10 Tips for Making Your Journaling Appear Prettier
by Jen White

Oh boy! Your favorite subject: JOURNALING. Joking!!

I know you probably don’t like to journal, but if it needs to happen anyway, you might as well let me help you soften the blow. Here you go: 

#1 Use a Text Box
If you’re like me, you write and rewrite your journaling. You add things and subtract things as you go. A smart scrapbooker uses text boxes to keep their journaling formatted on the fly.

#2 Use a Custom Text Box
While text boxes are smart and savvy, custom text boxes are the BOMB! They will instantly give your scrapbook page a finished, professional look. 

#3 Disable Hyphenate
By default, Hyphenate is enabled for text boxes in Adobe Photoshop. I find it prettier, however, to keep Hyphenate disabled. You can find this option in Photoshop’s Paragraph panel. Photoshop Elements doesn’t currently have this option.

#4 Lengthen Your Leading
Leading is the space between the lines of your journaling. Increasing that space can make your journaling appear prettier or more artistic. But be careful! Too much leading can have the adverse effect, making your page look much worse. Leading in Photoshop Elements can be found in the Tool Options of the Horizontal Type tool. Leading in Adobe Photoshop can be found in the Character panel.

#5 Adjust the Alignment
Oooph! Poorly aligned journaling is a rookie mistake. Basic rule of thumb: align for proximity to avoid trapped space!

#6 Change Your Approach
Journaling is important, but if you hate to do it, consider trying a different approach to journaling. Simply having the words on your scrapbook page will make your page more pleasing to the eye.

#7 Include Lines
If you don’t have a lot of journaling, you can add interest to it by including journaling lines. You can create your own lines or borrow journaling lines from another element.

#8 Use a Readable Journaling Font
Sometimes it’s hard to know which font would look best for your journaling. My advice, find a journaling font you love and stick with it for a while. I’ve been using my favorite journaling font for years! So, how do you find the font you love? Here’s my advice:
– Go to Google Fonts and filter by childlike and upright with no script or italics.
– Find one that you love, or better yet, find one that most represents your own printed handwriting.

Common Misconception Debunked: Both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements DO NOT store your fonts. Instead, they both access the fonts installed on your computer.

#9 Stop Supersizing
Supersized journaling is, well, not spiffy at all. But, knowing what size to make your journaling on a scrapbook page can be tricky! That’s because you are likely not viewing your page in the correct perspective. To keep from supersizing your journaling, first, learn the zoom percentage for your current computer. Then, set the point size of your type to what’s most comfortable for reading. I typically use 12-14pts.

# Limit Yourself
The goal is not to use all the fonts you love. The most calming page will have one font for the title and one font for the journaling. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but when in doubt, limit yourself.

⬇️ Download the PDF

Additional Classroom Resources:
• 10 Timeless Titles, Volume 1 by Jen White
• 10 Timeless Titles Volume 2 by Jen White
• Secrets of Terrific Type by Jenifer Juris

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Author: Jen White | Contact Us
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