Getting started
Digital scrapbooking glossary
When you start a new hobby, it often feels like learning a new language. Digital scrapbooking has its own specific vocabulary for files, page parts and techniques. This glossary explains the most common terms you will see as you browse for supplies and read tutorials. Understanding these words makes it easier to follow instructions and find exactly what you need for your layouts. Keep this list handy as you build your first pages and explore different ways to craft on your computer.
Digital scrapbooking supplies
When you first start, you might wonder what exactly comes in a download file. The items you use to build your pages are your supplies. As you download free kits, you will quickly build a collection of items to use on your pages. These terms describe the basic building blocks of digital crafting. You will see these words used frequently in shop descriptions and on forums.
- Stash: your collection of supplies.
- Kit: coordinated papers and elements in one theme.
- Element or embellishment: a decorative item with a transparent background such as a tag, button or flower.
- Alpha: short for alphabet, a set of letter images.
- Brad: a small round metal fastener; digital brads imitate it.
- Word art: decorative text as an image.
Page parts and layout types
A finished page is made of many different pieces stacked together. You can build a page from scratch or use pre-made files to speed up the process. Understanding these terms will help you learn layout design basics and follow along with tutorials. When you look at a completed layout in a gallery, you are seeing all these individual parts working together to tell a story.
- Layout (LO): a finished scrapbook page.
- Layer: one item in a stack of items that make up a page.
- Mat: paper behind a photo that frames it.
- Journaling: the written story on a page.
- Cluster: a group of elements placed together.
- Pocket page: a page divided into pockets for photos and cards.
- Template: a layered layout with shapes to fill.
- Quick page (QP): a finished page with holes for photos.
Techniques and crafting methods
Crafters use specific techniques to arrange their pages and combine digital and physical supplies. These terms describe how you put your layouts together. Learning how to use a clipping mask is especially helpful when you work with templates. You can read more about how this works in our guide with clipping masks explained. If you prefer to mix digital and physical crafting, you might enjoy digital vs paper vs hybrid scrapbooking.
- Scraplift: borrowing the design of another page.
- Clipping mask: a way to show one layer only inside the shape of the layer below.
- Hybrid: printing digital supplies and using them in paper crafts.
Files, sizes and printing
Digital scrapbooking relies on specific file types and sizes to ensure your pages print clearly. It helps to know the difference between image formats when you organize your stash. The standard digital scrapbook page is 12 x 12 inches at 300 pixels per inch (ppi). This means your blank canvas will be 3600 x 3600 pixels. When you look at your downloaded files, papers are JPG files. Elements and alphabets are transparent PNG files. The transparent background allows you to stack elements over your papers without a white box showing around them. If you want to learn more about saving your work, read our guide on PNG vs JPG.
- 300 ppi: the usual print resolution; a 12 x 12 inch page is 3600 x 3600 pixels.
- PNG: an image format with transparency.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a template and a quick page?
A template is a layered file where you clip your own papers and photos to the shapes provided. You can move the layers around and customize everything. A quick page is a single flat image with transparent holes cut out for your photos. You simply place your photo under the quick page layer and save it. Quick pages are faster, but templates offer more control.
Why are my elements saved as PNG files instead of JPG?
Elements and alphabets must have a transparent background so they look like real physical items when you place them on your page. The PNG file format supports transparency. If an element is saved as a JPG file, it will have a solid white or black box around it. Papers are always square and do not need transparency, so they are saved as JPG files to keep the file size smaller.
How do I know if my layout is the right size for printing?
The standard digital scrapbook page is 12 x 12 inches. To print clearly, the file needs a resolution of 300 ppi. This means your document should measure exactly 3600 x 3600 pixels. If you start your page with these dimensions, it will print perfectly at 12 x 12 inches or smaller sizes like 8 x 8 inches.