Life is always easier when you understand the terms that are being used around you. Here are some general scrapbooking and crafting terms and their definitions.
AAM
all about me, usually referring to an album about one’s self
ABC Album
an album assembled using layouts representing each letter of the alphabet
Acid
a chemical substance with a ph of less than 7.0 that causes paper fibers to break down and crumble found in various supplies used to organize photographs causes photographs to deteriorate, discolour and become brittle
Acid Free
materials tested to have a ph level of 7.0 or above (all items used in memory books and scrapbooks should be acid free)
Acid Free Paper
Paper manufactured to a neutral pH reading (7). Used for fine art prints, limited edition printing, scrapbooking.
Acid Migration
transfer of acidity from acidic materials to another less acidic material through physical contact or acidic vapors e.g. newspaper clippings cause discoloration where they are placed and on the items they touch a de-acidification spray should be used on acidic papers or items should be photocopied on acid free paper
Acidic
containing acid or with a ph level lower than 7.0
Acrylic
water soluble paint made from pigments and a plastic binder
Adhesive
a bonding agent used to affix two or more items together available in many different forms such as liquid, paste, gel, solid sticks, tabs
Adhesive Foam
adhesive pieces used to secure items to your page while adding dimension
Adobe Photoshop
software for editing photographs and graphics
AF/LF
acronym for acid free and lignin free
Album
a book used to store photographs, memories and scrapbook pages
Alkaline
opposite of acid added to materials containing acid to neutralize the acid having a ph level of 7.0 or higher
Altered Book
collaging, stamping, embellishing or altering a found book to reflect an artistic idea
Analogous Colors
colors that are next to each other on the color wheel
Antique Finish
Random surface quality created by “felts” in the manufacturing process.
Archival Quality
indicates materials have undergone laboratory analysis to determine their acidic and buffered content are within safe levels for long term preservation of photos : assumes materials should be permanent, durable and chemically stable industry has not agreed on a definition for archival quality, so variations exist for determining a products archival properties
Art Stamping
process of creating artwork with rubber stamps
Avatar
the little picture posted under your name in message boards and galleries
Basis Weight
The basis weight of a paper is the designated fixed weight of 500 sheets, measured in pounds, in that paper’s basic sheet size. It is important to note that the “basic sheet size” is not the same for all types of paper.
Beading
ornamentation with beads
Binding
enclose or fasten a book between covers
Bleed
a feathery effect that occurs when too much ink or paint is absorbed by the paper
Blending Pencil
tool used to blend colored pencils to create different shades of a color
Bond Paper
Uncoated “plain” paper, free from impurities. Also referred to as “free sheet.” (i.e.: writing papers, including ledger, that accept ink readily and can be erased)
Bone Folder
flat piece of bone or plastic, round at one end, pointed at the other used for scoring and folding paper;Border the decorated margins of a scrapbook page
Brag Book
small album used to show off pictures of a specific theme, usually children and grandchildren
Brightness (of Paper)
Light reflecting property of paper when measured under a specially calibrated blue light.
Bristols
Solid or laminated heavy-weight printing paper made to a thickness of .006″ or higher. Bristols are often used for printed items that require repeated handling.
Buffering
process of adding an alkaline substance to material to make it acid free and protect the item from acid and environmental pollutants
Buffered Paper
paper that has had a buffer (often calcium carbonate) added during manufacturing process to give it a ph level of more than 8.5, making it acid free
Bulk
The thickness of paper when compared to its weight. A high bulk paper is thicker but less compact than a low-bulk paper of the same weight and size.
Calendaring
Part of the paper manufacturing process where the paper “web” passes between polished metal rolls. This increases the paper’s smoothness and provides a uniform thickness (caliper).
Caliper
Caliper refers to the thickness of a sheet of paper expressed in thousandth of an inch. This measurement is taken with a micro meter. Normally, paper caliper should not have more than a + or – 5% variance within a sheet. Caliper is generally, the relation between caliper and basis weight; the greater the caliper (the thicker the paper), the greater the paper weight.
Cardmaking
creating greeting cards
Cardstock
term for thick, sturdy papers available in a variety of weights
CAYA
acronym- come as you are
Chalking
technique used to enhance your pages, embellishments, die cuts with chalk
Chemical Stability
having the ability to resist chemical degradation over time and/or upon exposure to light, pollutants and inferior storage
CK OK
Creating Keepsakes Okay – scrapbooking seal of approval items are considered safe to use in scrapbooking
Coated Paper
paper with a finishing layer on one or both sides – Book paper with a clay coating ensuring smoothness (i.e.: dull, satin, gloss, matte).
