How to Add Journaling to Your Scrapbook

When creating a scrapbook layout, the photos are the focal point, but the journaling tells the story behind the photos. Journaling is handwritten or computer generated text that provides some context to the photos on a layout, tells a story about the people in the photos, or provides some vital information about an event.

Journaling can be out in the open or hidden behind other elements to be pulled out and read. It can be added on a separate block within the layout, or written right on the photo. It can be provided in orderly lines or in wrapped in swirls around embellishments. There aren’t any real rules to journaling, other than treating it as an artistic element within your layout. Journaling can simply provide the facts, or tell a story. Journaling can be a poem or prose, just a few words, or paragraphs of text.

Many scrapbookers pass on journaling, letting the pictures tell the story, but journaling can really increase the value of the layout to your family, particularly in the future when you aren’t around to tell the story yourself. Read on to learn more about how to add journaling to your scrapbook, and to preserve even more memories for your family.

The easiest way to add journaling to your scrapbook layout is to hand write the journaling. This provides a great, personal touch to your layouts that your family will love. However, many scrapbookers are intimidated by handwriting, believing that their handwriting is not attractive. Here are a few tips to help you become more comfortable adding your handwriting to a layout.

When handwriting journaling, always write the journaling lightly in pencil first. This will allow you to catch any mistakes and space out your lines to fit the space. If you have trouble writing in straight lines, use a ruler to lightly draw in guide lines to write your journaling on. After writing in pencil, trace over your journaling with a pen. Let the ink dry, then use an eraser to remove the pencil lines from your journaling.

Write your journaling on a separate block of paper, then adhere that paper to your layout. If you make any mistakes, you can start over with a new block of paper, rather than potentially ruining your layout.

If you're really not happy with your handwriting, journal on a tag, then conceal the tag behind a photo. The handwriting won't show when someone looks casually at the layout, but they can pull out the tag and read your journaling if they're interested.

Have a few different journaling pens available in different colors and tip thicknesses so that you can choose the one that best matches your layout.

If you truly have "chicken scratch" handwriting, or if you'd like your journaling to fit a certain theme, you can generate your journaling on the computer, then print it out and add it to your layout.

The simplest way to create digital journaling is to use a word processing software such as Microsoft Word. While MS Word does have many fonts installed, you can find a near infinite selection of fonts on the internet. A good source for free fonts is DaFont. http://www.dafont.com

Decide how large you want your journaling block to be, and then set your page margins to match that size. Type the text onto the page, then adjust the font size until the text fills the area of the journaling block.

After you are satisfied with the way the text looks, print the text onto a piece of paper or cardstock. If you are using a laser printer, make sure you use paper with a very smooth surface. If you use a textured paper, the toner may not stick as well to the paper surface, and could flake away. After printing, cut the journaling block to size and add it to your layout.

Journaling doesn't have to be the standard block in the corner of your layout containing a few lines of text. Break up the monotony with a few alternative journaling techniques.

1. Add your journaling directly onto your photo. This technique works great with large format photos that contain some degree of white space. If handwriting your journaling, use a permanent ink pen so the ink does not smear. If you are using a digital photo, you can add your journaling digitally using an image editing program, then printing the photo.
2. Add your journaling to a tag. Tags are useful because they can be hidden behind other elements in your layout. Tags don't have to be just plain rectangular office tags, they can also be pieces of memorabilia, odd shapes such as stars or triangles, or made from unusual materials such as metal or plastic.
3. Don't be afraid to write "outside the box". Allow your journaling to flow in a line around the photos and other elements of your layout, or create your journaling around the outside edge of the layout. Don't worry about writing upside-down if it comes down to it.