Photography 101

Lesson 3: Lesson 3: Planning Your Album

Section 2: Paper Shopping

Scrapbook albums come in all different sizes. 12 x 12, 8 ½ x 11, and 3 ½ x 5 were once the most common options, but in the last few years many other size options are exploded on the market. There are now literally limitless size options for scrapbook albums.

Scrapbook paper comes in two sizes: 12 x 12 and 8 ½ x 11. If you choose a post-bound album, the 12 x 12 or 8 ½ x 11 sizes choice will alleviate a lot of cutting. Any other size album will require cutting the paper down—regardless of what size you purchase. Strap-hinge albums are not true 12 x 12 or 8 ½ x 11 either, so you will have to trim your background paper down slightly.

Initially, you would find me in a scrapbook store oohing and ahhing over paper and simply buying what I thought was pretty. Later, you’d find me sitting that the worktable trying to fit my pictures onto my supplies. These days, I always take my pictures with me to the store. I can easily lay a picture on a piece of paper and see if the paper takes away from the picture or enhances it.

Armed with your pictures, head to your scrapbook supply vendor of choice. No doubt the storeowner will be more than happy to help you pick things out. But, more often than not, you will find that your eye is drawn naturally to the paper and color combinations correct for the photos. If you really don’t trust your own judgment, take a trusted friend along, or rely on the shopkeeper’s advice from the onset.

There is no hard and fast right or wrong approach to picking out paper, but here are a few guidelines:

1. Patterns—Pay close attention. Do they complement the focus of the photo or detract from it?
2. Color—You may chose the dominant color of your photograph, or you may chose a background color you’d like to pull out. Either way, be sure that whatever colors you use compliment the photograph, not overpower it. Experiment with how different colors can make the same photograph look very different.
3. Feeling—What kinds of feelings does the paper itself evoke? And, are those feelings in conflict with the layout you envision or the theme of the picture?

Once you have your background paper, you will need to choose solid cardstock to mat your photos in. Choose colors that complement your background will work best. Experiment to see what color looks best with your photos. Should you find that a color to complement your background paper, but does not work well with your pictures don’t fret. You can easily double or triple mat your photos, placing the color that doesn’t complement your picture as the bottom mat and choosing a more complementary color to use as the mat directly under your photo.

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