Digital scrapbooking on an iPad or phone

Why tablets and phones work for scrapbooking

A standard digital scrapbook page is 12 x 12 inches at 300 pixels per inch. This equals a 3600 x 3600 pixel file. While working with images this large used to require a desktop computer, modern mobile devices have plenty of power to handle them.

Tablets offer a very tactile experience for digital crafting. You can physically tap, pinch, and drag your photos and embellishments into place. Using a stylus or just your finger makes placing elements feel very natural.

Phones have smaller screens, but they are still capable of running the same powerful apps. This means you can start a page on your tablet at home and add journaling on your phone while waiting in line.

Apps to try

You need an app that supports layers and image placement. Two popular options work very well on mobile devices.

Canva runs as an app on iPad, iPhone, and Android devices. It offers the exact same frames and uploads as the desktop version. If you are new to the app, you can read our guide on how to scrapbook in Canva.

Procreate is an iPad only app available as a one time purchase. It features robust layer support and allows you to use clipping masks for your photos. You can learn more about this technique in our guide to clipping masks explained. Procreate also lets you add drop shadows to your elements. You can paint them by hand or make them by copying the element layer, darkening it, and blurring the edges. Read more about how to add realistic drop shadows to make your pages look great.

Getting supplies onto your device

Digital scrapbooking supplies usually come in compressed folders. You need to extract the individual images before you can use them in your app. Digital papers are JPG files, while elements and alphabets are transparent PNG files. You can learn more about these formats in our guide to PNG vs JPG.

Here is how to get your files ready for crafting:

• Download the compressed kit file to your device.
• Open the Files app on an iPad or iPhone, or open a file manager app on Android.
• Tap the compressed file to unzip the kit.
• Move the extracted JPG and PNG files to a folder where your scrapbooking app can find them.

If you need more help with this process, check out our tutorial on how to download and unzip a kit.

Performance tips for older devices

Large 3600 pixel papers use a lot of memory. If you have an older iPad or phone, your device might slow down or crash when working with many layers. There are a few easy ways to improve performance.

First, try to limit the number of layers in your project. Merge layers together once you are happy with their placement. For example, you can merge a flower, a leaf, and a button into a single cluster layer.

Second, consider working at a smaller size. Instead of the standard 12 x 12 inches, you can create your pages at 8 x 8 inches. This equals 2400 pixels at 300 pixels per inch. A 2400 pixel file requires much less memory and will still look great if you print it at 8 x 8 inches. You can read more about page sizes and printing to decide what works best for your device.

Export and backup

Once your layout is finished, you need to save it properly. Your scrapbooking app will save the working file, but you also need a flat image file to print or share.

Export your completed pages as either a JPG or a PNG file. A JPG file is usually smaller and perfect for printing or sharing online. A PNG file is larger but preserves maximum quality.

Mobile devices can get lost or broken, so backing up your work is crucial. Do not leave all your finished layouts sitting only in your tablet storage. Back them up to a computer or upload them to a cloud storage service. Getting into a regular backup routine ensures your digital scrapbooking pages are safe for years to come.