Types of books

A junk journal is a handmade or upcycled book that you fill with paper that would otherwise end up in the bin: receipts, tickets, little envelopes, old book pages, packaging, labels and fabric scraps. You glue, stitch and stack those layers into pages where you keep memories, thoughts or simply beautiful things.

It's more about making and collecting than about a neatly told story. Torn edges, wonky bits of tape and bumpy pages are part of it and make the book personal. You can also just write in it, for example a diary entry, a list or quotes you love. Because it often contains old, acidic paper, it's less suitable as an archive for original photos.

Read also: How to make your first junk journal, step by step

With digital scrapbooking, you make your pages on a computer, tablet or phone instead of with paper and glue. You work with digital photos and digital materials, such as background papers, embellishments, letters and templates. You arrange them in an editing program, each on its own layer.

The principles are the same as on paper: a focal photo, layers, colour and journaling. Only the tools are different. You can undo everything, reuse an embellishment endlessly and change its colour, and your table stays clear. On the other hand, you miss the texture of real paper, ribbon and metal. If you want to be able to hold your pages, you'll need to have them printed.

Read also: How to get started with digital scrapbooking

Choose a program that works with layers, because that's what digital scrapbooking is all about. Popular choices:

• Photoshop: the most comprehensive, with the most tutorials and templates, but more expensive and harder to learn.
• Photoshop Elements: simpler and cheaper, and more than enough for scrappers.
• Affinity Photo: also opens PSD and TIFF templates and works on the iPad too.
• GIMP: free, but less user-friendly.
• Canva or PowerPoint: fine for simple pages, with less control.

Check that the program can open PNG files with a transparent background and PSD templates. Try a trial version first and pick the program you enjoy working with.

Read also: Which software to choose for digital scrapbooking

A scrapbook is about photos and the stories behind them, a junk journal is about playing with found paper. In a scrapbook you usually make pages per event or in chronological order, often in a 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inch) album and with acid-free materials, so your photos stay looking good for a long time.

A junk journal is a chunky book full of layers, envelopes and flaps, where making it is the goal in itself. It doesn't need photos and there's no fixed order. Because you use a lot of old, acidic paper, it's better to stick in prints or copies than original photos.

The line is blurry. Many scrappers mix both styles, and that's absolutely fine.

Read also: What is scrapbooking, and which style suits you?

A book, glue and a pile of paper you already have; that's all you need. Start with:

• a base: an existing notebook, an old hardback book or signatures you've folded yourself
• glue: a glue stick, double-sided tape and a strong craft glue for heavy pieces
• scissors
• paper and ephemera (small bits of paper from everyday life): envelopes, receipts, tickets, magazines, wrapping paper, labels and old letters
• extras if you like: washi tape, stamps, stickers, ribbon and fabric scraps

Keep everything in a box so you can see what you have. You don't need to buy anything new; once you start paying attention, your collection grows by itself.

Read also: How to make your first junk journal, step by step

You can have individual pages printed or have all the pages bound together as a photo book. Here's how:

• Save each page as a JPG at 300 dpi, at the size you want to print it.
• For individual 30 x 30 cm pages, look for a photo service that offers that size.
• For a photo book, place each page as a single full-page image, in a borderless layout.
• Keep text and important details a few millimetres from the edge, because that's where it gets trimmed.

If you can't place separate embellishments in a photo book program, finish the page completely first and import it as a single image. Colours on your screen are often slightly off, so do a test print first.

Read also: How to print digital pages and make a photo book

No, there's no right or wrong way. You decide whether you use an existing notebook or bind everything yourself, whether you only use found paper or buy new supplies too, and whether you write a lot or a little.

It doesn't have to be pretty or neat either. Messy, colourful pages with wonky edges are actually typical. If you get stuck because it has to be perfect, set yourself a small goal, like one piece a day or five minutes of work. A theme or colour palette can help you make choices, but it isn't required.

Read also: How to make your first junk journal, step by step

A bullet journal is a planning system in an ordinary notebook that combines your diary, to-do list and journal. The basics are:

• an index at the front, with page numbers
• a future log: a yearly overview for appointments further ahead
• a monthly log: a monthly calendar with tasks
• a daily log: short notes for each day

You write briefly, using set symbols for tasks, appointments and notes (rapid logging), and move unfinished tasks over to the next month. A dotted notebook with numbered pages is handy, but any notebook will do. Lots of people decorate their bullet journal with stickers and washi tape, although that isn't part of the system itself.

