How to use digital alphabets

What is in a digital alphabet

When you download alphabets for digital scrapbooking, you will notice they are not font files you install on your computer. A digital alphabet is a set of separate PNG files. You get one file for each letter, number, and punctuation mark.

These files have transparent backgrounds, which makes them easy to place over your photos and backgrounds. By contrast, digital scrapbooking papers are usually JPG files. Because each letter is an individual piece of art, you treat them just like regular embellishments.

You drag them onto your 12 x 12 inch canvas one at a time. A standard digital scrapbook page is 3600 x 3600 pixels, which prints at 300 pixels per inch. The alphabet files are already sized to look great on this standard canvas.

Building a word

To spell out a word, you need to open your software and bring in each letter individually. You will build your title letter by letter.

• Open your main scrapbook page document.
• Drag the first letter of your word onto the page.
• Drag the next letter onto the page.
• Continue until your whole word is spelled out.

Place letters one by one on separate layers. This gives you the freedom to move each piece around until it looks right. Once you have all the letters on your page, you will want to group or link the letter layers.

Linking the layers ensures the whole word moves and scales together. If you need to make the title smaller to fit a specific spot, resizing the linked group keeps the size the same across a word.

Spacing and alignment

Getting the spacing right makes your titles easy to read. Start by lining your letters up on a common baseline. You can use a guide rule in your software to help keep the bottoms of the letters straight.

Pay attention to the space between different shapes of letters. Letters with round sides, like O and C, can sit a little closer together. Letters with straight sides, like H and I, need a bit more breathing room. Adjusting the space between specific letters makes the whole word look balanced.

If you are learning how to make a scrapbook title, taking a moment to nudge individual letters left or right makes a big difference.

Playful arrangements and shadows

You do not always have to keep your letters perfectly straight. Overlap letters slightly or tilt a few for a playful look. This mimics the look of physical stickers or chipboard pieces placed by hand. Just remember to keep the size the same across a word so it remains readable.

You can also change the look of your letters if they do not match your layout. Letters can be recolored with the Hue/Saturation tool for a different palette. Read our guide on recoloring digital elements for the exact steps.

Finally, think about depth. Our alphabet letters include a soft shadow to help them stand out. You might need to add a little more shadow if you stack letters on a busy paper.

Mixing alphabets with fonts

A long title made entirely of alphabet graphics can feel heavy and take up too much space. A great design trick is to mix an alphabet for the main word with a font for the rest of the title.

For example, if your title is a long phrase, you could use a typed font for the smaller words and use your digital alphabet for the main subject. This creates a strong focal point on your page.

You can find free fonts for scrapbooking to complement your digital alphabets. Using a simple, thin font next to a chunky digital alphabet provides excellent contrast and keeps your layout looking neat.