Cropping and Matting Your Scrapbook Photos

There are many different aspects of making a scrapbook. These different things are what make a scrapbook unique and what make it different from an ordinary photo album. When it comes to these things, cropping and matting are important steps that help make your photos look great in your scrapbook for many years to come.

Cropping refers to removing unneeded background from your photos so that they look better or the photo only focuses on the most important part of the scene. Matting refers to putting a border around the photo, similar to a picture frame. This is usually done with paper, cardstock or matting materials.

Both of these techniques can help your scrapbook photos look their absolute best. The images will pop from your scrapbook and it can even add to the theme and the overall appeal of the book.

Cropping can be simple such as the type of digital cropping that is often used to edit a photo or it can be done with fancy shapes and styles to make the photo more interesting for a scrapbook. There are even scrapbooking tools to help you do this.

If you want to crop your photo, you need to first select the photo that you want to use. Then you want to choose a shape that's going to flatter the photograph that you have chosen. When cropping, you want to be sure you don't remove anything important from the background. Things like cars, houses or the background of where you';re at can be just as important as the subject on the photo in many cases.

You can also find scrapbooking templates around to help you with cropping your photos. To use these templates, you just place them over your photo kind of like a stencil. 'Then you trace it lightly with a pencil and all you have to do is cut along the line you've traced.

Another way to crop is to trim around the edge of the photo to make the photo smaller but without losing the original shape of the photo. You can also use a ruler to help keep your edges straight when you crop.

When it comes to matting, you can use cardstock to make a border for your photos. This gives your scrapbook photos a border like a picture frame. You can use mats in one color, in assorted colors and in other designs and themes to match the theme of your scrapbook. You can also use different types of scissors to cut your mats to make more designs.

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12 Quick Scrapbooking Ideas to Add Interest to Your Page Layouts

1. One of the easiest scrapbooking techniques to learn is paper tearing. Paper tearing adds a soft edge to your cardstock and texture to your pages. You can choose to tear just one edge of a paper or tear completely around a mat or frame. Try tearing the bottom edge of a tag or mount a sticker to cardstock and tear around the ends.

2. Matting highlights photos and page elements. Double or triple mat a special photo on the page. Match the mat color to enhance the photo. Photos aren뭪 the only page elements that can be matted. Mat a sticker or dimensional embellishment.

3. Add metal embellishments to your pages. Scrapbooking isn뭪 just about paper. Use brads, paper clips, eyelets and staples as accents on your pages. You can also use them to attach other embellishments, like ribbons and tags, to your page.

4. Ribbons can be used as borders on your layouts. Take both ends of a ribbon piece and tie them together. Now cut the ribbon so the knot will be positioned as an accent on your page.

5. Add something extra to your paper accents. Run your paper edges and frames along an ink pad to add some additional depth to your page.

6. Take out the sandpaper. Distressing your page elements is quick and easy. Just rub the sandpaper along the edges of your chipboard. You also can sand some cardstock paper giving it a different effect.

7. Keep journaling simple. The important thing is to document the photograph. Use bullet lists for journaling or just stick with who, what, where, how and when.

8. Use your own handwriting. Instead of printing out journaling from your computer, try using your own handwriting. It is much more personal, and future generations will appreciate seeing your handwriting.

9. Tags are one of the most versatile page elements available. Put your page titles on tags. Photos or journaling blocks can be mounted onto tags as well.

10. Scrapbooking page kits keep everything coordinated. Using page kits makes putting together a scrapbooking layout fast and simple. All the paper and page elements work together, and most kits have instructions and ideas for layouts.

11. Use a rubber stamp to create your own patterned page. For example, stamp a leaf image randomly on a piece of cardstock to make your own autumn-themed patterned paper.

12. Make your pages interactive. By adding envelopes and pockets to your pages, you can involve others in your scrapbook album. Hide little journaling notes in envelopes, and try tucking memorabilia into pockets. You can also create mini scrapbook albums on your pages that fold out with more photos.

These scrapbooking ideas are quick and easy, and they can inspire you to get more pages done. Keep your layouts simple, and try one of these ideas to add interest to your next scrapbooking page.

Taken From MSOKorea.com