the conversation continues...

"There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for. And questions are the breath of life for a conversation."
                                                    James Nathan Miller

• Laura asks: I'm new to digital photography and digital scrapbooking (have done the "traditional" scrapbooks for years). Can you recommend the best way to organize the photos and which is one of your favorite photo software programs? It's overwhelming at first, but I can see becoming a digital scrapbooker!
  • Photo organization is always a challenge, for both digital and traditional scrapbookers. And for me, it extends beyond photos to all sorts of digital media files -- clip art, pre-designed elements, etc. For years I've used Extensis' Portfolio which has a robust set of features that allow me to catalog my files anywhere (even offline) then quickly search for the element I need. It runs on both Mac and Windows platforms and there's a 30 day free trial version available at their website. If Portfolio's $200 price tag is more than you want to spend -- and if you're a Mac user -- then iPhoto is a great price-performer. Sorry, but I don't know much about what's available on for Windows users. As far as photo imaging software, I strongly recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements -- especially for beginning digital users. It's a great intro to the Photoshop world at a reasonable price. My book comes with a 30 day trial version of Elements 3.0.

• Karen asks: Do you have a favorite software program you use for digital scrapbooking? For someone new to digital scrapbooking, is it complicated or time-consuming to learn? What printer, photo paper, inks do you recommend? Thank you for spending your time doing this chat!
  • While Adobe Photoshop Elements is perfectly fine for digital scrapbook page design, I use Photoshop CS2. It has a more robust feature set which I need when I'm designing backgrounds and page elements. One of the reasons I wrote my book was to give beginning digital users a way to learn while designing pages. Throughout the writing process I tried to think from a beginner's perspective. And the people at Simple Scrapbooks had non-digital users test every single exercise. Use an Epson 2200 wide-carriage which I've had for several years. It isn't the latest model but it still works for me. I also use Epson papers and inks because I find I get the best results from them. Here are my favorite papers and how I use them:
    
    • Epson Professional Premium Enhanced Matte - For backgrounds and sometimes, even, for complete page layouts. I love the weight and sheen on this paper.
    • Epson Professional Premium Lustre Photo - I love this for printing photos I intend to mount on a page.
    • Epson Professional Semi-Gloss Photo - I only use this occasionally when I want a little extra gloss. I never use glossy paper because I don't like glare and cannot control the viewing conditions to eliminate it.
    • Epson Photo Quality - A lighter weight paper I occasionally use for card inserts and other unique projects.
    • Inkjet vellum - You can buy this in small packs from Office Depot or Staples or you can order bulk quantities (I do) online from Paper Access in New York City.
    • Anyone's inkjet acetate film - I'm adding this as an overlay element more and more these days. I love adding type treatments this way.

• Pam asks: Do you miss the "bumpy" texture of paper scrapping?
  • I love the way you worded this! :D  I don't miss it because I still have it whenever I want. I frequently "construct" my pages -- either from individual digital elements I've printed or by combining digital pages with traditional embellishments. Just yesterday I received a box of traditional goodies from Simple Scrapbooks I can't wait to dive into. If you're a digital scrapper today, try creating a page layout with just the background and photo mats printed, then mount your photos and add your favorite traditional elements. Do your journaling on a contrasting paper or cardstock and mount those, too. I think you'll wind up with a nice "bumpy" page.

• Judy asks: How do you find specific very basic instructions for using a particular program--programs don't seem to come with written manuals anymore.
  • I always find that even if the software comes with a manual I have to supplement with something that meets my own needs. I've been using Photoshop so long that whenever a new version comes out I just read the "What's New" section then dive in. But when I first learned the Adobe products I began with their excellent "Classroom in a Book" series. I think they're comprehensive and very well-written. They've got one for Adobe Photoshop Elements, too. Other helpful additions are:
    • Scott Kelby's Down & Dirty books for great quick tips and techniques
    • Ben Willmore's studio books where I always learn something new to improve my workflow.
    • Wow! books by Jack Davis & Linnea Dayton for more in-depth techniques

• mswhizz asks: Do you find digital scrapbooking to be cost effective? I worry that the amount of ink used will make the cost of printing pages prohibitive.
  • Love the moniker, mswhizz! :D  You make an excellent point, too. I haven't done a cost study on this so I don't know if the cost of a single digitally-printed page is more than a pre-printed background page. Perhaps I need to do a bit of research and see what I can find out. Thanks for the idea!

That's it for today. And don't forget, you can add questions by clicking the comments button at the bottom of this or any post. I'll add your question to the list.

later...