ACOT Message Board

Hello, girls! It's been a VERY long time since I have been on this site, but I thought of you all first when I encountered this issue. I have spent the last four years getting through a very trying time personally (divorce). I used to be quite active on this site, but with the personal challenges I was facing, I lost my scrapping mojo big time. However, I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and I know (I KNOW) I am going to get through this. But I need your help with something. I need your advice, and I know I've come to the right place.

One of the things which I'm obligated to do is provide my ex-spouse with digital images of all of my scrapbook pages. There could be well over 200 pages. How on earth am I going to get this done? The only scanner I have at home has a maximum size of 8.5 x 11. I need a solution which is extremely cost effective and efficient. Of course, the pages are lumpy so I cannot "sheet-feed" them. It would have to be some sort of flat solution.

I've checked with my local Kinko's and they will scan the images at a max size of 11 x 11 for 89 cents per page. Losing a half inch around the borders wouldn't be a fatal flaw, as far as I'm concerned, and this is a possibility. The one problem is the cost and the other problem is that I would have to drop my scrapbooks off with them and leave them for one or two nights while they were being scanned. Not good.

Is there a better way, O wise ones? I've considered mounting a metal bulletin board type thing to the wall, holding each sheet on with those small powerful magnets, and using a friend's tripod and studio lighting to take a photo of each page. I would then have to crop them to the square size, but that would certainly be a lot less expensive, and I would retain possession of my scrapbooks. With the help of a friend, we should be able to get through them pretty quickly. I think it would be great quality too, as I have a nice DSLR camera.

So, I would appreciate it if you would share you ideas with me.

Thanks very much!!
CarolLynn (formerly CJs_Mom)

Scanning 12x12 on a 8.5x11 scanning bed is simple. Really. Scan it in two parts, then stitch them together. I use Panorama Maker for stitching the two parts together. But, the easiest and quickest way to send them to the ex would be just to photograph it. HTH.

Before you got to the option of taking photos, that was going to be my suggestion. Certainly a lot faster to crop images than to scan and piece together lumpy pages.


I too went through a divorce and lost my desire to scrap. I think it was as much stress of raising my kids alone (although I was raising them on my own even when I was married) but have been back scrapping with a vengeance. My ex never was interested in my pictures or scrapbook layouts.... I never heard of having to provide copies of them. I wish you luck in getting through them, and hopefully your mojo comes back full time and you once again enjoy this hobby! Hugs to you as you're going through this.

Hi Carol. I suppose there are many ways to do it, but I just take a snapshot and crop to size. Does it have to be a 12x12 print, or would regular photo size work? I think it would be much more cost efficient. I am glad you feel like your mojo is coming back, and I hope it continues.

If you have the room, go outside...You will get the best lighting. You can lay them flat on a table and take pics of them. Or use an easel to prop them up. Good Luck!

I notice that you said that you have to "provide digital images" of the 12x12 LO. Images. I think that I would not go to all the expense of having them made into LOs. You are not required to do that. Just the image. I would take them outside and just take their picture, not bother about cropping them at all. If he wants to he can do that. After you take the pics, just put them on a CD and send it to him certified mail so that he has to sign for them. That way you have fulfilled the requirement of providing him with images of the LOs but you don't have a lot of expense. He may not be happy with that, but it does complete the requirement without a lot of expense to you. Just time taking the pics. And if he wants a big SB, the expense and effort is all his. Why do more if you are not required to do so?

1grandma wrote:I notice that you said that you have to "provide digital images" of the 12x12 LO. Images. I think that I would not go to all the expense of having them made into LOs. You are not required to do that. Just the image. I would take them outside and just take their picture, not bother about cropping them at all. If he wants to he can do that. After you take the pics, just put them on a CD and send it to him certified mail so that he has to sign for them. That way you have fulfilled the requirement of providing him with images of the LOs but you don't have a lot of expense. He may not be happy with that, but it does complete the requirement without a lot of expense to you. Just time taking the pics. And if he wants a big SB, the expense and effort is all his. Why do more if you are not required to do so?

I totally AGREE!

1grandma wrote:I notice that you said that you have to "provide digital images" of the 12x12 LO. Images. I think that I would not go to all the expense of having them made into LOs. You are not required to do that. Just the image. I would take them outside and just take their picture, not bother about cropping them at all. If he wants to he can do that. After you take the pics, just put them on a CD and send it to him certified mail so that he has to sign for them. That way you have fulfilled the requirement of providing him with images of the LOs but you don't have a lot of expense. He may not be happy with that, but it does complete the requirement without a lot of expense to you. Just time taking the pics. And if he wants a big SB, the expense and effort is all his. Why do more if you are not required to do so?

This was my thought!!!

That's YOUR work! Why would you agree to that? The photos, yes, the layouts? NO WAY. That's evil of him to even suggest he wants it. OK, off my soap box. I'd photograph them, throw them on a CD and say "Here they are - provided nicely for your printouts. Have a nice life." OH BTW, my ex has lovely things to say about me. I was EVIL.

I don't understand either why he should have copies of your layouts, but having been through a divorce myself didn't ask because I know sometimes the demands of the ex-douchebag can be pretty ridiculous. Which is why I suggested just taking a photo. Email it to him and let him print it out if he wants a 12x12 size. You shouldn't have to go to the time and expense of providing him with duplicate layouts. He only wants to make it difficult on you is what it sounds like to me.

Ladies, you are all correct with your comments, but in a moment of desperation and weakness, I agreed to do this. So, what ended up happening is that I have a friend who works at a private school, who took my scrapbooks, scanned them on the large format flat bed scanner and gave me a thumb drive with everything on it. It didn't end up costing me any money, except for the thumb drive, and it's DONE.

I appreciate and understand your comments, and the stronger version of me would never agree to this now, but no looking back...

Thank you very much for your suggestions!

~Carol

CJs_mom wrote:Ladies, you are all correct with your comments, but in a moment of desperation and weakness, I agreed to do this. So, what ended up happening is that I have a friend who works at a private school, who took my scrapbooks, scanned them on the large format flat bed scanner and gave me a thumb drive with everything on it. It didn't end up costing me any money, except for the thumb drive, and it's DONE.

I appreciate and understand your comments, and the stronger version of me would never agree to this now, but no looking back...

Thank you very much for your suggestions!

~Carol

Perfect! Good job. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. Give him the digital images.

Hi,
It takes a long time to scan and stitch that many LO's. You could as others suggested just photograph them and transfer them to a cd yourself. Also having them signed for is a definite! Good luck.

CJs_mom wrote:Ladies, you are all correct with your comments, but in a moment of desperation and weakness, I agreed to do this. So, what ended up happening is that I have a friend who works at a private school, who took my scrapbooks, scanned them on the large format flat bed scanner and gave me a thumb drive with everything on it. It didn't end up costing me any money, except for the thumb drive, and it's DONE.

I appreciate and understand your comments, and the stronger version of me would never agree to this now, but no looking back...

Thank you very much for your suggestions!

~Carol

That was really nice of your friend to do that for you. Yay! It's understandable, to me, how you agreed to do it though. Sometimes it's easier just to give in on a minor thing like this just to get things moving along. Hugs to you!