Too pretty to use

LOL. I've got various papers like that too--I can think of a lot of LOs, etc to use them in, but they're so nice I don't want to 'deface' them! ;-)

Carolyne in TX

LOL. This happens to me often as well.

Here are my secrets to this problem. First, I try whenever possible to buy doubles of the Scrapbooking Papers I just LOVE.

But, I also "photo copy" some of those solo fav's for the purpose of "testing" how or where I would use them in my layout. (I tend to change my mind a lot when I am inventing new scrapbook ideas). Doing it this way I only cut up the copies - until I am ready to permanently utilize the Scrapbooking Paper.

And since the photo copies are never even close to the same quality - I figure I am not breaking any copyright laws on the patterned paper that I work with. Or am I? Anyone know for sure?

How do you copy 12x12 papers? And, I don't see how you could be breaking any laws. If you are, those are stupid laws.

Well she likely isn't breaking any laws if she actually doesn't use the paper to create another project and just collects it as a referal point.

As for the reason for the copyright laws, the only way the artist and the companies that hire them get paid is if you and I buy the original paper. Sure the paper mills still gets to make paper either way, but instead of the artist making money, if you copy the paper you are spending the money on ink and photocopy machines. There is a reason that there are copyright laws and that is usually to make sure that the person that had the creative idea and turned it into a painting, a book, a song or indeed a grahic for a sheet of paper can also make a living. It's never easy for an artist to survive on their craft, but it is even harder for them when their work is stolen and copied, rather than paid for.

M-C

Many times I don't use the entire stock and if I do - I will most likely cover some of it up with something else on the page - but depending on what I do, I will copy onto an standard 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 14.

If I do need to use the whole thing, I might copy the image twice (half and half) and risk having a small bit cut off.

Hope that makes sense?

P.S. The copyright issues are usually pretty standard and mostly related to "reselling" or "assuming the rights for yourself"; in this case I am pretty sure I am not risking copyright issues - but sometimes you never know.

Yeah, that makes total sense. It's a really cool idea. Sometimes I do mock-ups of my pages on my computer, just to get the general size right before I start cutting stuff.

An example is that for this page:

I made this digital layout in Adobe Illustrator: so I would know how to measure everything. I also was then able to print the outlines of the different shapes in Illustrator to use for tracing.

But I like your idea too, and I may use it the next time I'm not sure what I want and I just want to play before making a commitment.

I don't think you'll have anything to worry about, but I'm not an expert.

Hide quoted text -

size it down to 6x6 and do the same (size into half) with the photo's and all other stuff that's great, but if you are using die cut letters and other (non-digital) items, the copy method helps.

:o)

I didn't size anything down in half in my digital layout, I just imported the photo at full size and sort of drew the shapes around it. As you can see, I didn't scan and import my papers either, because there wasn't a particular part of the papers I was trying to keep in the design, you know? So it didn't matter where I cut them, just that I cut them to the right size.

I've had certain stickers and other embellishments I wanted to use sometimes, and to figure out the placement of those I'd just draw a rough shape the same size as the embellishment, then I could move it around in the graphics program to see where I wanted it. If I wanted to be exact I could scan them and paste them into the digital layout, but I'm usually not that picky.

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