Do you have a system?

dodgeladee

dodgeladee

New member
I have been doing a lot of scrapping over the last two weeks to get caught up a little bit, and I noticed today that when I scrap, I have a system. First its the kit, then its the photos, then its the paper, the elements (did you know ribbons must go on last???), and lastly the journaling and dating the page. Who knew I had a system? What about you?
 
oooh I love this question!

I get inspiration from a lot of sources. Most of my CT work starts with a kit, but I try to do some kind of journaling almost every day, so while it may go on my LO last, I have it written down first somewhere usually. My system is very similar to yours except I almost always use a template or sketch. So it goes like

Template
Photos (edited with RadLab, then add a white stroke around)
Papers
Journaling
Ellies (flowers and leaves)
More ellies (Paint, borders, extra bits to fluff out clusters)
Shadows
Date
Delete unnecessary layers
Check each layer has a shadow
 
When you put it like that, I guess I have a system too! Let's see if I can work it out so it makes sense:

Photos
Template(if I use one, which I normally do)
Paper
Ellies
Journaling/Title
Save as PSD (I work in Photoshop CC)
Delete extra layers
Shadows
Save as JPEG

I also shrink it in a separate step and save it in a different place than the large JPEG. The big copies go in a separate file that someday I'll sort by date and have printed/bound in a book. :)
 
Funny how we all have our own little system but probably don't think much about it. Most of my scrapping is for CT work so I always start off with a kit and template.

Kit
Template - Delete shadows
Photos - sometimes I edit before I pull into my page but most of the time I edit on the page
Papers
Elements
Journaling and date
Shadows
Delete unnecessary layers
Check for shadows
 
Heidi1472 said:
Funny how we all have our own little system but probably don't think much about it. Most of my scrapping is for CT work so I always start off with a kit and template.

Kit
Template - Delete shadows
Photos - sometimes I edit before I pull into my page but most of the time I edit on the page
Papers
Elements
Journaling and date
Shadows
Delete unnecessary layers
Check for shadows
Click to expand...
Since you delete the shadows, do you put your own shadows in? I tried doing that. I have decided I just don't have those shadow skills.
 
My system doesn't vary much for personal pages or CT work. If using a template, I always search for one that will accommodate my chosen photos. It seems most of us have fairly similar systems!

Photos
Template - if using
Kit
Papers
Shadow papers
Elements - shadow as I go. I usually start with flowers and add additional elements after that.
Add title if using
Journaling and Date
Check for typos (lol)
Save for printing (if using in my books)
Save for web (for CT work)

I never save the layered file once I'm finished with a page. I only save the high res image if it's something I'll get printed. Otherwise, it's web version for sharing with friends.
 
As a CTM... kit comes, the photos, then paper... after that I wing it.
When I scrap for me... Photos first... then I wing it because I may not use just one kit for my page.
 
Well, DUH, why have I never thought to delete shadows at the very beginning??

Otherwise my system is about the same as everyone else, just takes longer LOL
 
I am so intrigued by all of this! I would have thought that since scrapping is so artistic that people's systems would represent that. How cool! I have a file called (pix to be printed), and all the photos go in there to be printed so that when the Persnickety sale comes twice a year, I can just upload it right then.
 
The Very Last Thing!

Does anyone else zoom in pretty close and inspect the whole thing to make sure everything is in the right spot, that the wrong things aren't overlapping, that journaling is not over an element (unless it is supposed to be), that you don't have random stray stuff, there are no elements kissing other elements where they shouldn't, reread the journaling to make sure it makes sense, that you don't use elements with conflicting light sources, etc.?
 
FormbyGirl said:
The Very Last Thing!

Does anyone else zoom in pretty close and inspect the whole thing to make sure everything is in the right spot, that the wrong things aren't overlapping, that journaling is not over an element (unless it is supposed to be), that you don't have random stray stuff, there are no elements kissing other elements where they shouldn't, reread the journaling to make sure it makes sense, that you don't use elements with conflicting light sources, etc.?
Click to expand...

Oh my goodness, no, I don't zoom in close. I check that stuff in the normal view. Wow, does anyone else do that? It sounds like it pays off.
 
I pretty much have a system, but it varies depend on whether I’m creating a layout just for myself, or whether it’s for a CT.

Personal layouts
I choose the:
- Photo(s)
- Template (if using)
- Kit

Kit CT layouts
Being given the kit, I then choose the:
- Photo(s)
- Template (if using)

Template CT layouts
Being given the template, I then choose the:
- Photo(s)
- Kits

For any layout, the order of placing items goes like this:
- Photos, and style/shadow photos
- Papers, and shadow paper layers
- If using Journal Cards, they come next, and shadow them
- Journaling / date may come next, or it may wait until the end
- Greenery / Foliage and shadow these
- Flowers and shadow these
- Other elements and shadow these
- If I didn’t do the journaling earlier, it comes here
- Title and shadow this
- Date if including

Then check at “full screen” and see what it looks like. I may nudge a few pieces or change the shadows at this point. Check for typos (no spell check on PSE, which is what I use).

Next I run a “Save for Web” action, and check what that looks like at “actual pixels.” Sometimes the action causes some things to look blurry or odd, so if that’s the case, I’ll go back to the original file and manually flatten, resize, and unsharp mask. Then “Save for Web.”

If it’s a piece to be printed, I’ll also take the original file, then just flatten and unsharp mask.

I keep my original layered TIFFs, because there have been a couple of times, in the past, when I didn’t (due to storage space issues), and later I really missed having them! Now, with storage so cheap, I don’t mind keeping the layered TIFFs, along with the web sized and print sized layouts.
 
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