Collage
an artistic composition made up of various materials (paper and found objects such as glued to a flat surface
Colorfast
a pigment or dye that is resistant to environmental exposure, such as light, acid, heat and other atmospheric conditions
Color Wheel
shows color relationships and placement
Complementary Color
each primary color (red, blue, yellow) has a complementary (opposite) color made by mixing the other two (red and green, for example)
Corner Rounder
small trimmer that rounds the edges off of paper or photographs
Corrugated Paper
thick, wavy cardstock
Cover Paper
Paper coated and uncoated; used for book covers, brochures, etc.
Crop
to trim unwanted parts of an image altering the boundaries of a finished photograph by trimming or masking the photograph can be done manually with scissors or paper cutter or using image editing software or to simply re-size them
a scrapbook gathering or a party where people work on their scrapbooks, share layouts, brainstorm new ideas party hosted by a scrapbook expert who shares techniques, products and information with the group – common places might be a convention, retreat, cruise, or even just a group of friends getting together at one’s house to work on their scrapbooks as a group
CS
acronym – cardstock
De-acidify
process of removing acid from paper, materials to prevent deterioration
De-acidification Spray
spray that neutralizes acid in newspaper clippings, certificates and other documents
Decorative Ruler
ruler with a special edge for designing decorative borders on scrapbook pages
Decorative Scissors
scissors with a decorative pattern for cutting
Degradation
process of material breaking down from its current state to a deteriorated state e.g. yellowing of papers
DH
acronym – darling or dear husband
Die-cut
paper designs cut from a die-cut machine, paper is placed in the die and pressure is applied to cut the image out
Digital Image
an image composed of pixels or dots
Double Mount
to place a photograph on two background papers
Digital Paper
Paper for copiers, ink-jet and laser printers, as well as high-end digital presses like Xeikon and Indigo.
DPI
measures the resolution of an image, the more dots (or pixels) per inch, the sharper the image
Dry Brushing
applying paint on a brush and then removing most of the ink before using the brush to apply the color helps eliminate bleeding of colors
Dry Embossing
produces a raised image by pushing the image up from the underside
Dye
soluble, colored substance that is added to materials for coloring purposes, dye colors are less stable over time than pigment colors
Embellishment
he decorative elements on a scrapbook page – any scrapbooking extras such as stickers, die-cuts, metal pieces, wire, rub-ons, stamps, eyelets, brads, chipboard elements in various shapes, alphabet letters and ribbon, etc that enhance the pages and make them come “alive”
Emboss
to create a raised surface by applying heat or pressure
Embossing Gun
a heat tool that directs hot air to a precise area -forced heat melts embossing powder, creating a slightly raised surface for the design
Embossing Powder
a fast melting powder that delivers rich colors and solid surface bonding used to create a raised image on paper
Encapsulation
a method of displaying three-dimensional memorabilia and protecting nearby items from acid contained in the memorabilia
Ephemera
printed matter of passing interest e.g. vintage postcards, stamps;Epoxy:two resins that when mixed together, harden to form a strong bond
Equivalent Weight
While different paper types have different basic sizes, papers can still be compared by using equivalent weight.
Eyelets
a small metal ring/circle designed to reinforce a hole – in scrapbooking, eyelets are used to rivet components to the page, for design purposes, or to feed ribbon and fiber through
Fiber
a slender, elongated, threadlike object that provides substance or texture
Fine and Chisel Pens
a pen with a fine tip is 0.5mm and a chisel tip is 6.0mm
Focal Points
element of a design where lines converge – the eye is naturally drawn to the focal point in an image
Fonts
different typefaces
Gel Based Rollers
pens with pigment ink
Gift Album
a compilation of photographs and mementos created with a person or event in mind
Groundwood Paper
A low cost paper that contains unprocessed wood fibers.
