New to Digi scrap!!!

[serickson9]

Hello, my name is Shauna, And i am new to digi scrapooking. I have Photoshop 7.0 and i think i have stared at my computer for hours trying to figure out how to create a page. I have kits download which i have found and i have my pics all lined up that i want to use. If anyone knows how to use the program and can help giude to me make a page i would love it. Ive always wanted to do this and i cant for the life of me figure it out. SOmeone help me to make a creative page please.......

Sincerely,
stressed out:confused:

[BethyNixon]

Welcome Shauna!
First, DON'T STRESS! First thing, check out the New to Digital link at the top of the page (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/Scrapping101/basics.shtml). And, then, try some of the tutorials (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/tutorials/tutorials.shtml).

Then start asking questions when you get stuck! There's even a forum, just for beginners to ask questions, so ask away (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=31)!

Hang in there! Can't wait to see your first layout!

[CeeMJay]

Hi, Shauna! PS 7 is a great program—you'll have a wonderful time using it for scrapbooking. Are you already familiar with it for playing with photos or is it a new program for you? An easy way to get started is to choose a few of your pictures, choose and open any paper that compliments the colors in the photos. With the paper open, go to File > Image Size and see what the resolution is; it's usually 300dpi. Then open your first photo, go to File > Image Size, and check the photo resolution. If it's digital, it could be a huge print size (20x30") and low resolution (72dpi), or any other combination. Use small changes in the print size and resolution to make it a reasonable size to scrap (from wallet size up).

Use Save As to rename the newly-sized picture. Put it in a new folder with the name of the project. Then, just drag the photo from its open window to the paper window. Now save the Bg (background paper) and name it something easy to remember. You can now move the photo around, resize it, put a border around it, apply a Layer Style...anything you want. Each time you add a new paper or photo to the scrapbook page you'll see a new layer in the Layers Palette. Clicking on a layer makes it active so you can work on it. Clicking and dragging a layer changes its order in the stack. (It's like a stack of paper, except you can make some layers partly transparent, or erase some of it so you can see the layers underneath.)

The tutorials will help you figure out the basics, but if you can open Photoshop, you can get started right away. As long as you work on copies of the original photos and papers, you can't really mess anything up—that's the beauty of digital scrapbooking! You can almost always go back a few steps, save versions with different names (Birthday-layers; Birthday-text; Birthday-red-blue), or start over again with your time being the only thing invested.

There are galleries where you can post photos or LOs you want constructive criticism on (cc), and you can learn a lot from the comments and the galleries. (Just don't get too distracted so you never do your own LOs!) Post questions in the forums or with your LO or send someone a message. This is a very friendly and helpful site. Most of all, have fun, and get to work!

Chris

[pcards]

Figure out also what do you want to do with your pictures. Try to conceptualize your page. Then, you can start playing with your photos, this will bring out the creativeness in you. The tutorials that Bethy gave would be a great help to you.

[Meryl]

You have had good advice, you have an excellent program :) - let me welcome you to dsp and to digiscrapping!