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Fact: sometimes you just need to get a layout done and down fast! Here at Anita Richards Designs we have a number of scrapSNAPS available in the Design Shop. Our easy to use scrapSNAPS are perfect for newbies wanting to try out digital scrapbooking. Seasoned digiscrappers wanting to get a page or even an album done fast are also delighted with our designs. This straightforward exposé on what they are, how to use them and why they are a great method of scrapping will help you understand everything you need to know about our scrapSNAPS. Keep reading to learn how to get the best bang for your buck from our range of pre-made digital scrapbooking layouts.
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What is a scrapSNAP?
scrapSNAPS are specially created Digital Scrapbook layouts with transparent photo spaces designed specifically so that you can scrap a layout in a SNAP!
Our scrapSNAPS are pre-made, fully embellished layouts, usually with either a single or multiple transparent windows, (although sometimes a layout is designed for blending a photo over the top, more about that another time) that are completed by adding a photo, or a number of photographs, together with any desired journaling or title work.
The completed layout is then either printed for insertion into a scrapbook album or uploaded together with other completed layouts for printing in a photobook or saved for printing at a later date.
See Our Latest scrapSNAPS in the Design Shop
Why use a scrapSNAP?
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Quick to Complete Layouts
Multiple page projects can be completed within minutes.
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Simple to Scrap With
Using a scrapSNAP makes the process of layout creation as simple as 1, 2, 3.
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Use & Reuse
You may like to use the scrapSNAP many times over, in fact you can use a scrapSNAP as many times as you need and want.
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Flipable
You can customise them to a certain degree by rotating or flipping the page … perfect for if you are doing a two page, side-by-side, spread.
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Add Even More Details
You can make a scrapSNAP uniquely your own by adding more embellishments to make them more complex, especially if you are using more photos than the number included in the original design.
How to Use a scrapSNAP
The following tutorial was written whilst using Adobe Photoshop CS4. However, the basic interface commands are pretty much the same across all versions of Photoshop® Creative Cloud® as well as very similar in Photoshop® Elements from version 2 upwards. The workspace that you see on screen looks a little different to the Adobe® out-of-the-box workspace because I tweaked and customised it to help my "visual thinking" ~ you can customise and save yours too to suit your own unique and individual needs. 
Using a scrapSNAP is pretty straight forward:
1. Choose Your Project
Choose a scrapSNAP and your photographs. Open your scrapSNAP and duplicate it into a new tab.
(On the Menu bar select Menu > Image > Duplicate …)
Close the original without saving; this ensures that you don’t accidentally overwrite the original image with any changes.
Open your photos, make any adjustments to the photos and process them for contrast, colour, brightness, tone, convert to black and white or retain full colour, artistically crop details, correct blemishes, etc.
2. Edit & Insert Photos
Insert the photos into the duplicated scrapSNAP image file, placing them on a layer behind the completed layout, then simply resize them to suit the scrapSNAP design, paying attention to positioning for the best effect. As you are resizing be sure to maintain the proportions of the image so that it does not end up looking distorted.
(Photoshop users simply press the Shift key on your keyboard as you use the mouse to drag one of the corners to resize).
At this point you also might like to add special title art and any journaling that you want to include that records the who, what, when, where, how, why of the memories captured in the photographs.
3. Save Copies
Save the completed layout into two versions: 1). save the layered version in either .PSD or .TIF if you are using Photoshop, then 2). duplicate the layout as a merged copy, flatten the layers and save as a high resolution .JPG for printing.
(on the Menu bar select File > Save As > NAME by navigating to the destination Folder on your computer hard-drive, and giving your new layout a meaningful file name).
More Information About the Process of Using a scrapSNAP
If you are a digiscrap newbie:
- There is detailed information in our tutorial on How to Create a Digital Scrapbook Layout. Please read through it for more detailed instructions on how to create a layout including all aspects of the design through to saving and protecting your work.
- There is detailed information about using and saving files and the different files types used by digital scrapbookers. Please be sure to take the time to read through this tut as well.
Best in Class Software for scrapSNAPS
The best software options to get the best use out of a scrapSNAP is imaging software that supports layers. We recommend Adobe Photoshop & Photoshop Elements. Corel PaintShop Pro & Pro Ultimate are also excellent choices.
If you are a digiscrap newbie, please read our article for better understanding about the best software options for digital scrapbooking and where to download free trials.
Top Tools to Help You with Your Scrapbooking
As your scrapping evolves you may like to consider using additional equipment to aid you in your creation process.
The most common tools that digiscrappers use are drawing tablets and styluses. Please take a look at our top recommendations for tablets and styluses:
New to Digital Scrapbooking?
If you are new to Digital Scrapbooking we have a Learn Digital Scrapbooking email series that you may subscribe to that comes with a bunch of FREEbie downloads to help you build your digiscrap supplies stash. 
We also have a project running especially for scrapSNAP lovers, so please join in with us on our scrapSNAP Sundays project page.
What Now?
As you can see, using scrapSNAPS to create layouts is both easy and enjoyable. I hope that you enjoy using them as much as I enjoy creating them!
So whaddya reckon? Nice page coming up, wot? Please link us up to your Facebook or Instagram post with the credit tag @anitarichardsdesigns so that we can take a look!
Thankyou! 