Read also: Bullet journal: how it works and how to set one up

No, you don't need to draw for any kind of journal. An art journal is about expressing yourself, not about a perfect result; shaky lines and wonky shapes actually add character. A bullet journal works perfectly well with just a black pen and a ruler.

What helps if you don't draw:

• stencils, stamps and masking tape to make shapes
• collage with pictures from magazines or old books
• filling a page with one colour that suits your mood
• stickers and washi tape instead of drawings
• your own handwriting, even if it isn't neat

Read also: You don't have to be creative to scrapbook

Hybrid scrapbooking means combining paper and digital. There are two ways to do it:

• You design a page, or part of one, on the computer, print it and finish it off with real embellishments such as ribbon, brads (split pins) or chipboard.
• You print digital materials, such as journaling cards, titles, papers or tags, and use them on an ordinary paper page.

This way you combine the convenience of digital, such as typed text and photos sized exactly right, with the texture of real paper. There's no fixed balance: one scrapper does almost everything digitally, another only prints a title. You can get started with just a word processor and a printer.

Read also: Hybrid scrapbooking: print digitally, finish on paper

In the long run, usually yes, although it isn't free. You can use digital papers and embellishments as often as you like, whereas on paper you keep buying new supplies. You also don't need glue, cutting tools or storage space.

The costs are elsewhere:

• a computer or tablet, which most people already have
• software, if you're not using a free program
• digital kits, although many are free
• printing: large individual pages and photo books cost money too

If you don't print much and use free materials, it's very affordable. If you want everything at 30 x 30 cm in an album, factor in the printing costs.

Read also: How to get started with digital scrapbooking

An art journal is a sketchbook or notebook where you work freely with paint, collage, stamps, text and drawings. It's a place to play and let your feelings out, not to record memories neatly. Photos are secondary; colour, texture and words take centre stage.

Many art journalers work with mixed media: different materials combined. You often start with a layer of gesso, a white primer that paint sticks to well and that stops things showing through. Then you work in layers: background, collage, details and text. Fifteen minutes is enough for a page, and if you don't like a page, you simply paint over it.

Read also: Art journaling: how to get started

Pocket scrapbooking is scrapping with page protectors divided into pockets. You slide photos and cards into the pockets, and the layout of the protector does the design work for you. Project Life is the best-known name and is often used as a general term.

The protectors usually fit a 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inch) ring binder, but there are smaller sizes too. You work in three steps: first choose the photos, then fill the remaining pockets with journaling cards, and finally add a few embellishments. Because it's quick and well organised, it's popular with people who want to keep a record every week or month.

Read also: Pocket scrapbooking and Project Life: how it works

These are the three forms digital materials usually come in:

• A kit is a set of papers and embellishments in the same style. Papers are usually JPG files; embellishments and individual letters (alphas) are PNG files with a transparent background.
• A template is a ready-made layout with spaces for photos and paper, often as a PSD, TIFF or PNG file. You use a clipping mask to place your own photos and papers in those spaces.
• A quick page is a finished page where you only need to add your own photos.

For your first page, a quick page or template is quickest. A separate kit gives you the most freedom.

Read also: How to get started with digital scrapbooking

No, you don't have to. You can easily start with a notebook, sketchbook or old hardback book you already have, and glue your layers into it. If you do want to bind it yourself, there are simple ways:

• sewing signatures (folded stacks of paper) into a cover with a simple stitch
• punching holes and holding the pages together with rings
• fixing signatures into a cover with elastic, as in a traveler's notebook
• making a concertina from sturdy paper, which you can add pages to later

Binding it yourself gives you freedom in size and paper, but for a first journal an existing book is often easiest.

Read also: How to bind your own scrapbook or journal

Choose a book with sturdy paper of at least 200 gsm, because paint, glue and water make thin paper buckle and bleed through. Good options:

• a mixed media sketchbook, made for wet and dry materials
• a watercolour sketchbook of around 300 gsm if you use a lot of water
• an old hardback book where you glue a few pages together each time for extra strength

A sewn book that lies flat is lovely for double-page spreads. If you do use thinner paper, apply a layer of gesso first and let wet pages dry with a heavy book on top.

