Album Size

[butterfly]

I am a newbie and have only done the cool edges with picture it in a regular size binder. Just about to get my feet wet with elements and wonder if you found the
regular paper page size 8 1/2 x 11 album size in binders or an 8 x 8 would be the best to start with?

Also since it will all be digital - what type of paper do you use for it to keep it's color the longest????

I am not interested in the 12 x 12 that would be a little too much.

I would appreciate any suggestions. I want to make an heirloom type with grandparents and great - great - greats... and one that goes back to when my husband and I met.
After would be grandson - and re-doing my kids.

I was wondering on the presentation of having the many different albums - what would you suggest?

Thanks
Buttterfly

[Betsy]

I scrap 8x10 because that's what I can print at home! I leave the white borders my printer leaves (can't print edge-to-edge borderless) and put them in 8.5" by 11" albums.

I like the rectangle. Some people really love the square though! Others use both!

[Guest lesliefavela]

I do basically what Betsy does, because that's what I can print, also. I did get a great suggestion from another friend one time about how she does the final step. After she has printed out the page and removed the extra border, she attaches it to her 8.5 x 11 cardstock and adds photo corners to give it a more finished look. I thought that was a terrific way to finish them up. Just an idea.

[Guest diazcamille]

I use 8x8, I can print it at home, and I like square.

[angleigh]

I print mine 8x8 on matte paper

[Guest triciadoll]

I do all my layouts in 12x12 then resize to 8x8 and print at home. Love the 8x8 size!

[scrappydo]

I started out doing 8 1/2 x 11 albums and have recently tried the 8 x 8 size. I like them both, but there is just something about the square format that grows on you... Like you, I want to be able to print them at home.

As far as paper goes, I've found that using the photo paper that the manufacturer of your printer suggests gives the best result in the long run. That's not to say that I don't experiment with many different types and finishes. The newer printers are being developed with inks that will hold up a lot longer than the old ones. Just get them under glass or in a sleeve as soon as possible and keep them out of direct sunlight and they will last for years.

[Guest bao]

For all of my layout, i try to keep 30 x 30 in that way, it is possible to resize when I will decide to print. From now, i don't think about it.

I thought 9 X 15 is the most size, but i see that nobody here do this.

[Guest MissWendy]

I just started digi scrapping about a month ago, but I am doing 8 1/2 x 11 and 8x8.

[Guest rjmommie]

I think I am going to do 8x8 when I start printing.

[Guest Celia]

I do 12x12 but that is pretty big!!! LOL!!!

I would go for 8x8 or 8.5x11!!!

[Guest huntfamily916]

When I first started scrapping, I did 8 1/2 x 11. I grew tired of the rectangle very quickly and moved to 12 x 12. This just seemed like too much space to fill, especially if there was only one picture to scrap. When I began digital scrapping, discovered 8x8. I do have a printer that willl print 12x12 borderless, but I just love the 8x8. I can print on regulat 8.5x11 paper which helps alot with cost. 12x12 photo can get expensive.

My one suggestion, no matter what size you print, is to use paper made by the manufacturer of your printer. The inks and papers are made to work together for maximum color fastness and longevity. Oh, and use ink made for your printer. Spend the extra for the real stuff, cutting corners on ink can kill your printer and in many cases, void your warrenty.

[Guest vegaschristina]

I create everything in 12x12. Since I started scrapbooking on paper, that's the size I'm used to. But, if I print myself, I print 8x8. If I have LOs professionally printed I have them printed at 12x12.

[DDecker]

I like the 8X8 also, but for gifts try 6X6 as you can get 2 pages on a 8 1/2 X11 sheet. Question for everyone though, has anyone experences a difference in printing depending on how you saved the page. If I save as a jpg the printing is not nearly as good as if I print directly from the PSPX format.

Dee

[Syndee]

For digital I design it in 12x12 and resize it to 8x8 to print it out.
Paper I mostly do 12x12 but really want to get back into doing some of the 8 1/2x11 pages! Funny how things come back in style!! Kind of like bell bottoms!!

[Guest atiger]

I do all of my layout is 12x12 and then print them in 8X8 on photo paper. My albums are the 8 1/2 x 11 post bound.

[Guest Cropnpix]

Question for the gals who do their layouts 12 x 12 and then print them 8 x 8: does it seem like everything is too small? I used to paper scrap 12 x 12 and now I digitally scrap 12 x 12. I'm afraid that since I'm used to that, I will feel like a printed 8 x 8 will make me feel like what I did is too small? Thoughts?

