Tuesday's Tip: Journaling

Journaling is the term used for documenting the who, what, where, when, and why of each photograph or group of photographs. Journaling will help explain a subject or record an event more clearly. It should be done with a permanent, acid-free, lignin-free marker or pen.

There are many pens and markers to choose from, varying in purpose and width of point. They should be pigment ink, acid-free, fade-proof, and waterproof. A journaling pen has a fine-point tip (0.5mm) and is used for writing under photos and labeling.

Markers are used for lettering on pages or doing background designs around photos. A marker with a scroll tip can add variety to a page, providing a perfect parallel line or design work on page borders or around photos. A brush marker is great for enhancing around photos and on backgrounds.

There are various types of calligraphy pens that come in an array of colors and point sizes as well. These are used for titling pages. The dual-tipped fine and chisel markers are also good for lettering in various sizes, from small captioning with the fine-point tip to large headers with the wider felt tip.

Metallic pens of gold and silver and bronze are a must for every scrapbooker's collection. Just a stroke of a metallic pen on a certain pages gives enough sparkle to add that finishing touch.

A white opaque pen is fabulous on dark papers, great fun to experiment with, and will give a whole new look to a page. The opaque pens also come in other colors that you will want to try.

A photo-safe pencil is specifically designed for labeling photos. you can also use it to trace a template onto the photo surface without damaging it. My advice to beginners is that it may be best to buy a package of pens or markers in assorted basic colors and add specialty colors and types as desired.