Read also: Paper that doesn't buckle with glue, paint and water

A traveler's notebook is a leather or fabric cover with elastic that holds thin notebooks (inserts) in place. You can add and swap inserts and take out full ones, so the book grows with you. The original model comes from Japan; there are now lots of variations.

Common sizes are the standard size of about 11 x 21 cm and the smaller passport size of about 9 x 12.5 cm. There are inserts with lines, squares, dots or kraft paper, and pocket sleeves for cards. That's why a traveler's notebook is often used as a travel journal, planner or small junk journal.

Read also: How to use and set up a traveler's notebook

Choose a sturdy book that lies flat and has paper that can handle glue, tape and your pen. A5 or smaller fits easily in your bag. Other things to look out for:

• A sewn book opens nicely; a ring binder lets you add pages later.
• If you want to keep tickets and receipts, choose something with pocket sleeves or glue in some envelopes.
• If you paint while you're out and about, take thicker paper.
• On thin paper, it's best to glue on one side only, or the book gets heavy and thick.

Many travellers collect tickets during the day and write in the evening. If that doesn't work for you, make short notes and carry on at home.

Read also: How to keep a travel journal on the road, even when you're tired

Work at 300 dpi and at the size you want to print. A 12 x 12 inch (30.5 x 30.5 cm) page is then 3600 x 3600 pixels; that's also the size of most digital papers. For 20 x 20 cm, it comes to about 2362 x 2362 pixels.

Set the size before you start, because enlarging a small page afterwards makes it blurry. You can always make it smaller without losing quality. As well as a flattened JPG, save a layered version, for example as a PSD, so you can still make changes later. A smaller copy is enough for sharing on screen.

Read also: How to print digital pages and make a photo book

Not just like that: what you're allowed to do is set out in the licence or terms of use that come with the files, and these differ from designer to designer. Often:

• Personal use, such as your own pages and albums, is always fine.
• Sharing, forwarding or redistributing the files themselves is almost never allowed, even if they were free. Send other people the link instead.
• Commercial use, such as selling cards or pages, is only allowed if the licence explicitly permits it.

If nothing is stated or you're unsure, ask the designer. The same goes for fonts and images from the internet: always check whether you're allowed to use them.

Read also: Can you use this? Copyright for scrapbookers

A mini album is a small album about one subject, such as a weekend away, a birthday or a season. It's often around 15 x 15 cm or smaller, and a handful of pages is enough.

There are lots of forms:

• a concertina made of folded strips
• an album made of envelopes or paper bags, with tags inside
• loose card pages on rings
• a small bound booklet

A mini album is ideal for finishing something small from start to end, as a gift or to go with a large page. Because you don't need many photos, it's also a nice way to try out new techniques.

Read also: How to make a mini album: base, pages and binding

Yes, you can. There are apps with ready-made templates where you drag in photos and text, and many design and drawing programs work on a tablet too. With a tablet and a stylus, you can also write and draw by hand.

A few things to look out for when choosing:

• Can you import your own PNG embellishments and papers, or only what the app offers?
• Can you export as a JPG at 300 dpi for printing?
• Where are your pages stored, and can you back them up?

A phone is handy for quick pages, such as pocket pages. For large pages with lots of layers, a bigger screen is more comfortable.

Read also: Which software to choose for digital scrapbooking

Yes, and you simply take your skills with you. What you know about choosing photos, layers, colour, white space and journaling works exactly the same digitally. Only the tools change, and getting to know your program takes a bit of time at first.

A few tips for making the switch:

• Start with a template or quick page, so you don't begin with a blank canvas.
• Learn the basics first: layers, shadows and clipping masks.
• Try a free kit before you buy anything.
• If you don't want to give up your paper stash, go hybrid: print digital elements and finish them with real materials.

You don't have to choose; lots of scrappers do both.

