Paper Selection

Paper Selection

The papers you choose can change the entire look and feel of your photographs and page. There is a huge variety of paper to choose from, based on color, texture, pattern, theme, and even opacity. When choosing the style and color of paper to use in your layout, there are a few things to consider to best highlight your photos and to pull the photos together.

Decide whether you want to focus on the event, the subject or person in the photo, or the emotion that is evoked through the photos. Your focus will largely depend on each individual set of photographs. When starting a new page, ask yourself the following questions in order to decide the type and color of papers you want to use for your layout.

Cardstock, Patterned, or Specialty Paper?

Cardstock is a staple in scrapbooking. Available in a wide variety of shades and colors, cardstock can be used on any layout for backgrounds, matting, embellishments and titles. The solid colors of cardstock anchor photos to the page very well, and are very non-distracting, keeping the focus of the page on your photographs.

In contrast to cardstock, patterned papers include swirls, stripes, plaids, flowers, dots, stars, hearts, landscapes, animal prints, and more. Depending on your photos, you may want to choose a print simply to match the colors in the photograph, add elegance to a cardstock background, or illustrate the theme of the layout. For example, in a Valentine's Day layout, you might want to use a heart-patterned paper. While patterned paper can be used in a variety of ways, larger patterns usually work well as background paper and smaller patterns look wonderful as frames and borders.

Specialty paper goes beyond cardstock and patterned papers to add interest to layouts. Specialty paper usually has a unique opacity and texture and is often handmade. Whether you choose vellum, handmade, metallic, textured, embossed or exotic, each type of paper has its own advantages. Translucent vellum tends to soften bright colors and loud patterns; handmade and mulberry paper add softness and elegance; textured cardstock and embossed paper adds dimension; and metallic paper and diamond dust provide glitz and shine to a layout.

Whether your preference is cardstock, patterned paper or specialty paper, with the wide variety available in the scrapbooking industry, you can find nearly any type of paper to fit your layout perfectly. Each type of paper will have its own personality on your page.

What colors match the photos?

Choosing colors is as simple as comparing and matching the colors of your paper and the colors in your photos. Using this system will create an eye-pleasing effect nearly every time.

To focus on the subject of the photograph or set of photographs, take a look at the colors that are present. Choose a color that is common to them, or that compliments the tone of the photos well. You can also choose what elements of your photos you want to focus on and choose a color that makes that element the prominent item. Choosing a paper that is the same or similar color of a person's shirt or eyes (in a close up photo) brings out those elements of the photograph well.

What colors present the mood I want to create with this page?

Choosing colors for a scrapbook page is similar to choosing colors for a room in your house. Your choice will determine the mood and feel of the page. Whether you choose yellows and browns to create a warm and cozy feeling; reds, purples, and blues to bring a regal and passionate feel to your page; blues and greens for a fresh and clean look; or neutral tans and creams for a calming, non-distracting background, you'll notice that color really does make a difference in the mood of your layout and can completely change the look of your photograph.

If you are using black and white photos, or a special photo that you want to evoke a certain emotion or feeling, think about the mood you want to create before choosing colors.

What colors represent the event or subject of the photos?

There will always be layouts that feature traditional holiday colors, school colors, baby boy blues and little girl pinks. And what's a St. Patrick's Day layout without green? Using this version of choosing your colors allows you to use many of the themed patterned papers, stickers and die cuts that are created by many companies with the "traditional" colors in mind.

When you choose your paper, remember these basic questions and you'll have an easy system for deciding what paper to use for each set of photographs.

Other tips to consider when choosing papers:

1. If you have photos with a very light background, matting with a darker color will provide a very nice contrast. Likewise, dark background photos look very nice matted on a lighter colored paper.

2. Try a monochromatic look, which means using different shades of the same color. This works especially well for black and white photos and photos with only one or two visible colors.

3. If the colors in your photos do not compliment the paper colors that you want to use, try converting your photos to black and white using photo editing software.