ABC Album An album assembled using layouts representing each letter of the alphabet.
Acid Acid is a substance found in paper that causes it to weaken and crumble. Skin and saliva are also acidic.
Acid Free Many papers can be considered acid free immediately after manufacturing unless they have been buffered, i.e. treated with a neutralizing agent, chemical reactions with substances such as sizing or bleaching will cause the paper to become acidic over time.
Acid Free Scale The Acid Scale goes from 0-14. 0 is very acidic while 14 is very alkaline. 7 is considered acid free but a pH value of 8 is preferable for use scrapbooks.
Acid Migration Acid migration occurs when something with acid is placed against an article that is acid free. Photographs mounted on acidic paper will weaken and crumble. Acidic memorabilia can be added to photo albums if encapsulated in polypropylene sleeves or placed on buffered card on a page underneath a protective sleeve.
Adhesives Products used to attach photographs and other components onto a scrapbook page. Adhesive types include photo corners which are considered to be non permanent, photo tape, photo tabs, tape runner, all forms of double sided tape which are considered permanent but in actuality articles can be removed with slight damage to the album page, and glue which can be considered permanent and not recommended for adhering photographs.
Alpha Cellulose The strongest and most stable of all plant fibers. Because of this stability it is used in permanent paper.
Border The margins of a scrapbook page which are typically spoken about in terms of decoration.
Buffered Something that has been subjected to the addition of alkaline substances such as magnesium carbonate or calcium carbonate to prevent acids forming in the future due to chemical reactions.
Circle Cutter Scrapbook tool used to create circles from photos and mounting paper. Circle cutters vary in types from tower to template style, fixed blade to separate knife systems.
Corner Rounder A type of punch which rounds the corners on photos and mats into plain or decorative styles.
Crop A crop is an event where scrapbookers meet to work on their scrapbooks, share tools and techniques.
Cropping The trimming of a photo to remove unnecessary sections. Cropping should be done to improve a photo not just to make a pretty shape. Cropping also allows for more photos to be added to a page. Attention should be paid to maintaining the historical integrity of a picture. Never crop out anything that identifies the time period in which the photo was taken.
Die Cut A shape or letter cut from paper by a machine using a die pattern.
Eyelets Eyelets are small metal circles through which the laces are threaded on a pair of shoes. They are used in a scrapbook context as decoration and as a means to rivet components onto a page--mainly card stock.
Heritage Photo A photograph that is of special significance due to its age, rarity or historical importance.
Journaling Journaling is writing down the who, what, where, when and why that goes with your photos. Journaling in your scrapbook should always be done using permanent, fade and water proof writing tools. Using the computer to journal makes it easier for some to keep up with this important task.
Lightfast Colored paper or ink, which is resistant to fading with age or exposure to light, heat, and other unfavorable conditions.
Lignin Free A product that contains no lignin. Lignin is either removed during processing to make paper safe or the paper is manufactured from a base material that is already lignin free such as cotton.
LSS An acronym for Local Scrapbooking Store. Often used on internet scrapbook boards.
Memory or Keepsake Album Another term for scrapbook.
Neutral Materials with a pH level of 7.0, meaning they are neither acidic nor alkaline.
Page Protector These are protective plastic sleeves which cover your scrapbook pages. They are available in a variety of sizes. Polypropylene and Mylar are two of the most highly recommended plastics for protectors.
Photo Corners A non permanent method of adhering photos to a page. Small triangles of plastic or card stock one for each corner are adhered to the page and the corners of the photo slotted in. The photo is held in place but may be easily removed for copying, etc.
Photo Safe A marketing term used for products sold for use with photos and memorabilia. Photo safe is an ambiguous term and one that is not regulated, and while it is probably preferable to select products clearly marked acid free, lignin free and PVC free, the term has gained wider acceptance in the last few years and if the product is from a reputable manufacturer it is likely truly photo safe.
Photo Splits or Tabs Double sided tape which should be acid free, lignin free and photo safe and considered permanent. Normally they are dispensed in one centimeter lengths.
Polyethylene A chemically stable, transparent, food safe plastic used in photographic preservation materials.
Punch A tool used to punch decorative shapes from paper or card stock.
Punch Art A decoration made up from punches. The components may or may not have anything to do with the final art. For example, a flower may be made from overlapping heart shaped punches in a circle with a small circle punch in the center. Punch art can be simple to quite elaborate.
PVC Free A product that does not contain any PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
PVC Polyvinyl Chloride PVC is a common plastic which because it is chemically unstable releases a chlorine gas. When this gas settles onto a surface it turns into hydrochloric acid. This acid will cause photographs to fade and discolor.
Rag Board Rag Paper Board or paper made from material other than wood, such as cotton, which is naturally lignin free, stable and durable.
Scrapbooking The tradition of taking photos and memorabilia, and placing them in family keepsake albums along with relevant journaling.
Stickers Stickers are one of the most basic scrapbooking supplies. Scrapbooking stickers should be acid free and lignin free. Traditionally scrapbooking stickers are made out of printed paper, adhere to your page with a sticky back and are very quick and easy to use. Scrapbooking stickers have become more embellished - some sporting fiber, beads, wire, ribbon and other such products that give your scrapbook pages depth and texture. Stickers are a must for every scrapbooker and come in almost any imaginable theme.
Templates Plastic or card sheet with punched out shapes that can be used to crop photos and photo mounting paper into shapes. Some templates are suitable for drawing outlines or journaling lines.
Trimmer Tool used for straight cropping of photos and cardstock. Can come in guillotine, rotary or blade style.
Vellum Vellum is manufactured from wood fiber which is to put simply, beaten until clear, or plastic. It has a wonderful translucent quality and is slow to absorb ink. Vellum is available in both acidic and non acidic forms.
Wax Pencil A soft acid free pencil designed to write on glass, plastic and photographs. If used on the front of a print it will rub off but when used on the back will become permanent. Always test on an inconspicuous area first.
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