Digital Supplies: The Holiday Album No. 1, MagicSprinklez No. 2, ArtPlay Palette Retro Holiday
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Hello Holiday Album 2011.
This is the first double page spread in my album.
Note. I always create the first page last when I have completed all pages in my album. This allows me to select the most fitting photos and create an introductory page that better reflects the contents of the finished book.
The aim. To create a quick simple album that provides focus on the photos and support them with notable details and a little art.
The process. I have chosen to create my pages in the order that they appear in the album. You have the choice to approach the album in a way that best suits your preference:
- Follow the order of the templates exactly as they appear in the album.
- Work on the themes as they inspire you.
- Select templates that best suit the orientation of your photos and mix/match/edit the title labels accordingly.
- Adopt a different process that works best for you.
The techniques. Repetition of basic techniques with slight variations creates a cohesive but interesting album or photobook.
1. Create a new layout. This layout should be able to accommodate 2 pages. If you are creating a 12 X 12 project your new canvas will be 24 X 12 inches at 300 DPI. If you prefer a smaller book, you will need to re-size each template from 12 X 12 inches to 8 X 8 inches and create a 16 X 8 inch canvas at 300 DPI. I like the larger size when working with a larger number of photos and reserve smaller sized albums for 1-3 photo layouts.
Open the 2 coordinating templates you want to work with and move the layers for each template onto the appropriate side of the new canvas. Both templates are now side-by-side as they would appear in the album. You may also wish to consult this tutorial.
2. Clip the photos you have organized by theme to the masks in the template. Notice that I have not edited my photos. This gives me more flexibility when I'm working with a photo on a layout. I also find batch editing both monotonous and time-consuming, and decided a long time ago I would rather use that time to create more pages.
When selecting a photo for each mask, consider the orientation of the photo in relation to the mask. For example, a portrait photo is better suited to a portrait style mask. I also prefer favorite or more meaningful photos to take center stage on layouts and therefore occupy the larger masks in the template.
3. Edit the photos using your preferred method. I usually run the NeatImage plugin from within Photoshop to reduce the noise in photos taken in low light. I also adjust the Curves (Image>Adjustments> Curves) to add light to my photos and improve contrast in color.
I am also a big fan of using a combination of color, and black and white photos. I like the contrast this creates in a photo collage and it's a great way improve the look of images with either a strong yellow cast or reduce the number of colors in a layout. Less is more.
4. Add embellishment and text. Introduce digital papers and clip them to any remaining masks in your layout and add a limited number of elements and/or transfers. You are aiming to strike the balance in adding enough to support your photos, but not so much that you end up overwhelming them.
I go-to formula looks a little like this: a couple of transfers behind the photos, 1-3 dimensional elements and a little bit of sparkle.
Next Tuesday. The Deliciousness (Page 4 and 5)
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After-Christmas SALE
By request I'm having an After-Christmas Sale on all my Christmas digital products to that you can stock up on all the products you might need for this project.
I'm offering a 30% discount on all my Christmas digital products beginning January 9, 2012 at Midnight EST through Januray 16, 2012 at Midnight EST.
This sale will run a little differently than previous sales. You will notice that all products on sale have been placed in a special Christmas Sale category. Please note that the discount on these products will only be visible after the item has been placed in the cart and you view cart.
Let me know if you have any questions.
