How to Make and Create Digital Scrapbooking Paper using Adobe Photoshop

Making your own digital decorative paper allows more creativity and customization of your scrapbooking projects. Digital paper can be created with the use of an image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop, and basic knowledge of Photoshop is all that is needed. You can design very simple decorative paper by choosing your own paper, fonts and decorative clip art and images and printing them on your choice of decorative papers. Follow these steps in Photoshop to create decorative paper in any design you like.

Internet access

Adobe Photoshop

Decorative paper

Inkjet printer

Search the internet for free downloadable clip art images you want to use to decorate your paper with borders and backgrounds. Search for websites that are reputable and allow free use of their royalty-free designs. Create and name a folder for the designs on your computer, and download your images from the website to the folder.

Open Adobe Photoshop and click "File" and then "New" from the drop-down menu. Under "Width" type "8.5" and select "inches" from the drop-down. Under "Height" type "11" and select "inches" from the drop-down. Under "Resolution" type "300" and select "pixels/inch" from the drop-down. Under "Background Contents" select "White" from the drop-down. Click "OK". A new document window will open.

Select "File" and then "Open" from the drop-down menu. Locate an image that you downloaded and placed in a folder from the drop-down. Click on the image and then click "Open". Click on the "Move tool", click on your image, and drag the image into the document window you created.

Select the "Move tool" to move the image into place in your layout. You can change the size of the image by placing the cursor over the corner of the image until you see a double arrow, holding down the "Shift" key, dragging the image to size, and then clicking the "Move tool" again. When the dialog box opens click "Apply".

Add text to your design by clicking on the "Horizontal Type Tool" and clicking on the document window. Select a decorative font from the "Font" dropdown menu, and then select a font size from the "Font Size" dropdown. Then type your text, and use the "Move Tool" to move the text into position.

Repeat steps 3 through 5 to add more images and text to your design.

Save your document by selecting "File" and then "Save As". Choose the folder you want to save your document to from the drop-down, name the file under "File Name", and choose "Photoshop PSD" under the format drop-down. Click "Save". The PSD format will allow you to open your document and edit and change it in the future.

Place your paper in the inkjet printer. In Photoshop select "File" and then "Print". In the printer dialog box select your printer and select "Scale to Fit Media". Click "Print" to print your decorative paper.

If you cannot locate free clipart that you like, decorative images and clip-art can be purchased from many photo and image websites for a small fee per image.

Decorative papers in an 8 1/2" x 11" size can be purchased at office supply and craft stores.

Your images and text will all be placed on separate layers, which can be viewed in the layer palette. Each layer is on top of one another, and you can move the layers by clicking on the layer and dragging it up or down in the palette.