Elements of the Scrapbooking Page

Scrapbooking pages are comprised of four components: photograph(s), a title, journaling (which may include a date), and embellishments. Not every layout will have all of these components, though. It’s up to you to include elements as they relate to your story.

Photographs

Generally speaking, photographs are the visual emphasis of your page. Many photographic elements can affect the overall look and feel of your scrapbook. For instance, you can choose an enlarged print to make a statement or show several photos to depict multiple aspects of an event. Black-and-white photos can give your scrapbook a different mood than color ones, and a single photo can be more provocative than several of the same subject.

Title

A title states the theme of your layout, lets the viewer know what to expect, and/or connects a photo to the journaling. A title can be large and bold or small and barely noticeable. It can be at the top of the page or in a more unexpected place, such as the corner or vertically down the middle. Or you can choose not to include a title at all.

Journaling

Like titles, journaling—random or focused writing throughout the page—can be prominent, subtle, or omitted entirely. Thoughtful journaling can add a lot of meaning to photos. For instance, a photo of your mother is significant on its own, but incorporating journaling that explains how much she means to you can make even more of an impact. If the title says it all, you may want to skip journaling altogether.

You may also choose to add a date to the page—a good idea even if you’re including no other journaling. You can choose the date on which the photo was taken (if it’s relevant to your story) or the date on which you created the page or wrote the journaling.
Embellishments

Embellishments

Embellishments are the decorative accents and creative techniques that reinforce the rest of the page (for more about embellishments, see Scrapbooking Tools and Supplies). When making the decision to add an embellishment to your page, ask yourself: does it complement the story? Is its position pleasing? Does its color coordinate with other colors on the page? Is the scale right? Embellishments should add to the page, not distract the eye.