Scrapbooking Glossary

I have run across so many new terms since I started scrapbooking and I had no idea what they meant. The following is a glossary of scrapbooking terms. This list is by no means conclusive, and is a work-in-progress. New terms and definitions are being added frequently. If you run across a term you would like to see added to this list, please send me an email.

One of the most important areas of scrapbooking terminology is Acid-free and Lignin-free. So important, that they deserve looking at first.

Acid and Lignin
Anything that touches your photos should be acid-free and lignin-free. This includes paper, glue, markers and stickers. If these products are not acid-free and lignin-free your photos will discolor and disintegrate more quickly than they would naturally. Products that are photo-safe will be labeled as such. You can also look for the CK-OK label, which means the product has been tested by Creating Keepsakes magazine’s experts for photo-safety.

Acid causes paper and photos to disintegrate. This aging process is slowed significantly when acid is removed from paper during the manufacturing process. Not all scrapbooking materials are photo-safe, so be sure your paper, glue and markers are labeled acid-free or archival-quality before you purchase them.

Lignin is the natural bonding element which holds wood fibers together. Newsprint contains lignin—you’ll notice how brittle and yellowed a newspaper becomes after just a few days. Like acid, lignin can be removed during processing to make scrapbooking paper safe.

Glossary of Terms

Click on a letter to be directed to that section of the list.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A
Acid- Free	Acids weaken the cellulose in paper, which causes it break down, resulting in yellowing and discoloration. Papers with acid in them can eat away or yellow photographs and make them brittle. Adhesives (glues, tapes, stickers) with acid can cause discoloration and leave a sticky residue. Acid-free products should have a pH factor of 7.0 to 8.5.
Acid Migration	Acid can transfer from one item to another through close physical contact or even from contact with oils in human hands. If you want to include newspaper articles in your scrapbook, scan them into your computer, then print onto acid-free, lignin-free paper. Try using an off-white paper that resembles newsprint for an authentic look.
Archival Quality	Archival quality materials have undergone analysis to determine that their acidic and buffered content is within acceptable limits and that they are chemically stable at the time of sale. The use of such products could preserve your memories and photographs for years to come. At this time there is no set number of years a product must last to be considered archival quality.
B
*Buffered paper*	During manufacturing, a buffering agent such as calcium carbonate or magnesium bicarbonate can be added to paper to neutralize acid contaminants. Such papers have a pH of 8.5.
C
Corner Punch	Similar to the corner rounder. They come in many decorative styles which produce a fancier edge.
Corner Rounder	A punch specially designed to round the 45-degree angles of photograph corners or paper.
Cropping	To “crop” a photo means to cut the photo. Most of the time, you will do this to cut out excess background like sky and grass to better focus on the main subject of the picture. Beginning scrapbookers love to cut their photos into shapes such as stars, heart, clovers, etc. I recommend leaving your photos as squares or rectangles. This will produce a more classic look to your pages. Also, be careful what you crop out. Often times what is in the background will have a sentimental, personal or historical meaning in the future. NEVER crop one-of-a-kind photos! Copy the photo by scanning it into your computer, or take it to a store that has a self-serve photo copier. You can duplicate both color and black & white photos.
D
Dauber	A mini stamp pad on a wooden handle. Used to apply ink to detailed areas of a stamp. Can also be used with stencils.
Decorative Edge Scissors	Scissors that can cut edges other than a straight line, such as zigzag, scalloped, and wavy. Great for outlining photos, accent papers, and cutting decorative boarders.
Die Cut	Shapes or letters cut from card stock by special machines and sold for use in scrapbooking.
E
Encapsulation	Sealing a photo, document, or memory between two sheets of photo-safe transparent plastic film (not to be confused with lamination) for the purpose of protecting it from handling, weather and harmful acid migration.
F
Font	The style of lettering. There are thousands of fonts available. A Word Processing program can also be used to print out words for scrapbooks in a variety of fonts.
G
Gel-based Rollers	Pens with pigment ink.
