I love to scrapbook, and the value in organizing and creating beautiful pages to me is a must, but with so many beautiful papers, and elements available today, I quickly realized that scrapbooking can turn into a very expensive hobby. With only one trip to the scrapbook store, I learned that in order to keep up with scrapbooking, I would need a huge budget, as well as containers and storage space to hold my projects, papers, glue, scissors and all the other elements needed in creating these lovely pages by hand. I also realized that when I wanted to make multiples of the same pages to share with others, it became a time consuming and expensive venture, instead of the fun, labor of love I had intended. I determined that there had to be a better and cheaper way to scrapbook.

I began looking into digital scrapbooking, and soon found the solution for making scrapbooking affordable. I am not saying that there isn't an expense incurred in the process, but the cost, storage and mess is so much less than what I was doing with paper and physical elements that I quickly saw the value of being converted to digital scrapbooking.

I liked the idea of being able to change the colors, crop and size my photos, and so much more, by using photo editing software. I began to understand the endless possibilities for creating one-of-a-kind projects, then being able to share them with others without any additional cost. I also understood that the greatest cost of digital scrapbooking came from the software, so I experimented with several different graphic design programs before I found the two that were most compatible with my needs. I became a digital convert, and from that moment on, I have truly enjoyed this wonderful and fulfilling hobby.

Digital scrapbooking is essentially creating beautiful page layouts, using desktop publishing programs. It involves photo editing, adding digital elements that include papers, clip art, borders, frames, templates and so much more. Just about anything you can find on the Internet can be used in digital scrapbooking unless it is under copyright. All of these elements combined, are not only organized on the computer but saved and stored in files on your computer, as well. No filing cabinets, drawers, or tubs and storage containers are needed in creating digital pages, which virtually eliminates the clutter and mess normally made working with physical elements.

When you are ready to print your digitally created scrapbook pages or other digital projects, you have so many choices of ways to print. Some include printing full 12" x 12" pages or size them to smaller sizes to fit in any size scrapbook. Photo books are another wonderful option, and become family treasures, that can be recopied over and over. Printing your pages on a calendar to enjoy all year round is another way to display your digital scrapbooking pages. You can also display your pages on your blog, enabling others to share your creations, and even print their own copies from your blog. I have even seen scrapbook pages printed onto fabric and made into beautiful keepsakes in the form of photo quilts and wall hangings. When you're creating digitally, the only limits on what you can do are based on your abilities and imagination.

The cost of desktop publishing or scrapbooking programs vary as do the skill level necessary to use them, but the time you spend learning the programs will be so enjoyable, and you will see more applications for your investment than just scrapbooking by hand. Many desktop publishing programs come loaded with digital elements readily available for use in your projects. There are also countless sites and designers online, who offer free samples that you can download and store on your computer for your personal use. These designers and digital scrapbooking stores have countless other digital kits, papers and elements in all colors and themes, and are available for purchase, but once you have purchased anything digital, it is yours to keep and use as often as you like.

There will always be a cost associated in the printing of your digital scrapbook projects, whether at home from your own printer, or sending your projects to be printed professionally. I have found that Costco and Walmart Photo Centers can usually accommodate most of my projects, and their prices are generally the lowest of other printing stores. They not only print a variety of sizes of photo pages, but also offer to print your pages into beautiful hard or soft bound photobooks. Once created, photobooks can be reprinted over and over to share with others. The cost of reprinting a scrapbook page or photo book is so much less than having to buy duplicates of all the paper and elements, then taking the time to remake each page.

There are a lot of online photo book publishing companies. Some of them, such as Shutterfly, Snapfish and others, will offer specials of up to 50 percent off the normal publishing price, and sometimes will offer free books, or a buy-one-get-one-free offer, which is a huge savings.