Do I do a 2 page or 1 page scrap booking layout?

Question

Okay so I am going to start my 1st scrapbook. now i am not sure if i do one or two page layouts? i am not sure how it looks when you do a one page layout because the left and right sides of the open book would look different. I have seen 2 page layouts but then do you do them all that way? Do you mix and match? Give me some advice.

Answer 1

Hi!

As you can see, we all are on the same page, so to speak.  It really is a matter of choice, but it can also be dictated by the number of photos you want to include in the layout and how much you want to journal.

Are you doing a 12x12 album?  This size lends itself nicely to well balanced single-page layouts with 3-4 photos, where an 8 1/2x11 will accommodate 2-3 on a single layout--this is all dependent on how the photos are cropped.

How you crop your photos is also key, here.  A couple of hints I always use are:

1.  The rule of thirds--divide your photo into thirds horizontally and vertically (this is a visual division).  Place the focus of your photo at any intersecting point and do the old "director's finger/thumb" frame to see where it's best to crop your photo.  This keeps you from falling into the "bulls eye" trap where the focus of your photo is always in the center.  It also gives you more options for the next tip.

2.  Crop out the unnecessary stuff.  If you have Gram and baby as the focus of the photo, it is not necessary to include the complete backdrop in the photo--just enough give the viewer an idea of where the photo was taken.  Also, watch the edges--so many times we forget to look at the edges of our photos, and then we see some distracting object later.

3.  When you layout out your photos to plan your page, try to arrange them in the abstract shape of "C" (either forward facing or reverse).  The eye naturally follows the "C" shape.  Also, "white space" is okay--leave some place for the eyes to rest. Again, the "C" shape will give that to the viewer.  To really get the idea, take a blank sheet of paper and draw a large letter "C" on it, then place a photo at the top-front, the middle-left, and the bottom-front of the letter; see how it flows?

4.  It is not necessary to mat each photo.  You can also just mat the main photo and leave the others un-matted.

As the others have said, you don't have to be held to one or the other--do what fits the occasion.  The opposing page doesn't have to coordinate.  As Claire said, each layout stands alone.  No way is the wrong way.

It's exciting to do your first album!  We look forward to hearing how it goes.

Lynne Newton

Scrapbook Advisor #1360

Picture Perfect SB Co.

Answer 2

Honestly, there is no right or wrong answer to this one. Be creative, and do whichever you want! It's perfectly ok to mix and match from 1 page layouts to two. Have fun with it, and do what feels right. Mine is all in 1 page layouts, but I kinda like the idea of 2 page layouts, and might incorporate that also. Good luck!

Answer 3

It is a personal choice. I do not like when the pages don't match. I try to lay out my photos so I always can have a two page matching lay out.

Answer 4

As the person above me said, its all up to you!!

If i were you I would mix and match!! Sometimes you will want the extra space that a 2 page layout offers, other times you might want to just do something small... its your scrapbook do it however you want!  

Answer 5

I do some 1 page layouts and some 2 page ones.  If I have a lot of pictures of the event I want to scrapbook, like holidays, I do the 2 page ones.  If I only have a couple pictures, I do 1 page layouts.  Yes, the pages facing each other look different with 1 page layouts, but each one speaks for itself.