Choosing a Scrapbook Binding

Sign Up Now and Receive the Full Length Version of this Scrapbooking Video - Completely Free! A full 33 Minute 55 second video teaching you all about the best parts of Scrapbooking!

All you have to do is sign up below and you'll be sent directly to the Free Video! Go ahead and input your name and email address below:

Your First Name:

E-Mail:

(We hate SPAM just as much as you! You won't receive any from us and you can unsubscribe at any time.)

Click here for our step by step Fast Start Video Scrapbooking guide!

Purchasing a form of binding for a scrapbook boils down to convenience and personal preference.

Almost all forms of albums are basically the same, with a few variants such as structure, space, and other similar elements.

The most common page sizes that are available in albums are 8.5 x 11 and 12 x 12.

You should base your decision on what type of biding to use based on the content that you are intending to place into the scrapbook and how it will fit into it both cosmetically as well as practically.

The 8½ x 11 is a standard size, but the space on the page is sometimes limited, so it is difficult to place multiple items on one page, such a photos, clip art, and journaling entries.

On the positive side, there is a ton of paper types and colors for 8.5 x 11. Normally, you will find more selection in the letter size because it is more standard then the 12x12.

The 12 x 12 size is much more spacious, making creative and larger sized page layouts easy to implement.

You normally cannot print in this size from your pc’s printer, but you can always cut out items that you have printed and then glue them into your layout.

Keep this in mind if you do a lot of your creation techniques on the computer. It might turn out to pose more of a hassle then it is worth for the added space.

If you are using smart combinations of portrait and landscape photographs, then you can more then likely fit your content onto an 8.5 x 11 layout.

The binding type offers you several more options then the size alternatives.

The most popular form of binding is pre-bound with a set of internal hinges on which you can add to or remove pages.

Spiral bound albums are my least favorite because they predefine the amount of pages that you can have in your scrapbook.

It is recommended, no matter what type of binding that you choose, that you place all of your interior pages of your scrapbook into archival page protectors to ensure the longest protection and durability of your scrapbooking pages as possible.

There should be a product that you can use for this no matter what type of binding you should choose.

If you are unable to find page protectors for the binder type you are considering, then I would suggest that you consider another form or type of binding.

Most scrapbooks vary in cost from anywhere between twenty to and hundred dollars.

If you are willing to undertake creative measures decorating your album your self rather then purchasing it already decorated, you will save yourself quite a bit of cash to invest in other supplies.

You will find that many scrap bookers have different preferences in the types of album they deem is easiest to use. Post-bound albums are popular but are time consuming to insert and remove pages.

Three ring binders are probably (in my opinion) the easiest to operate of all of these binding types.

They are not as easy to turn from page to page, but the way that they are bound offers extra room for larger embellishment items and more page inserts (if the ring is large).

Plus, they are simple to add pages to---with a click of the upper and lower buttons, they pop open with ease.

Strap-bound albums have an expandable and contractible strap hinge in the interior of them.

Unfortunately, the album must be taken completely apart in order to add or take away pages.

When they are opened, these albums allow pages to lie flat without the hinge being visible.

If you purchase a strap-bound album where the page is bound to the strap, then will have to purchase special page protectors.

In Post-bound albums, the pages are laid flat when opened, with no separations between them.

You can use the same type of page protectors with post-bound albums as you can with ring-bound albums.

Because of this, you can use both types of albums and purchase one type of cover protector.

No matter what size or type of album that you choose to use, just be sure to always use only archival materials.

This means that they are made with acid-free ingredients and any included paper product is completely lignin free.

Some archival components can offer you a guaranteed protection for up to two hundred years if the conditions are right.

If you do a lot of your own printing, both HP and Epson offer specially formulated inks to use in conjunction with the archival papers that are made according to the same principle.

These inks, when first printed, do not appear as vibrant as other inkjet inks do but they are lightfast and resistant to fading for many years to come.

The choice of what type of album that you choose to use is the first choice of many that will determine the overall appearance of your scrapbook.

Choose carefully and be sure to have an existing plan in mind concerning your layout and design of the rest of the book before you make any purchases to ensure that you get something that will coordinate with the rest of your design visually as well as from a usability standpoint.

Click here to get started with our Video Scrapbooking tutorials!