Everything is going digital today!  People rarely write letters but communicate through email and texting, and even greeting cards are sent online.  So it's no wonder that you can find a lot of scrappers looking for a digital scrapbooking template in order to create a page or an album, since some find working with the computer just that much easier than making up scrapbooks from scratch.  But as easy as it might be to work with a digital scrapbooking template, there are some things you need to remember as well so that your pages come out looking their best.  Let's take a look at some simple tips to remember when working with a digital scrapbooking template.

First, make sure you choose a digital scrapbooking template that allows you to move around the elements as well as to take things away and add things in.  You want your scrapbook page and album to look unique and personal to you, not like what someone else has created.  Consider your digital scrapbooking template to be like buying an outfit at the store - you always want to add your own accessories and to change it around a bit so that it doesn't look like something that someone else is wearing.  Even men who wear a tuxedo or black suit will still want to have a tie or cufflinks or some other items that's different from everyone else's.  So do the same with a digital scrapbooking template.  Rather than just getting something where you can add a photo and be done with it, make sure you can really work with it so that it's personal just to you.

You may notice that a digital scrapbooking template will have embellishments already laid out on the page but consider adding your own as well.  Most CDs and other downloads for templates include additional embellishments and items for your pages and albums.  Browse through these and see how you can add them to your digital scrapbooking template to make everything "pop."  Sometimes layering embellishments makes them seem like they have more depth and texture, so consider that with a digital page.  Add embellishments over embellishments to see how they look.  Line up smaller embellishments or group them together for more of an impact.  Even with a digital scrapbooking template, small embellishments can get lost on the page so make sure they're substantial enough to make an impact.

Usually you can get more embellishments wherever you get your digital scrapbooking template.  They may have downloads available or may have a CD that is full of clip art and other items.  It might take some practice to learn how to work with these but once you get the hang of it, you'll see they're just as much fun as actual scrapbook embellishments!

You might also consider adding more embellishments once you print out your finished digital scrapbooking template.  Many scrappers use the template as their basis for a page and then add things like buttons, twigs, twine, yarn, ribbon, additional papers, bits of lace, and things such as these.  You can also use your own stamps and stickers with a digital scrapbooking template; many scrappers dress up these pages if they decide to print them off.

Of course some use a digital scrapbooking template never intending to actually print it out.  As we've said, many things have gone digital today and many people communicate and share things on the computer rather than in person, and scrapbooks are no different.  You may use a digital scrapbooking template with the intention of keeping it on the computer and sharing it with friends via email or posting it to your personal website, Facebook page, and so on.  If you're skilled with the computer and internet and this is your plan, there's no reason you can't do this with a digital scrapbooking template!

If you're going to use a digital scrapbooking template for an album that will include more than one page, make sure you get ones that coordinate.  You can sometimes find an actual scrapbook album in digital form but sometimes you'll need to create page after page.  This is where working with embellishments can really pay off, since you can start with the same digital scrapbooking template for each page and then just dress up each one with different items and embellishments.  This can actually give your album a cohesive, polished look that is very attractive.  Consider using one particular embellishment or item on every page to tie them together even more.  This might be a page title in the same font and location on each page, or a page border that they all have in common.  When you use a digital scrapbooking template in this way, your album looks planned and may even rival those done by professionals!

When shopping for a digital scrapbooking template you might see that there are many themes available; there are those for weddings, vacations, family, nature, holidays, and so on.  While it's nice to use a theme for your scrapbook, remember that you're not tied to that.  If you see a generic digital scrapbooking template but really like the colors and designs on the page, there's no reason you can't use it for your own album.  Many templates are not designed for any particular theme but might just have a certain look or feel to them and if you think you prefer those, why not use them?  The great thing about creating scrapbooks is that there is no right way or wrong way to make them; a digital scrapbooking template is the same.  If you see something you like and want to use that for a wedding or vacation, that's your prerogative.

Once you start to work with a digital scrapbooking template you may realize why they're so popular and why so many scrappers actually prefer them.  They're colorful and coordinated, easy to manipulate, and typically come in as much variety as actual scrapbook pages and templates!