[DDecker]

Since everything stays in proportion I have not noticed it seeming small even when changing to a 6X6. I like to option of doing a 12 X 12 and then resizing to a smaller format. I am going to try a 4X4 for mothers day albums. Not sure what I am going to get. I am going to start in 8X8. I will let you know.

Dee

[Guest Cropnpix]

Thanks Dee!

[iwillfly525]

[quote name='Cropnpix' post='37469' date='Mar 24 2006, 11:52 AM']Question for the gals who do their layouts 12 x 12 and then print them 8 x 8: does it seem like everything is too small?[/quote]


I always paper scrap 12x12. I've only made 2 digital LO so far. I printed one in an 8x8 at home, becasue thats as big as my printer can go. I hated the size. I think I'm going to pay more to have them printed somewhere else at the 12x12 size.

[Guest sfcgijill]

I have a wide format printer, so I create with 12x12 in mind. However, I love the option of resizing to 8x8 or 6x6 to print extra copies for others, as that saves on ink and paper costs.

Most of my journaling is titling and captioning - not a lot of paragraph groupings, so large type doesn't make much of a difference, although I can see how it might if I did, as it would give it kind of a third-grade overblown Reader's Digest large print look.

I might consider resizing the journaling and adding an extra element before printing in 12x12 if that were the case .

[wmssihaya]

My plan is to use the 9x9 albums that my company sells and mount my pages with a little border. I will either mount them on white or black paper so I don't have to worry about does it match the LO colors. I do my LO at 12x12 (because Ro suggested it in the newsletter) and will print them at 8.5x8.5 because my printer will do borderless prints. I have also found nice 8x8 albums at the Memories store.

Tracy

[Guest Simplicity]

[quote name='lesliefavela' post='20503' date='Jul 13 2005, 01:17 AM']I do basically what Betsy does, because that's what I can print, also. I did get a great suggestion from another friend one time about how she does the final step. After she has printed out the page and removed the extra border, she attaches it to her 8.5 x 11 cardstock and adds photo corners to give it a more finished look. I thought that was a terrific way to finish them up. Just an idea.[/quote]

I just joined this morning and had some time to browse around tonight and what happens? I immediately find a great suggestion for something that has bugged me. Thanks leslie (and your friend) I have been doing desktop publishing for several years but my feet are still wet with digital scrapping and I look forward to lots of help and ideas from this site.

[Guest darklighter]

I create in 12x12 usually. I print either 8x8 or 6x6, but have several friends that have them printed 12x12 so they can use the albums they used with paper scrapping. I really like the 8x8 size as it diplays well and fits in bookshelves and such easier.....

[jhbren]

I just finished the first 60 pages of a heritage album (grandparents back through 6 generations - parents & current genrations yet to come!). I designed in 12 x 12, and printed two copies (one for my aunt, who did the research, and one for myself) at that size on smooth matte cardstock, using a printer that does borderless. I also printed the photos on semi-gloss photo paper, then cut and adhered them over the photos on the full pages. The rest of the family will get 8 x 8 albums, with no additional photos! My nephew may be able to print them for us, as he works at a publishing house, but Staples and Office Depot both gave reasonable quotes for the job - and they will use appropriate paper, AND cut the pages to fit page protectors. If you need several copies, this seems to be a better use of time than printing and cutting them all yourself.

With the final 8 x8 size in mind, I printed draft copies to check for text readability. In most cases, 10-12 point type could be read easily, but it's wise to keep the age and visual accuity of your recipients in mind.

Jo

[Guest elkay]

[quote name='sailbeachcatz177' post='37208' date='Mar 23 2006, 02:16 PM']I like the 8X8 also, but for gifts try 6X6 as you can get 2 pages on a 8 1/2 X11 sheet. Question for everyone though, has anyone experences a difference in printing depending on how you saved the page. If I save as a jpg the printing is not nearly as good as if I print directly from the PSPX format.

Dee[/quote]


That's an interesting question you have asked about the print quality and I don't think anyone has answered it. I have only printed a few layouts and only at 8 x8 although I am making an album for my dad's 80th birthday and think I will have it printed at 12 x 12. However I have only printed the jpg version up to now so I will try printing the original Photoshop elements PSD format and let you know what happens.