Genealogy	The study of the descent of a person, family or group from an ancestor. Many people who wish to create a family tree by researching their family's genealogy.
H
Heirloom	Used when referring to a variety of aspects of scrapbooking. It can mean simply old-fashioned looking, by using tea dying or vintage photo stamps, or it can refer to an actual antique photograph or memory.
I
Intensity	The strength of a color based on how true it is to the primary color.
J
Journaling	The words or stories you add to your scrapbook. This is a very important element of scrapbooking, as it tells who, what, when, and where.
K
Kaleidoscope	An artistic method of displaying photographs on a scrapbook page which result in something similar as that which is seen when looking through a kaleidoscope.
L
Lamination	Sealing a memory, document, or photo between two translucent pieces of plastic to protect from water, oils, etc. Not as safe as encapsulation because of the heat and pressure used during the process.
Light box	A device that lights up from underneath. Can be used to place a photo and template on top of the light to show where to position the template for tracing.
Lightfast	Lightfast paper and ink are resistant to change from aging or exposure to light. Also known as "fade-resistant" or colorfast."
Lignin - Free	Lignin is the natural bonding element that holds wood fibers together. It causes paper products to become yellow and brittle over time, but it can be removed during processing to make the paper safe.
M
Matte / Matting	Placing a piece of acid-free paper behind a photo to accentuate it or act as a buffer between the photo and the page.
Memorabilia	Anything saved from an event in your life, such as artwork, postcards, matchbooks, ticket stubs, etc.
Memory Book	Another name for scrapbook.
Mounting Squares	A small square of double-sided tape-like adhesive dispensed from boxes. Easy for adhering photos and other items to the page.
N
Neutral	Materials with a pH level of 7.0, meaning they are neither acidic nor alkaline.
O
Oval Cutters	Paper trimmers that cut paper and photographs into oval shapes.
P
Page Protector	A protective plastic sleeve that slips over the pages of your scrapbook. They are available in 8-1/2" x 11" or 12" x 12" sizes and can load from the top or from the side. Polypropylene and mylar are two of the most highly recommended plastics.
pH Factor	This refers to the acidity of a paper. The pH scale is the standard for measurement of acidity and alkalinity. It runs from 1 to 14 with each number representing a ten-fold increase; pH neutral is 7. Acid-free products have a pH factor of 7 or above.
*Photo safe*	This is a term specific to materials used with photographs. Acid-free is the determining factor for a product to be labeled photo-safe.
Punch	A small paper or cardstock punch. Can be purchased in a variety of shapes and designs.
Q
Quilling	The art of rolling thin strips of paper into various shapes.
R
Repositionable	A type of adhesive that can be adhered to paper, then pulled up and repositioned.
Rubber Cement	A type of adhesive that is not save for scrapbook pages.
S
Scrapbook	An album used to display photos, clippings and memorabilia.
*Sheet protectors*	Also known as Page protectors. These are made of acid-free plastic to slip over a finished album page. They can be side loading or top loading and fit 5”x7”, 8 1/2” x 11” or 12” x 12” pages. Make sure the package says acid-free before you purchase them.
T
Theme Album	An album in which all the contents revolve around a specific subject or event, such as a holiday, vacation, wedding, etc.
U
UN-DU	An adhesive remover.
Un-mounted Stamps	The rubber part of a stamp that has not been mounted to any base. (either wooden or acrylic).
UTEE	Ultra-thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) is a coarse-grained embossing powder that gives a thick, shiny and glossy surface when applied to any surface in multiple layers. Normally used with a melting pot. It can be used for pouring, stamping and to form tile like accents for cards and scrapbook pages.
V
Vellum	A finely textured paper. Also used for a heavy weight translucent drawing paper. Vellum is available in weights of 60gsm to 160gsm and can be used to print journaling for scrapbooks or wedding invitations.
Vivelle	An archival paper with fabric-like texture similar to a terry-cloth towel.
W
Walnut Ink	A photo safe ink that gives an aged effect to embellishments.
X
X-acto Knife	A sharp hobby tool with a #11 blade used to cut intricate details.
Xyron Machine	A machine that creates stickers by applying an adhesive to cut outs. Also makes magnets or laminations without the hazards of lamination.
Y
YMMV	(Your Mileage May Vary) A scrapbookers shorthand for "your experience may be different than mine."
Z
Zig	A brand of water-based marker.

Top of Page

Happy "Thrifty" Scrapbooking!

Be sure to visit The Thrifty Scrapbook Store for economical scrapbook products.

All material