- The Computer
- Resolution? I Resolve to Explain...
- Digital Cameras
- Scanners
- No Camera? No Scanner?
- Printers
- CD or DVD Writer
- But I Don't Have a Computer!
- Summary—What You Need to Remember
SummaryWhat You Need to Remember
Computer hardware includes the computer itself and all the things that can plug into it, such as the scanner, printer, and CD-ROM drive. Most computers are sold with one CD-ROM drive built-in, but if you want, you can add a second one or opt for a CD-ROM burner to make your own CDs. Digital cameras come in many sizes, quality and price ranges, and feature a wide range of capabilities. For digital scrapbooking, a point-and-shoot type of camera is usually fine. You don't generally need incredibly high-resolution photos for scrapbook size pictures. Look for a digital camera with macro and zoom capability, though. That way, you can use it as a scanner if you need to copy some pictures or 3D objects to include in your scrapbook. Scanners are like copy machines except that they send the image to your computer instead of printing it directly on paper. If you have a lot of paper photos that you want to put into your scrapbook using your computer, buying a scanner is very worthwhile. Commercial services print your photos for you and put them on a CD-ROM or DVD so you can use them with your computer scrapbook software. You can also download pictures from the Web, as long as you're careful not to use copyrighted material for profit. Anything you find at a Federal government site is up for grabs.
Printers come in different widths. Some can't handle more than an ordinary letter-sized page, whereas others can print up to 13x19''. These "wide-body" printers are ideal for 12x12''-size scrapbook pages. You can print digital pictures directly from your camera to paper with specially equipped photo printers. Or you can get them printed at almost any camera store, and then just use them like regular photos on your paper pages.