is always better then perfect.
Here's the most recent page I made for Teddy's album. I followed all my previous tips and it flows perfectly!
Secrets of the Sea Collection Bundle by Bella Blvd
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