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A book with blank pages used for fixing/mounting and preserving of pictures, clippings or other mementos. It is another form of preservation of history in the form of photographs, printed media, and memorabilia stored in decorated albums or scrapbooks.

The most important part of the scrap booking is the album, which can be either permanently bound or allowed for insertion of additional pages. There are other types available such as mini albums and accordion-style fold-out albums. Some of these are affixed onto various containers such as matchbooks, CD cases or other small holders.

Modern scrap booking is done mostly on 12"*12" or 8**11" pages. Recently even smaller albums have become very popular. The most common new formats are 6"*6", 7"x 7", or 8"*8".

Background papers, photo corner mounts; art pens and mounting glues form the basic ingredients of Scrapbooks. More elaborate designs require specialized tools such as die cut templates, rubber stamps, craft punches, eyelet setters, heat embossing tools and personal die cut machines.

Sometimes "embellishments" are used to decorate scrapbook pages. Embellishments include stickers, rub-ons, stamps, eyelet, brads, and chipboard elements in various shapes, alphabet stickers and ribbon. Now sophisticated cutting machines, similar to a printer, are used which can cut any contour or font when connected to a computer.

One of the features of modern scrap booking is the archival quality of the supplies. Designed to preserve photographs and journal clippings in their original state, materials used by most scrap bookers are of a higher quality than those of many typical photo albums commercially available. Scrappers choose only acid-free, lignin-free papers, stamp ink, embossing powder and inks based on pigments that are fade resistant, colorfast and often waterproof. Earlier *magnetic* albums were not acid-free and thus caused damage to the photos and memorabilia inside.

In addition to the normal collection of photographs, tickets, postcards, and other memorabilia, journaling is also becoming part of scrap booking which can be reflective and story-like or can also be a *reportive* form.

Then there is Digital Scrap booking, where there is no longer the hassle of cutting and pasting clippings or photos. Because of the availability of scanners, desktop publishing, page layout programs and other advanced printing options it is quite easy to create professional-looking layouts in digital form. Also the internet allows scrap bookers to publish their work instantly. Scrapbooks completely in digital image form are referred to as "digital scrapbooks" or "computer scrapbooks*