Digital to Hybrid Layout

I have often wondered what my digital layouts would look like as a paper layout. Not just the printed out flat kind but cut apart and re-assembled with texture and layers. Having done totally digital or totally paper layouts before it was high time

I attempted something “hybrid”.

I started with this layout which I did back in March.

The kit is Sweetiekins, a beautiful collab from Jennifer Fox and Shawna Clingerman.

After opening the original digital layout file in Photoshop I needed to decide what would have to stay flat and what could be printed out to cut and assemble.

You can see in the screenshot that many of the elements are fairly simple shapes. Those would work well on separate layers. However a couple of things were overlapping like the ribbon and the pen swirl at the top. We would need to handle those in a different way. I’ll get to that in a minute but first I needed to resize my page so the whole thing would be in proportion.

The album that this is going in has pages that are 7 x 7. An odd size perhaps but easy enough to handle with the resize feature. The original file is 12×12 so it was just a case of changing the size to the 7×7 and leaving the dpi at 300.

The first of my layers to be printed were the photographs. I was able to pull both of these over on to a 4 x 6 Epson Glossy photo paper where they just fit. If you look closely you can see some black swirls. I wanted to include these so before pulling the photo with the swirls over from the original layout I duplicated the swirl and clipped it down to the photo. Now when I cut the image out it will have the little swirly bit that would be above included.

This was printed out and allowed to dry while I worked on the rest of the layers.

Here you can see my final print page. I pulled my background, along with the swirl and text onto a new document the size paper that it was to be printed on. Next came the border, without the shadows here. Then the alpha, flowers, tags and rick rack were also added to the page. I often print out two alpha’s in case I slip with the cutting.

The green pattern paper that is my very background was also pulled over ready to print on another cardstock.

The file was then printed out on 8.5 11 River Linen from Red River Papers giving me that lovely textured cardstock feel to the whole thing. If you can be patient, then wait for the ink to dry real well before using it. If not – go for it!!

Now it was time for the fun stuff.

I use various types of scissors, a nice fine edged metal ruler, scalpel (this one is from Bind It All) and a guillotine to cut apart the pieces. Small tip scissors are essential for cutting fine flowers and alphas. Tape runner, doubled sided tape and Zigg glue were chosen to put it all together.

Here you can see close up the background with the swirl and text. Now it could have stayed this way with the extra pink edge on the same level, and if you don’t want the fuss of cutting it out go right ahead and leave it that way. I wanted it to be exactly like my original with the green showing through, and the textural look to the layers. If you wanted the green could have been added in here where you can see the white gap and you would have just one layer for all backgrounds.

Mine was cut out.

Using the metal ruler and the sharp blade made this relatively easy. First I cut off the outside edge with the guillotine then cut the inside of the pink away. I would suggest if doing anything this fine you would want to make sure it is no smaller than a minimum 1/4 inch.

Ask me how I know this?

Then you can use the 1/4 inch double sided tape to effortlessly attach it to your page.

After everything was cut out, I laid it all out approximately where it was going to be attached. I had already decided to use a matching real ribbon instead of a printed one. Then with various forms of adhesive dependent on the size of the element all were attached except for the alpha. Starting with the background paper and working forward each layer was glued down. Take care to match up the photo with the swirl edge to the background. It helps make sure your photo is in the right place. Then add your other elements looking at the original digital file to determine what needs to be attached first working your way upwards.

I did consider using real rick rack but preferred the subtle colour of the paper one from the kit and didn’t have any handy like it in my stash.

Placing your alpha loosely on the page, pull out some ribbon, already shaped in to a bow, and guesstimate the amount you will need to feed in through the alpha. I usually allow a little extra that can always be trimmed.

Then after gluing down the bow section, work your way across, crinkling and gluing the ribbon into mountains and valleys and threading through the alpa letters. Glue each of the letters down too as you get to them. Then go back and glue the other ends of the ribbon the same way giving a nice balanced look.

Add any more elements to the top and you are done! In the photo above you can see how nicely adding that swirl edge to the printed photo tied in the whole layout with a more cohesive feel.

Digital to Hybrid Layout

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