Hand Tinting
process of applying colors with oils and dyes to the surface of a black and white photograph, giving it the appearance of a colored photograph
Heading
the title or caption that explains the theme of a layout
Heat Gun
same as embossing gun used to heat items for embossing
Heritage
traditions passed down from generation to generation
Idea Books
books featuring one aspect of scrapbooking such as a specific theme or product
Ink Jet Printer
printers that spray ink onto a page, be careful – inks are not always waterproof or suitable for archival pieces
Intensity
strength of a color based on how true it is to a primary color
Journaling
text on a scrapbook page giving details of photographs, includes any words you write in your book or on the scrapbook page, from titles and captions to long descriptions, poem or stories – can be handwritten or printed on computer thought to be the separating point between scrapbooks and photo albums
Lamination
permanent bonding of two layers of plastic film to one or two sides of a flat item
Layout
grouping of pages in your scrapbook that go together, one page or more arrangement of heading, journaling, and photographs together
Lightfast
term describing a material not affected or faded by sunlight, fluorescent tubes and light bulbs
Lignin
substance that binds wood fibers together, and contributes to breakdown of paper – paper with high levels of lignin are very acidic and therefore cause materials to become yellowish and brittle
Lignin Free
paper product having a max of 1% lignin
Liquid Adhesive
liquid adhesive is best for small items, diecut letters and embellishments
Magnetic Albums
peel and stick albums where photos are placed on strips of adhesive on a backing card and then a page protector is used to cover the photo and uncovered adhesive – many of these albums are damaging to photos – not okay for scrapbooking
Masking
a technique used to get the effect of stamped images behind each other, in front of another
Master Family Album
holds photographs of everyone in the family and family documents, typically in chronological order
Matte
surface has no glossy finish
Matting
process of creating a frame around pictures using cardstock and/or patterned paper
Memorabilia
certificates, documents, and other items that tell a story -nincludes souvenirs, mementos, pictures, stamps, any item that remind you of an event or time
Mill Bristol Paper
A board grade paper receptive to folding, embossing, and stamping.
Mixed Media
use of several media (paints, papers, rubber stamps, inks) to create a layout
Monochromatic Color Scheme
employs different values of the same color
Montage
work of art incorporating photographs into a collage
Mosaic
technique where you cut small objects from paper or pictures and put them together to create a collage
Mount
to adhere a photograph, embellishment or other item to another piece of paper – a wood or plastic piece that forms the handle of a stamp
Mounting Squares
small squares of double sided tape-like adhesive
Mulberry Paper
paper made up of long fibers that look like feathery pieces
Muted Colors
subdued tints or shades of colors that tend to be more suitable for backgrounds
Mylar
a protective clear polyester covering for photos and album pages
Nameplate
a round or rectangular embellishment that highlights a person’s name inside.
Neutralize
process of making a solution ph neutral
Newsprint Paper
Paper used for printing newspapers; highly acidic, degrades quickly.
Non-Bleeding
an ink that does not spread from its original mark on the paper’s surface
Non-Permanent Mounting
process of mounting an item to a page without adhering it permanently
NSBR
acronym “non scrapbook related”
Offset Paper
Uncoated book paper treated with sizing to resist moisture.
Opaque
any surface that does not allow any light to pass through and therefore cannot be seen through
Opaque Paper
Uncoated book paper treated to be less transparent.
Page Exchange
participants are invited to create a page to share with other scrapbookers – each person brings enough copies of an original page to trade with others
Page Protectors
PVC free plastic sleeve or cover that displays and protects pages for preservation
Page Toppers
phrases and/or images meant to be used as titles at the top of pages
Paint Pens
pens with soft brush like tips – the amount of ink dispensed is controlled by the pressure that is applied to the tip
Paper Crimper
tool used to corrugate paper or cardstock
Paper Piecing
multiple layers of paper (die cuts or punches) put together to create an artistic design or image
Paper Tearing
process of tearing paper instead of cutting so that the edges are rough looking
Paper Trimmer
Paper cutting tool used for making square cuts and straight lines by placing paper against edge and moving down a blade, used for trimming paper and photographs
Patterned Paper
paper with designs repeated on the entire page
PH Level
measurement to tell how acidic or basic something is – scrapbookers want items with ph of 7 or higher
PH Testing Pen
pen containing an indicator dye that when applied to a surface of a material discolours to show the surface’s ph level
Photo Corners
small triangle pieces of plastic or cardstock with adhesive on the back for attaching photograph corners to a page, allows you to adhere a photo to a page without applying adhesive on photograph – non permanent method
Photo Safe
term used by manufacturers to indicate their products are safe for use with photographs – not currently regulated
Photo Tinting
method of applying color to a black and white photograph
Pigment
a dry, powdery agent that possesses color, non water soluble substance – generally more stable than ink
Pixels
short form for picture elements, which make up digital albums – the more pixels or dots per inch (dpi) the better the resolution
Polyester
clear, inert, strong, long-lasting plastic used in preservation products
Polyethylene
soft, chemically-stable plastic used in the manufacturing of preservation products
Polypropylene
clear, flexible, chemically-stable plastic used in the manufacturing of preservation products including scrapbook page protectors
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
substance used in plastic pages of old magnetic photo albums that deteriorates and harms photographs over time – generally referred to as vinyl
Post Bound Albums
albums that are held together with metal posts that run through the pages
Pre-Embossed Paper
paper with a raised design
Product Swap
a scrapbookers’ swap meet where the host gathers up duplicates of products or tools that he or she is looking to trade with others
Punch
tool used to cut shapes to be used as embellishments on a scrapbook page
Punchies
the paper shape which results from using a paper punch tool – not the hole left by the punch but the shape of the punch – can be used on a scrapbook page for decorative effect, giving your page the look of confetti
Quilling
paper ornamentation using fine pieces of paper curled to duplicate various shapes and images
RAK
(acronym) Random Act of Kindness
Recycled Paper
Paper manufactured from the waste paper stream. All Micro Format recycled products contain a minimum of 100% recycled material including 40% post consumer waste.
