What Is Hybrid Scrapbooking?

There are two general “categories” of scrapbooking and memory keeping.

  1. traditional physical scrapbooking
  2. digital scrapbooking.

But did you know that there is a “sub-category” of these two? – it’s called hybrid scrapbooking. 

Hybrid scrapbooking is the combination of traditional “physical” scrapbooking with the addition of digital elements. Or vice versa. 

As we have increasingly become more technologically savvy year after year, it’s only natural for many scrapbookers to start using a few digital elements here and there in our scrapbooking.

Hybrid scrapbooking is another fun way to make your scrapbooking pages even more personalized and uniquely yours.

Two girls sitting in front of Christmas tree with white lights.

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The Benefits Of Hybrid Scrapbooking

There are several benefits to adding digital elements to your traditional scrapbook pages and memory-keeping projects.

  1. The cost. Digital elements are significantly cheaper than buying physical embellishments. Plus, you can reuse many of your digital assets several times over.
  2. Personalization. You can quickly and easily add unique elements to your pages.
  3. Environmentally friendly. Only print what you need, plus save on the environmental impacts of production and shipping.
  4. No waiting. You can instantly download something to your computer and begin creating.

How To Get Started With Hybrid Scrapbooking

Have you ever typed up your journaling on your computer and printed it out for your page or project? Then you’ve already been hybrid scrapbooking and not known it. This was me! I had been doing this for years and had no idea there was a name for what I was doing. Then, as I started getting interested in digital scrapbooking, I saw the term “hybrid” popping up repeatedly.

Adding digital elements into your pages can indeed be as simple as typing up your journaling or adding a few words, or maybe, for example, an icon of a heart on top of your photo. Or it can be much SO more!

Some other fun ways you can incorporate digital elements into your traditional scrapbook pages are:

  • Add text onto your photo before printing,
  • Print off digital scrapbooking elements that you created or purchased online,
  • Use digital stamps on your photos,
  • Take a screenshot of something you liked on social media,
  • Take a screenshot of your text messages,
  • Use an app like Weather Shot to take a photo of your surroundings,
  • Use a digital cut file (SVG) (Check out my Etsy shop!)

Some of you might not consider some of my above suggestions as “technically” hybrid scrapbooking. I classify something as hybrid whenever you add something digital to your physical scrapbook page. Here are a few examples of how I’ve added digital memories from my phone or computer into my scrapbook pages and memory-keeping projects.

a photo of winter leafless trees with the sun setting behind them,
This photo was taken using the Weather Shot App.
A photo of the Christmas star.
Here is a screenshot of something that popped up in my Facebook feed.

a screenshot of text messages taking about going to Popeyes chicken restaurant.
A cute text message my son sent his Dad from my phone.

Tips For Successful Hybrid Scrapbooks

If you are ready to take on the world of hybrid scrapbooking, there are a couple of things that you’ll need to be successful.

One of the most important things you’ll need is a good printer. Many of the digital creations that I create I printed using my  Epson PictureMate Photo Printer. Another printer widely recommended for scrapbookers is the Epson Eco Tank. Once you’re ready to print, be sure to run a few test prints to find your ideal settings.

It’s also a good idea to test out different cardstock papers. Choose a high-quality cardstock that is meant for colour printing and is acid-free. I recommend something like Hammermill Premium Color Copy. For printing off embellishments, you will want a cardstock weighing between 65 lbs and 80 lbs. Anything heavier may jam up your printer, plus you’d like to have some weight to your embellishments.

Once you start purchasing digital elements and assets, you might find yourself quickly with a mess of files on your computer. So start your journey into digital scrapbooking on the right foot by setting up a file organization system on your computer right away. And don’t worry if you’ve already been amassing files; it’s not too late to get your collection cleaned up and organized.

If you are looking for some advice on setting up a simple organization system, I recommend Cut File Clean-Up from Hey, Let’s Make Stuff! This mini-course is created to organize SVG cut files, but her tips and advice can easily store digital elements. The “magic files” that Cori provides with the course are worth the cost tenfold!

For more information on this excellent file organization mini-course, click here 👉  Cut File Clean Up.

a boy walking with two dogs while pulling a sled in the snow.

Best Software & Websites For Hybrid Scrapbooking

Suppose you have not dabbled with digital scrapbooking before; you might not know how to get started with using and creating digital elements.

One of the top programs that are recommended and used often is Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is an excellent and powerful program that provides lots of opportunities to create and personalize digital elements. But the learning curve with this program can be a bit overwhelming, plus the monthly price tag ($28 per month) can quickly get expensive.

If you’d like to learn more about Photoshop for hybrid scrapbooking, I recommend Ali Edwards Hybrid online class.  Another great resource is www.jessicasprague.com.

If you are not familiar with Photoshop or are looking for a more budget-friendly option, I highly recommend Canva or Pic Monkey to create your digital elements. They are both straightforward to use and, best of all, FREE!

Both these sites have the option to upgrade to a paid “pro” subscription for $120 per year, but it isn’t necessary to use these programs.

If you’re interested in testing the waters of digital scrapbooking but want to keep traditional scrapbooking, then hybrid scrapping is for you. You can combine both digital aspects with traditional scrapbooking and memory-keeping, allowing you to create an even more personalized and unique page or project that helps you tell your stories and showcase your photos even better than before!

The best part about it? Hybrid scrapping allows you the freedom to use whichever tools work best for you. So whether that be Photoshop or Canva, there are no limits on what you can create.