I have always worked on my albums as if they are books. When I was working on book design for a publisher (a loooong time ago) I would simply sketch out small thumbnails of the general look of the book and its chapters. The program I use (Artisan) lets you organize your pages in a similar fashion (and move/copy pages from one album to another) and view your pages either alone or as a two-page spread which is so helpful.
Now that I have begun doing my scrapping in Photoshop, this question of how to organize individual files for printing has been haunting me. Thanks for putting out the question as I have learned a lot from this thread and feel a bit more comfortable going forward. I had been thinking of importing jpgs of the psd files into InDesign so that I can visualize and organize the albums as they are made.
All that being said, because I have designed many layouts to promote products over a few years, those 'custom' pages are usually completely out of step with those in my 'regular' albums. After remaking some of them to match style, I decided that it was crazy because they were already DONE! As a professional designer it goes completely against my nature to break with style, but I just went ahead and put them in the albums as they were and kept moving. It more truthful, I am told by archivists. And, now I kind of like those 'interruptions' in the look and feel of those albums - which tell their own story. I also added an index or contents page to those albums/books which enumerate the 'abberrations' by stating who they were designed for ... which kind of appeases that compulsion to have designed order.
Oh how I wish I had started out with albums in mind. I just found photos I liked and made layouts. Sometimes I try and keep track of how many layouts there are for each one in the family for the time when I have enough to make an album for each of them. I've already decided I'll call it "Potpourri." A blend of many kinds of layouts and styles.
I've only begun the past few months making two page layouts and really like them. But by the time I have enough I'll be in the grave. So my family will have to make do with Potpourri or "Hodge Podge." At least pages of my favorite photos will be scrapped.
@Peg: That's what's most important any way really... is that they have the memories for later to view, not how "organized" we were in the proccess. Hard for us type A personalities to remind ourselves of at times but a goal worth reaching for. LoL
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I've only begun the past few months making two page layouts and really like them. But by the time I have enough I'll be in the grave. So my family will have to make do with Potpourri or "Hodge Podge."
Marisa, I love your style of Mixing a layout page and then a photo (some beautiful pages in your book and great photos too).
Melodie and Melouise, Those are some great layouts and they look beautiful together. All of you Thanks for showing them to us. They are great inspiration.
I have always worked on my albums as if they are books. When I was working on book design for a publisher (a loooong time ago) I would simply sketch out small thumbnails of the general look of the book and its chapters. The program I use (Artisan) lets you organize your pages in a similar fashion (and move/copy pages from one album to another) and view your pages either alone or as a two-page spread which is so helpful.
Now that I have begun doing my scrapping in Photoshop, this question of how to organize individual files for printing has been haunting me. Thanks for putting out the question as I have learned a lot from this thread and feel a bit more comfortable going forward. I had been thinking of importing jpgs of the psd files into InDesign so that I can visualize and organize the albums as they are made.
All that being said, because I have designed many layouts to promote products over a few years, those 'custom' pages are usually completely out of step with those in my 'regular' albums. After remaking some of them to match style, I decided that it was crazy because they were already DONE! As a professional designer it goes completely against my nature to break with style, but I just went ahead and put them in the albums as they were and kept moving. It more truthful, I am told by archivists. And, now I kind of like those 'interruptions' in the look and feel of those albums - which tell their own story.
I also added an index or contents page to those albums/books which enumerate the 'abberrations' by stating who they were designed for ... which kind of appeases that compulsion to have designed order. 
Oh how I wish I had started out with albums in mind. I just found photos I liked and made layouts. Sometimes I try and keep track of how many layouts there are for each one in the family for the time when I have enough to make an album for each of them. I've already decided I'll call it "Potpourri." A blend of many kinds of layouts and styles.
I've only begun the past few months making two page layouts and really like them. But by the time I have enough I'll be in the grave. So my family will have to make do with Potpourri or "Hodge Podge." At least pages of my favorite photos will be scrapped.
@Peg: That's what's most important any way really... is that they have the memories for later to view, not how "organized" we were in the proccess. Hard for us type A personalities to remind ourselves of at times but a goal worth reaching for. LoL
Marisa, I love your style of Mixing a layout page and then a photo (some beautiful pages in your book and great photos too).
Melodie and Melouise, Those are some great layouts and they look beautiful together. All of you Thanks for showing them to us. They are great inspiration.
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