A Book Review: Digital & Hybrid Scrapbooking

This is a book review that I wrote for Craft Critique.  It appeared on that blog last week.

If you have ever thought about doing anything with Photoshop Elements, you must buy Patty Debowski’s book, Digital & Hybrid Scrapbooking & Card-Making with Photoshop Elements. 

It’s a long and inelegant title, but this is the first book I’ve ever seen that covers absolutely everything in plain English.
The monster manual-style book (it’s 384 pages) comes with a DVD, which is packed with digital elements, actions, brushes, and coupons for lots and lots of discounts.  In her introduction to the book, Patty writes, “Learning to digi-scrap, for me, was a very long and frustrating experience.  I spent many hours surfing the web and reading anything on the subject I could get my hands on….After buying every book available on Photoshop Elements, I finally found a Photoshop Elements Adult Education class.  The books and class taught me how to edit my photos and make slide shows, not how to make a scrapbook page or a card.”  Thus, this book was born.

Here’s what you’ll find in the book:

•    Beautiful color screen shots.

•    Easy to follow step-by-step directions.

•    A comprehensive index.

•    Keyboard shortcuts.

•    A scrapbooker’s perspective.

The book is divided into the following sections:

•    Questions Every new Digi-Scrapper Has

In this section, Patty covers topics such as “Why Photoshop Elements” or “If You’re Using a Mac.”

•    Getting Started

Patty covers the basics on installing Photoshop Elements.

•    Equipment

Patty covers Cameras, Computers, Scanners, Printers, and Wacom Tablets.

•    Organizing Your Photos, Digi-Kits, Ideas, Time & Extras

This is just what the title describes.

•    The Really Technical Stuff

In my opinion, this is the beginning of what sets Patty apart from other authors.  She explains it all: “What’s a Pixel?”  “How Big Are My Images?”  “How Do I Resize a Scrapbook Page To Upload To A Online Gallery?”  And so on.

•    The Photoshop Elements Editor

This section is all about shortcuts.

•    Tools, Commands, & Tips

Sections in this chapter include “Tools That Move You Around” and “Tools That Make Shapes.”  Patty really thinks the way a scrapbooker does and so each chapter is organized that way.  And it’s great as a reference book because I can just look up, “Tools That Erase” or whatever else I’m having an issue with.

•    Layers

Patty covers absolutely everything you would ever want to know about layers in this chapter, from linking layers to clipping masks.

•    Filters & Blending Modes

Through lots of helpful screenshots, Patty shares what every single Filter and Blending Mode in Photoshop Elements does!

•    Fixing Your Photos Quickly

This is a very brief section on the “Quick Fix” feature in Photoshop Elements.

•    Design, Color, & Journaling

This is a brief overview of some common sense design principles and contains some helpful links to a variety of scrapbooking and card-making sites.

•    How to Do The Basics

As you might expect, this section covers how to create a basic scrapbook page or card.

•    Templates

This sections opens with “What is a Template?” and continues by explaining how templates work, how to create a template, how to use various templates, etc.

•    Cool Stuff to Do With…

Love the title of this section!  Basically, Patty covers, “Cool Stuff to Do With Text, Shapes & Mats” – such as multi-colored text and embossing words in a photo – “Cool Stuff to Do With Brushes” – such as make your own brushes and how to make a rubber stamp looking brush – “Cool Stuff to Do With Color” – such as change a color photo to black and white and tinting a photo – “Cool Stuff to Do With Photos” – such as change your photo into a puzzle and how to make a magazine or book cover.

•    Shopping, Downloading, & Installing

Among other things, Patty takes you through the various steps involved in downloading scrapbook kits and installing them on your computer.

•    Printing Your Pages & Cards

Patty reviews the pros and cons of printing at home or commercially.

For the sake of full disclosure, I feel that I should share that this book was sent to me by Patty when I became a member of the Scrapbook Dimensions Magazine Dream Team.  I already knew the basics of digi and hybrid scrapbooking, but she really took my work to a whole other level.  I use this book as a desktop reference and whenever I get stuck, I use the index to un-stick myself. 

Patty has a great website and she offers free weekly tips and tricks on the Scrapbook Dimensions blog.

I highly recommend Digital & Hybrid Scrapbooking & Card-Making With Photoshop Elements ($39.99).  It is the most comprehensive digi-scrapping book I have ever read. 

Here are a few digi pages that I recently created: