Organizing Photos for Printing and Layouts

I hope today finds all of you well. First, a few announcements. I have updated some of the websites and blogs I visit. They have been added to my links list. Second, Jessica Sprague will be offering a free digital editing class on her website http://www.jessicasprague.com/ You need to visit her website, register for an account, and add the class. There are free digital downloads on there as well. Third, Memory Works will be offering some class kits from the weekend retreat on my website: http://livetoscrap.memory-works/ It is under the category "RED HOT Retreat Deals" Next year I am planning on going to the retreat. It is really great and anyone can go, even if you're not a consultant. So start saving now, and I'll be adding information during the year.

Okay, now on to how I get ready to print pictures for my layouts. Yesterday, I talked about how I organize the photos on my computer. When I am ready to print, I like to browse through my photos and see what topics are in the folder. For example, right now I am working on last Christmas. So I went through my folders and made a list like this:

• Santa Pictures
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• Bubble Boys
• Short Sleeves in January
• Legos-Wolfie

Each of the bullets will be a scrapbook layout with their possible titles. Next, I went through the folder and looked at all of the pictures from Christmas Eve (I skipped Santa because that was on a CD). The ones that I liked, I jotted down. I wrote down the image numbers: 4790, 4800, 4805, 4807, etc. Next I count how many photos I have selected. Based on that number I find a layout that will fit that amount of pictures. So for Christmas Eve I selected 12 photos for printing. To find a layout, I might sketch it out myself, visit one of my favorite sites to get ideas for a layout, or look in my magazines. When I have either selected a sketch or drawn one, then I print my pictures out. From the sketch I have selected what sizes of pictures I will need as well. That way, if I need a 5x7 I will have my picture printed in that size.

Writing down the image numbers is very helpful. I know that if you upload to print your pictures on Shutterfly that you can select them according to image number. This will save you time because you will know exactly which pictures you want. I like it this way too because then I have exactly the right amount of pictures I want for a layout and no extras. I don't like having random photos everywhere because I don't know where to put them and I can't stand to throw pictures away. So it works for me. I hope this was helpful. Again if you have any questions, let me know and I will be happy to answer them.