PDN for Digital Scrapbooking
PDN is short for Paint Dot Net, a FREE photo editing & image creating software.
The image in black & white, believe it or not, was simple to make. I think I combined a few of my kits (I tend to do that). It's also a 12" x 12". The average home printer can't print that size but a lot of photo book printing companies will. I have ordered photo books from Shutterfuly. Their prices were reasonable, the quality impressive, and customer service via "live chat" was amazingly supreme. Plus, they run specials and sales all the time.
Doing your own layouts from scratch, as opposed to using only selections from a photo book printing company, means you have more control over everything. For the black and white image, which looks extremely nice full size, all I did was use pre made images and scaled them down to fit nicely where I wanted them to go. Using Paint Dot Net makes that process easy. About as easy as for you to learn how to use your computer. Plus, with digital scrapbooking, you don't have a lot of clutter and mess -- only on your computer if you don't keep it organized : )
For the fall image, in many shades of orange and browns, I used a large beautiful fall desktop wallpaper for the background on this layout. I blended other images into it and added a pre-made digital scrapbook “Word Art” that I easily dragged down to the size I wanted then changed the color of it. In the large original it looks so much better, but, again, reducing these example images for use on this website will make them appear less vibrant and some shadow effects or shadow areas may look less attractive, but the actual large images are lovely, vibrant, and much more attractive.
I’m still hoping to find other people with more knowledge of PDN that give tutorials specifically aimed at the digital scrapbook community.
I would like to see a PDN digital scrapbook community with tutorials on layout techniques and creating actual scrap kits. Adobe isn't the only software who can accomplish beautiful results. However, in the world of digital scrapbooking, Adobe users offer an endless ocean of many organized and structured tutorials all over the net. It would be nice if PDN skilled users, who enjoy digi scrapbooking, would take an interest in doing that, too. Surely, I can't be the only one into digi scrapbooking who uses Paint Dot Net.
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In the image of the ocean with sea gulls, here is another common and basic technique; a larger image that is transparent, for dramatic purposes (top left corner of the layout) and the same couple in the actual normal looking photo framed below, not transparent. You get the idea. I also added the lyrics to a song. Everything has tied in to the theme nicely. Images and colors blend together well.
As you continue to do your own digi scrapbooking, sooner or later many will likely develop your own style.
This is an example of another 8" x 10", which I printed on my older home printer and put it in a very nice frame.
Do what inspires you. Digital scrapbooking can be relaxing, too. Practice using PDN and doing a few layouts when you won't have a million interruptions, if you can : ) I either welcome peace and quiet in the background or listen to some of my opera, classical, or Indie folk music collection when doing layouts.
The red layout with the dog in it was a 5" x 7" size layout. After I finished it I printed it out on my printer.
I generally don't like to use lengthy detailed layout. As you scour the net and see other layouts, you'll be blown away by how truly beautiful and artistic many are, but at the same time, for as additionally enhanced as some are, sometimes going overboard with numerous decorations, beautiful as many may be, can be very distracting to the eyes, taking focus away from the actual photograph.
As you begin searching for "freebies" (free digi scrap kits and accessories), while it's kind of fun and can be addicting, don't feel like you have to download every one you find. They can take up space on your computer as you begin collecting or buying them. Be choosey. Seek the nice "freebies" because many are out there and new ones will be uploaded to the internet every day.
Questions or comments may be directed to pdnscrapbooking @ gmail dot com (Due to spam everyone is sick of, I didn't write it the traditional way.)