I’m yet to come across an interesting scrapbook that has been created without texts.
If you were to create a scrapbook without texts, we can assume that half of our
messages will not get across to its viewers. So what I’m trying to emphasize is
that texts are an integral part of scrapbooking because texts can add in more to
feelings, atmosphere and the messages conveyed through scrapbooking.
However, adding texts in the form of mere handwriting or plain print will not lighten
your scrapbook layout. There are quite a few things to consider before you actually
add in those texts to make your layouts attention grabbing.
The first thing you should decide before adding text is whether the texts are for
your own future usage (i.e. for you to read in the future) or to make it prominent
for others to see and read. If your intension is to get others to read the text,
you could include tricks like using contrasting colors for the text. This means,
if your scrapbook background is black, ideally you should write the texts in white
to make it prominent.
Secondly, you should consider the experience you want to create through the texts.
That means, you should decide whether the thing you write down should add excitement
or serenity to the user. If the texts are to add excitement, simply use different
sizes of fonts to highlight certain areas to keep the texts interesting. If your
intension is to give a serene experience to your scrapbook viewer, keep the fonts
uniform and aligned on a paper with a soothing background color.
Adding text doesn’t necessarily have to be for the sake of writing down things.
You don’t need to fill in your scrapbook with pages after pages of writing like
a journal because hardly anyone would have the time to read through it all. So instead,
keep your phrases short and sweet to give an easy user experience for your scrapbook
viewers.
Adding text doesn’t necessarily have to be done in a uniform way. What this means
is that you could decide to add in texts on crooked lines, haphazard patterns or
even in circular motion. The important thing to remember is that the type of text
you add in is relevant to the message you want to convey.
Text art is another area that you can explore through adding texts. When it comes
to text arts, you can use a number of techniques to keep the spirit within your
scrapbook layout alive. If you want to come up with a graffiti theme, you can add
in graffiti texts, or if you want a funky newspaper effect you can add in fonts
of different sizes in each line, in ascending order. There may be many more ideas
that cross your mind when you sit down to work around text arts, so just let your
mind take over the wheel and do the riding!
Finally, we come to the most important aspect of what to consider when adding text.
Depending on the type of text you add, you need to match the colors and also pay
attention to the depth and breadth of the texts. If you use a word processor to
create your texts, the task at hand will be a piece of cake. But if you want to
add in a ‘hand-made’ effect, you may have to do some hard work to achieve your goals.
So let’s get those pens rolling!
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