What programs do you have?

[luvglobes]

I am starting to get a little now. I thought you need a separate program to play and make pages. Then now i'm getting the idea most just do there pages from adobe or paintshop right? I guess you take the classes and learn.
I'm using a 30 trial od adobe and i kinda have to try and just figure it on my own. ok, gonna go, hope someone replies. Been kinda quiet all weekend.

Thanks
Kim

[Vallie]

Hi Kim. It is a good idea to get the 30day trials for programs to see what suits you. I use Paint shop Pro 9 (Psp9). I downloaded a trial of PspXI recently and really loved it. There are some tutorials here for adobe programs like photoshop elements 3,4 or 5 and photoshop cs and cs2. I already knew Psp before I came here but I still learnt a great deal more and am still discovering things. Have a look in the Campus area and see if there is anything there to help get you started. http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/tutorials/tutorials.shtml

[Maikku]

I'm using PSPX I have PSE4 too but rarely use it. I started about a 1 1/2 years ago using PSP9 at first. There are a lot of tutorials out there for free you can just google them..... I also did all the tutorials here when I found this place.

[Karooch]

It comes down to what you prefer. I tried the trial versions of Paintshop and Photoshop and I opted for Photoshop Elements. It doesn't have all the capability of Photoshop CS but it has pretty much all I need to do what I want for scrapbooking. And I found the learning curve easier.

Once you've chosen your editing software you're on your way.
You can either design your pages from scratch (open a blank file and dump some colour into it to make a background paper) or get some premade embelishments and manipulate them. You can buy kits from the store or check out the Freebies section which has some lovely stuff to get you started.

I suggest you go to the Tutorials section (under Campus on the home page banner) and do a couple of the tutorials to learn how to do some layout creation and photo editing.

But the best teacher of all is to play around with your program and photos. And remember: The UNDO button is your best friend.

[jenaRN]

Lets see I started PSP 8, I think, since I had it already-used it for fixing red eye, etc mostly before printing my pictures for paper layouts. Then I stumbled apon DSP but was completely overwhelmed and really didn't know where to start. Then one day DSP sent me a questionaire about prices, etc. and if you participated you got a gift certificate. So I did and decided to take Emma's beginner PSP class. It was all down hill from there-I was SO hooked! I then tried the 30 day free trial of PSE and took Emma's beginner class for that. I eventually went ahead and bought PSE 3 and just kept on taking PSE classes here at DSP. Then last summer dh got PSCS2 and I keep taking classes as I have time-still have more I'd like to take. Up until recently I still had PSE on my laptop but had dh take it off since I haven't used it since getting PSCS2. So like others have said it's just a personal preference-some do use more than one program but I think most just use one. I would suggest taking advantage of the free trials most programs offer so you can see for yourself what you like and don't like about each. Best of Luck deciding!!

[KittyDog]

I have Adobe Photoshop 7 but I scrap in Microsoft's Digital Image Suite 2006. I just can't learn photoshop while my lovely child is screaming in the background and up and down off my lap. And now I have a jealous older dog and a puppy fighting over my lap. LOL

[cats4jan]

started when Digital Image Suite was called Picture It - moved on to greeting card programs - my favorite is Greeting Card Factory Deluxe by Nova - tried Printshop - Scrapbook Factory - and some other smaller programs - and now am a huge fan of Photoshop Elements 4.0.

I have always been in search of the perfect software, but find I'm partial to individual software for individual projects.

[carolyn d]

HI.. I use PSE 5. I downloaded the trial for PSCS2 and although I loved all it could do, I found the price tag a bit too steep (3 kids in college..need I say more.) I have been very happy with PSE5 and it fits my needs for photo editing and now scrapbooking. I suggest you do the free trial in conjuction with one of the beginner level PSE classes.Or the PSE tutorials. The classes,by the way,are awesome!!! Then you will really know if this is the program for you. And if not, you will have made some nice LOs!!!!

[luvglobes]

Thanks for your replys everyone! Your all so nice. So since I have the trial photoshop elements 5.0 I guess I'll take the class now. But I wonder if I should download paintshop too and play with that one? Would it be confusing to mess with 2?

(sigh) so many choices :)

[joannknnrd]

Thanks for your replys everyone! Your all so nice. So since I have the trial photoshop elements 5.0 I guess I'll take the class now. But I wonder if I should download paintshop too and play with that one? Would it be confusing to mess with 2?

(sigh) so many choices :)

You know, I think I would do 1 trial at a time! I would get confused trying to learn 2 types of software at once! I 'm using Digital Image Suite '06 and I own Photo Impact (haven't used it). DIS seems to fit my needs pretty well. It does have it's limits as far as making elements, but it's soooo user freindly!

[cats4jan]

Elements works so differently than any other program out there that trying another program while trying out Elements will confuse you big time. Elements is it's own animal - but once it clicks - it's the greatest I've found for manipulating graphics.