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Format Solutions

“A plan is well and good”, you say, “but what about me and my incredibly specific, special challenges?” This handout, an attempt at tackling some of the most common project hurdles, is for you.

I’ll share some of the ways I work around format- related obstacles or avoid encountering them altogether. Use these solutions as an eye-opening reference, during class and after.

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Problem: Feel Lost & Overwhelmed

When you feel buried by your project, take a moment to step back and take in the big picture perspective. Then use these tips to get out of the weeds on your specific project:

• Photo Books: Use the zoomed out view on your photo book software from time-to-time to get a birds-eye view.

• Mini Books: Spread out all the pages on a table so you can see how the book flows.

• Pocket Pages: Think in layers: page protectors + photos + filler cards + journal cards + journaling + embellishments.

• Layout Albums: Rely on your finishing framework to keep track of what’s left to do. Flip through often to see your progress and stay motivated.

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Problem: Can’t Fit it All

When you feel like there’s just two many stories, photos, and memorabilia to possibly complete a project, you can use less of it, expand your project, or both. Doing both can help you create a project that feels well-curated and full of white space.

• Photo Books: Get more of the story told with words to create space for larger photos that have a dramatic visual impact.

• Mini Books: Reducing the amount of supplies used on each page can create space for additional photos or journaling.

• Pocket Pages: Look at pocket pages as a slice of life, an opportunity to tell many smaller stories in the context of the whole.

• Layout Albums: Even if your primary approach is layouts, you can supplement those pieces with pocket pages, photo collages, and other inserts.

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Problem: Disorganized Photos

Photo management is a project unto itself, so this is not the time to tackle disorganization. Instead, try to look at it as a fun challenge to find a needle in the haystack. Focus on getting in and getting back out with what you need!

• Photo Books: To reduce the temptation of orga-nization, copy your project photos to a separate folder. (Delete the duplicate copies after.)

• Mini Books: Use the disorganization to your advantage, helping you select quirky photos that may not make it into other projects.

• Pocket Pages: You don’t have to pick the very best, more perfect images. Just pick some and call it a nice representation of that time period.

• Layout Albums: Select your photos for all of the layouts in this series and then ignore your photo library. Don’t go back and forth.

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Problem: Too Many Photos

Selecting photos for a project from many can feel par-alyzing. Whether your dealing with digital or physical prints the key is to use any means possible to catego-rize your images: stars, numbers, colors, tags, folders, envelopes, boxes, baggies, etc.

• Photo Books: When you’re using photo book soft-ware, it’s nice to have options. You don’t have to narrow down quite as much before starting.

• Mini Books: Map out the story you want to tell over the course of the book, then select images that are representative of each point.

• Pocket Pages: Choose photos that feel meaningful, including a mix of the great ones and poorly-lit, grainy ones.

• Layout Albums: Use a small selection of the very best photos and use words to tell the story.

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Problem: Choosing Photo Sizes

Once photos are selected for a project, determining what size to print each image can become an obstacle to finishing. Besides choosing digital pages, you can consider:

• Photo Books: This format offers the maximum flexibility, so you don’t need to make size choices in advance.

• Mini Books: Choose just one size of photo to use throughout the entire project.

• Pocket Pages: To reduce headaches about land-scape vs. portrait orientation, crop all portrait photos to landscape or print them as 3x4.

• Layout Albums: Designating a page sketch for each layout will help you print the right number of photos for each page. (If you already printed photos, remember that you don’t have to scrap-book all of them!)

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Problem: Planning for Memorabilia

If you have memorabilia gathered for a project, make sure to consider how you want to include it in your project (if at all). In some cases it may make the most sense to store your memorabilia separately.

• Photo Books: Don’t forget that you can scan or photograph memorabilia to include.

• Mini Books: Strategically consider what kind role you want memorabilia to play in this small format.

• Pocket Pages: To ensure memorabilia doesn’t get lose, use an extra pocket page as a holding area.

• Layout Albums: Make sure to consider whether any memorabilia will be included on a layout vs. being included in the album separately.

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Problem: Adding Memorabilia

I try to employ a “make it work” approach to memora-bilia, not stressing about needing to include a scan, a portion, or none at all. Here are some tips to simplify adding memorabilia to your project:

• Photo Books: Add memorabilia such as artwork to pages as a full bleed image to add a special touch.

• Mini Books: Include small pieces of memorabilia by adhering a small pocket inside the front or back cover.

• Pocket Pages: Don’t be afraid to fold or cut memo-rabilia so that it fits in a pocket.

• Layout Albums: In most cases, it’s easier to in-clude inserts for memorabilia in your album than it is to add it to a layout.

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Problem: Product Choice Paralysis

Auditioning and selecting products for a project can be time-consuming and distracting. This is why I almost always choose products in a separate sitting from actual scrapbooking. By making selections first, I can better use my time and stay focused on creating.

• Photo Books: When in double, choose white back-ground with words and photos.

• Mini Books: Create a kit of products that has everything you need and challenge yourself to use only that.

• Pocket Pages: Grab a handful of pocket cards and use only those for the page at hand. Don’t browse your entire stash to find the perfect card for each and every slot.

• Layout Albums: Prepare a small kit of supplies for each layout, choosing a few patterned papers and embellishments to get you started.

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Problem: Page Design Stress

Projects require consistent effort over time to com-plete. Don’t make the experience more complicated than it needs to be by attempting an original artwork with each page. Choose super simple designs and repeat them off for the easiest and best results.

• Photo Books: Use full bleed photos as often as you can to break up sections and highlight your best images.

• Mini Books: In a small format, you will likely see there are a limited number of options. Choose just 2 or 3 and repeat them.

• Pocket Pages: For maximum ease and efficiency, choose just one style of pocket page.

• Layout Albums: If your layouts are spread out within an album, you can easily get away with using variations on one composition.

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Problem: Writer’s Block

Journaling can stop even the most productive scrap-booker in her tracks, paralyzed by fear and insecurity. Focus on trusting that you know what to say and that your voice is only authentic one.

• Photo Books: Decide whether a smaller number of larger text blocks or a larger number of smaller text blocks feels less intimidating.

• Mini Books: Avoid handwriting anxiety by includ-ing pockets and envelopes for hidden journaling.

• Pocket Pages: In the limited space of a journaling card, write about a fact, a feeling, and a memory.

• Layout Albums: Include letter-sized pages of typed journaling along with a journaling-free layout.

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Problem: Printing Procrastionation

Finalizing digital projects such as photo books, bound books of layouts, and 3-ring binders full of digital lay-outs can cause perfectionism to bubble up. Knowing you can fix errors creates an anxious complication of test printing and fine-grained review. Remember that this same flexibility means you can print it again if there’s an error. Don’t stress so much.

• Photo Books: Have someone read through your book for typos before ordering.

• Layout Albums: Choosing an unbound format for digital layouts can reduce anxiety about errors, given that it’s easy to change out just one page.