Read also: How to get started with digital scrapbooking

The two standard sizes are 3 x 4 inches (about 7.6 x 10.2 cm) and 4 x 6 inches (about 10.2 x 15.2 cm). A popular protector has four portrait 3 x 4 inch pockets in the middle and landscape 4 x 6 inch pockets above and below them. So a 10 x 15 cm photo fits a large pocket exactly.

If cards slide out of the pockets, put a small piece of double-sided tape on the back. Keep embellishments flat, because thick pieces press through and make the album bulge. Other sizes, such as an A4 sheet or a half page, can be slipped in as an extra page.

Read also: Pocket scrapbooking and Project Life: how it works

A smash book already has pre-printed, decorated pages; a junk journal is something you make entirely yourself. In a smash book you quickly stick in tickets, photos and bits of paper, often with pockets, tabs and space to write, without much planning. The name comes from a brand, but it's also used for any free-form scrapbook.

With a junk journal you make the pages yourself, often from old paper, with lots of layers, envelopes and flaps. A gluebook sits somewhere in between: an ordinary notebook where you stick collages, usually without much text.

Make room before you start gluing, because every layer makes the book thicker. Here's how to keep it closed:

• If you're working in an existing book, glue a few pages together at a time and tear out a few pages between those bundles.
• If you're binding it yourself, choose a spine that's wider than the stack of blank pages.
• Use flat materials as much as possible and spread thick pieces throughout the book.
• Put bumpy things in envelopes or pockets.
• Let paint and glue dry properly before you close the book.

It's normal for a junk journal to stay slightly open. A ribbon or elastic band around the book keeps everything together.

Read also: How to make your first junk journal, step by step

Stick to a few things per page: one or two photos, a bit of text and a small accent. Small pages quickly get busy, and the album still needs to close.

What helps:

• Choose three or four colours and a limited set of papers in advance.
• Use flat embellishments; chunky buttons and flowers keep the album from closing.
• Hide extra photos and text in tags, flaps or envelopes.
• With a bound album or ring album, leave room in the spine for the extra thickness.
• Make the cover last, using leftovers from the inside.

For a mini album to go with a large page, six sheets, front and back together, is usually plenty.

Read also: How to make a mini album: base, pages and binding

Artist trading cards (ATCs) are small artworks measuring 6.4 x 8.9 cm (2.5 x 3.5 inches) that you swap with others. You make them with any technique you like, such as collage, stamps, paint, drawing or fabric, on a sturdy base.

There are two basic rules: an ATC is handmade and isn't sold, only swapped or given away. On the back you put your name, a title, the date and a way to get in touch. Swapping happens through online swap groups or at craft meet-ups. You keep the cards you collect in playing card sleeves, in a folder with pocket pages.

Read also: How to make and swap artist trading cards

A zine is a small, handmade booklet, traditionally photocopied and handed out. Scrappers use it for a short story, a day out or a list. The simplest version is made from one sheet of A4, without glue or staples:

• Fold the sheet into eight equal sections and unfold it again.
• Cut along the long fold line in the middle, only through the two middle sections.
• Fold the sheet in half lengthways, push the ends towards each other and fold it into an eight-page A7 booklet.

Make a test one first and number the pages, so you can see what goes where. Decorate before folding for a continuous background, or afterwards page by page.

That depends on what you want to keep and how you like to work. A rough rule of thumb:

• Keeping photos and stories for later: a scrapbook.
• Keeping a quick, organised record every week or month: pocket pages.
• Making one subject small and complete: a mini album.
• Collecting and playing with old paper: a junk journal.
• Letting your feelings out with paint and collage: an art journal.
• Organising and planning: a bullet journal.
• Little space, or wanting to make endless changes: digital.

Start with what appeals to you most. After a while, many scrappers keep two or three types going side by side.

Read also: What is scrapbooking, and which style suits you?

You make a scrapbook by hand; a photo book is designed on the computer and printed. In a scrapbook you stick printed photos onto paper, with embellishments, journaling and real materials such as ribbon and tickets. A photo book is printed flat, quicker to make and easy to reorder, but you can't keep anything real in it.

A photo album is the simplest form: photos in slip-in sleeves or on blank pages, without much decoration. Digital scrapbooking sits in between: you design your pages as you would in a scrapbook and have them printed as a photo book.

Read also: Scrapbook, photo book or photo album: which suits you