Scrapbook Printables- What Are They And Why?   by Dawn Stegall

Have you ever been in this situation? You've found the perfect paper for your layout, and assembled a great collection of stickers but the lettering just isn't working. Or maybe you've decided you really need three holly stickers to balance out your design, instead of just the two that you have in your sticker file. This normally means another trip to the scrapbook store and postponing the finishing of a page.

However, it doesn't have to mean that anymore, thanks to the use of printables. Printables are scrapbooking accessories that can be directly printed from your computer to be used on your pages. There are a wide variety of printables that you can use in your scrapbooking layouts. Printables range from small decorative elements to full-page layout designs that just require you to place your pictures in, and every size in between.

Printables give you more control over your scrapbooking. If you need more design elements on a page, you can just print them out instead of having to run to the scrapbook store. You can print the same design on different colors of cardstock to create depth to your layout. Printables also allow you to keep a cohesive theme throughout the page. Often you can find matching lettering, patterned mats and design elements. This makes the scrapbooking process simple and easy, which in turn can save you a lot of time.

Printables are versatile. When you use a printables sheet, you can select to use each element on the page to give a cohesive look to the page. Or you can pick and choose from the provided mats, and mix them with other printables. Many printables sheet can also serve double duty for digital scrapbooking, which is a great option if you take part in both types of scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking printables are available from many different sources. There are a wide variety of free printables available online that can be found through Internet searches. You can also purchase printables packs from online retailers. For those of you who are more creative, you can even create printable elements using a program like Adobe Illustrator. If you have a scanner, you can also scan in elements from your scrapbook collection to duplicate. The possibilities are endless!

Using printables in your scrapbooking is extremely easy. If you use 8 X 12 albums, you can often find full-page layouts that you can print off on cardstock, attach your photos and instantly have a completed layout. For embellishment printables, you print out the sheets on heavy paper or cardstock and then cut out the elements and attach them to your page. Using lettering printables works in the same way. You can also try using your printable files with clear sticker paper for more ease of use. Make sure to use acid-free paper with all of your printables to protect your photos.

Printables can add a whole new dimension to your scrapbooking, and can help bridge the gap between digital scrapbooking and physical scrapbooking. They can give you more control over your layouts and give you endless options for customizing your designs. If you're not using printables now, hopefully we've inspired you to make this versatile tool a part of your scrapping habit!

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