Red Eye
red color that appears in the pupils in a photograph when a flash is used
Red Eye Pen
pen used to take red eye out of flash photographs
Repositionable
type of adhesive that allows you to reposition an item on your page for a certain period of time
Reversible Adhesive
an adhesive that can be undone
Roller Stamp
stamp mounted on a wheel to make a continuous pattern on a border
Rubber Stamp
a detailed, intricate design cut out of rubber and mounted on wood or foam – design is made by applying color to the rubber and imprinting it on the page
Scrapbook
album used to display photographs, memorabilia and journalled memories
Scrapbooking
tradition of mounting and preserving pictures, and memorabilia in an artistic and archival manner with relevant journaling
Scrapper
one who engages in the craft or hobby of scrapbooking
Secondary Colors
colors created by blending primary colors – orange, green and violet are secondary colors created by combining red, yellow and blue
Self Healing Mat
a mat you can cut on that maintains its form
Serendipity Squares
squares made by creating a torn collage of scraps on a background paper, then cutting it into squares and mounting it on cardstock
Setter
tool used for setting eyelets
Shabby Chic
sanding, crumpling and distressing paper to give it an old look and feel
Shade
made by adding black to any color
Shaker Box
type of paper piecing where a thin PVC free page protector is combined with paper piercings to create an open window pocket – window contains beads, confetti, mini punches, etc. that can be shaken
Shape Cutter
Tool designed to cut shapes, can be adjusted to create different variations of the shapes
Sheet Protectors
folded plastic used to slip over finished scrapbook pages to protect them from external factors, side or top loading – must be acid free
Sketch
A blue print of your desired scrapbook page or card layout. Used as a design starter.
Spiral Bound Album
album with wire binding wound through the pages at the spine in a circular pattern
Sponging
transfer of ink or chalk to paper using a sponge instead of a brush
Spray Adhesive
aerosol spray adhesive to ensure an even layer of adhesive over a large area
Stamp Positioner
a see-through tool that allows you to position stamp images precisely where you want
Sticker
an adhesive decorative accent usually made from paper
Stitching
to fasten or join with or as if with stitches
Strap Binding Album
album secured with plastic straps that run through a holder directly on the pages and keep the book in place
Stylus (dry embossing tool)
a wood/metal/plastic stick used to deboss paper
Swap
people looking to exchange or trade items with other scrapbookers in an organized fashion
Swivel Knives
similar to craft blades but with a rotating blade makes them great for cutting along curves, for templates
Tag Paper
Water resistant and foldable paper, used for tags.
Tape Roller
device used to distribute tape on the back of photographs and paper embellishments
Tape Runner
a dispenser containing small pieces of double sided sticky tape
Template
a stencil pattern used as a guide to trace shapes
Tertiary Colors
blends of primary and secondary colors (intermediate colors) – colors such as red-orange or blue-green
Text Paper
Uncoated book paper (often of an interesting color) used for announcements and the like.
Theme
the overall emphasis of a page or scrapbook
Theme Album
an album devoted to one idea e.g. birthdays, wedding
Thermal Paper
A paper coated with special chemicals that produce an image when heat is applied.
Three Ring Album
rings that snap apart for easy page insertion removal
Tint
made by adding white to any opaque color
Title Sheets
pages made of a series of premade titles
Tone
shade gradations from white to black or from light to dark
Tote
bag used for organizing and carrying your scrapbook supplies
Transparency
a transparent object that is viewed by light shining through it from behind or by projection
Triad
group of three colors that form a triangle on the color wheel
Vellum
lightweight translucent paper
Walnut Ink
ink crystals from walnut shells – very versatile water soluble colorant
Watermark
translucent design or name easily visible when a sheet is held to light
Water Soluble
material that can dissolve in water
Wax Pencils
soft pencils designed for use on photographs
Wet Adhesive
adhesive that is applied while still in its liquid form and then dries to a solid form
X-Acto Knife
tool with a straight blade to cut intricate designs
Xyron Machine
machine that applies adhesive to pages – some xyron machines also laminate or attach a magnetic backing
