Lifestyle Digital Scrapbooks for Every Generation 1/21/2022 | By John Levan Whether you’re a senior looking for an indoor project or someone who wants to provide a memory book for a loved one in a senior community, you should consider the newest method for creating photo albums and scrapbooks. It’s called digital scrapbooking (digi scrapping, for short). It has a lot in common with paper scrapbooking, except you won’t be using paper, scissors, and glue to display your memories – and you won’t have a mess to clean up when you’re through. But more importantly, you can easily share your finished product with lots of people, near and far – no printing or postage required. No experience? No problem! Even without technical skills, you will be creating beautiful images in no time at all. There is plenty of online support and tutorials to quickly get you up and running. Here are the details on this modern method of organizing your memories. What are digital scrapbooks all about? Chances are, many of the images you get from friends and family today aren’t print copies but digital. You can’t just slip these memories into a photo album to flip through them when a nostalgic nerve strikes. But with digital scrapbooks, you can flip through your favorites on an electronic device – or you can create projects to be printed and enjoyed the old-fashioned way! You create a digital scrapbook page by putting together digital photographs, words, and graphics using a relatively simple software program to maneuver the items. Besides eliminating the tools and mess, you can’t make a mistake since the program allows for a “do-over” if you don’t like something. You can fine-tune colors, touch up photos, and reposition anything on the page as often as you like and no one will know. That’s because you’re using digital tools that provide a fresh look every time you use them. Another significant advantage of digital scrapbooking over paper is that your work will look new forever. Unlike traditional scrapbooks, the paper doesn’t weather, and your photos won’t fade. What do I need to get started? You can get started with a computer, digital photos, and a scrapbooking software program. Although you can choose from several programs, My Memories Suite offers a direct download (no physical disc required) so that you can get started immediately. Although the complete program is $40, you can download a free trial to help you decide if you like it. My Memories is a dedicated scrapbooking program, meaning that the software already includes an extensive selection of graphics and templates. So, within minutes, you could be creating your first scrapbook page. Other software options for digital scrapbooking Although current software options can be downloaded directly from the internet, some still offer downloads from discs. You can go for the full Monty with digital scrapbook software and you can use software that simply allows you to make the best of your digital images. Digital scrapbook software Forever Artisan 6: Artisan is comprehensive scrapbook software with a free interactive training guide. It is a bit pricey at $230, but it comes with many features and 15 digital art kits.Serif CraftArtist Compact: CraftArtist is scrapbooking software that’s free to download. However, purchasing the digi kits can get expensive. Photo editing software From beginner to advanced, photo editing software allows you to improve picture flaws or make great pictures even better, create photo slide shows, overlay text, and more. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2022: An excellent entry-level program for PC or Apple, Elements is an affordable program (around $100) that allows you to edit your photographs while providing online support. PaintShop Pro 2022: At just $80, PaintShop Pro for PC is an ideal program for beginning scrapbookers. It comes with easy-to-follow tutorials offering instructions on editing photos to match your tastes. Design fun beyond digital scrapbooks Digital scrapbooking has lots of potential. Some digi scrappers print their layouts and assemble them into albums, while others frame them. You can upload digital layouts to a blog or email them to family or friends. In addition to creating pages, you can use edited images make personalized cards, mugs, calendars, unique T-shirt designs, and more. These make excellent gifts, sure, but you might just want to use them for your own enjoyment! Digi scrapping is a clever way to capture your grandkids’ artistic creations without accumulating disorganized piles of paper or overloading the refrigerator. When it comes to recording your memories with digital scrapbooking, the only thing limiting you is your imagination. Read More John Levan Freelance writer John Levan focuses on insurance, finance, and manufacturing as well as senior living topics. Based in Pennsylvania, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Alvernia University and Master of Arts in humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills.