Digital scrapbooking has fast become a viable and popular option to the customary “cut and paste” craft. While it still takes imagination and creativity, the process of producing a finished product can be more forgiving. Scanners and computer graphic software have replaced traditional tools, like scissors and glue. On the downside, if you were starting from scratch, digital scrapbooking would be a much more expensive prospect if you had to go out and purchase a computer and all the peripheral hardware that you’ll require. At that point, scissors, glue and some creativity don’t seem like such a bad alternative.

Now that the computer has become commonplace, along with scanners, high-quality printers and digital cameras, digital scrapbooking has become a practical option. Graphic software is also something that users are becoming more comfortable with – especially when the software has been developed specifically for the scrapbooking enthusiast.

A lot of very good graphic software packages come with libraries of images and clip art that can assist the user with choices for backgrounds and other embellishments on the page. For those who are in need of a bit of a creative kick-start, some packages will offer pre-designed templates as a starting point. With these professionally developed layouts, all one needs to do is add photos and maybe a bit of text and you’ve got a polished product that looks like it took hours to design and assemble. You’ll find that such templates usually allow for customization so that if you want to change a particular colour, to match an item in a photo for example, you can adjust elements of the template to give it a more cohesive look. You may find that in flipping through a library of templates, you’ll find elements from some that you’d prefer to incorporate into others. That’s where the beauty of digital scrapbooking really begins to shine. It’s an easy exercise to Copy & Paste items from one template to another, and reposition, resize, recolor (to your heart’s content), etcetera, until you’ve achieved a look that you’re happy with. You can also do this with scissors and paper – but only once!

Better quality graphics packages will also allow you to adjust the overall transparency of an image. If you want to dress up a stock library background and give it a slightly richer look, you could copy a second background image on top of it and adjust the transparency of the copied image so that it’s barely perceptible. The resulting image will look more visually interesting with a bit of extra texture without the viewer being aware of how it was constructed. Try doing that with paper.

Another key element that can make a huge difference to a page is text. And it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Thoughtful selection of typeface plays a key roll in keeping with the overall theme of your page. A calligraphic script font can add elegance to a wedding theme. An informal italic can be perfect for a travel piece and a clean sans serif makes for an easy read if you’ve got a lot of text on the page. There are literally thousands of typefaces to choose from, and if you’re lucky enough to have a graphics package that comes with a large selection of fonts, your only challenge is going to be making a decision as to what to use. Don’t make the mistake of going overboard and using a lot of different type faces on one page (unless you really want it to look like a ransom note!). Not only do you have control over your choice of font, you also can play with colour, point size, and (if you’ve either got a really good graphics package or a lot of patience) arrangement of the text. There’s no reason text has to follow a straight line – you can lay it out in a sweeping curve or arrange it to fit around photos or other objects on the page. You can also add another layer of texture by adding a drop shadow to make the text look like it’s lifting off the page.

Photos always add to the appeal of a page, and pictures with people are always the most interesting. Once you start working with photos on your computer, you’ll soon realize that photo editing software will be a useful addition to your suite of software. High end packages like Corel PhotoPaint or Adobe Photoshop can handle anything you’ll want to throw at them, but they can be expensive investments and time consuming to learn. You might want to start off with something more elementary, like the bitmap (photo) editing software that comes with your operating system or an office software suite. Most digital camera manufacturers supply software with their products to allow you to transfer images from your camera to your computer, and in the process give you some control over brightness, contrast, colour correction, orientation, etc. You may even be provided with some basic retouching capabilities like red eye reduction and cropping.

One important point to remember is that your camera is probably generating files that are much higher resolution than you’ll require on your page layout. A six mega pixel camera is capable of reproducing an excellent image at 8×10 inches, but if you’re going to take that same photo and lay it out as a smaller 4×5 inch image in your scrapbook – it’s actually one quarter of it’s intended size, and should therefore also be one quarter of the original file size. This is a process called re-sampling (which I’ll explain in detail in another article). If you don’t resample your image down to a smaller file size (especially if you intend on putting 3 or 4, or more, images on one page), you’re going to end up with a file of your page layout that is so huge, that you’ll probably gag your printer when you try to run a hardcopy. The print file will be so large that your printer will most likely not have enough memory to handle printing the entire image and may either refuse to print anything, or only print out a portion of the image on the page and then just stop. But, if you do it right, you page will be a thing of beauty!

One last point: once you’ve printed out your page, there’s nothing stopping you from adding even more dimension to it by framing it using traditional scrapbook methods of layering materials and fasteners. Digital scrapbooking can add a whole new dimension of creativity to a project. Just as with traditional scrapbooking, start easy and get used to the tools you have at your command before taking on a mammoth project – and then go wild!
About the Author

Bob Boyce is a regular contributor to Hooked
on Scrapbooking, an online resource offering you information, guidance and
terrific prices on scrapbooking equipment, gifts, and services at http://www.scrapbookingsuppliesandideas.com.

Businesses that have undergone the process of registering, training and certifying as ISO 9000 compliant will tell you that it is nothing short of tiresome. From attempting to decipher the complex language of the manuals to the actual implementation of the ISO 9000 standards, the entire process can be overwhelming to unsuspecting managers.

Over 300 software solutions are available for guidance on the process. These programs generally assist in the creation, implementation and management of the quality control system. In addition, hundreds of consulting firms exist throughout the world and offer ISO 9000 solutions. Either of these options can help you begin the difficult process of ISO 9000 certification.

Experts have estimated that it takes approximately 7-10 months to read and understand the complex ISO 9000 manual. In addition to the time it takes to actually read through the manual, companies should take into consideration the cost of the auditor’s visit. You certainly want to make sure you understand what is expected of you before you dish out upwards of $10,000 for the auditor. If you are not prepared at the time of the auditor’s visit, he or she will certainly be happy to come back for a second round. However, this will cost your company even more money and can quickly become a very expensive process.

Companies offering ISO 9000 solutions can help your company to save time and money. By helping you with the entire process, from understanding the training manuals to grilling you on issues that the auditor will cover, you can expect big savings and a much less daunting process. If your company needs ISO 9000 help, you should consult with a specialist.

Many good resources on ISO 9000 are available through the web. An excellent book is ISO 9000 Answer Book by Rob Kantner. This book is written in plain English that is easier to read and understand than the complex certification manuals, and offers assistance with ISO 9000 solutions. The book covers the details of some of the most frequently asked questions from companies around the world. ISO 9000 Answer Book is an excellent resource for both novices and those experienced in the ISO 9000 process.
About the Author

ISO 9000 Info provides detailed information about ISO 9000 standards, software, consulting, help, and solutions. ISO 9000 Info is affiliated with Business Plans by Growthink.