{"id":3048,"date":"2023-04-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/?p=3048"},"modified":"2025-07-19T10:28:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T14:28:22","slug":"dont-let-your-pages-look-flat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/dont-let-your-pages-look-flat\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Let Your Pages Look Flat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Good shadowing is perhaps the most important element in digital scrapbooking.  If you want your digital layouts to have the same dimensional look as paper layouts, proper shadowing is key.  If you are new to digital scrapbooking, I hope to give you some basic pointers to get you started.  I also hope that you \u201cseasoned\u201d scrappers will pick up a few new tips here or there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years more than a handful of people have asked me how I get the shadows to look so realistic on my digital scrapbook pages.  This almost always catches me off guard because I feel like my shadowing could use some improvement.  I catch myself constantly looking for tips on how to adjust what I\u2019m doing.  It\u2019s that old nasty Type A personality trait of looking for perfectionism.  Regardless, I still just feel that I’m falling short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact of the matter is, though, I have no magic formula for shadowing an element.  It always depends on the colors, where it\u2019s located on the page, what\u2019s near it, what the element is made of, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is Shadowing So Important?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a beginning digital scrapbooker, I didn\u2019t initially understand or place enough value on using shadows.  Actually, I was quite intimidated by them and rarely used them.  And when I did, too often I used them incorrectly.  If only I\u2019d known then what I know now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I look back at those pages and realize that I shouldn\u2019t have been so scared.  And I definitely should have been more educated about shadows. Shadows add great polish and oomph to digital pages.  If you misuse them or don\u2019t use them, your layouts will look flat and somewhat dull or even somehow \u201coff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at two examples to see why shadowing is so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is one of my recent layouts with all of the shadowing stripped off:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Layout<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Here is the exact same layout with all of the original shadows:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Layout<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Do you see the difference?  The first layout has no depth or even realism; it\u2019s too one-dimensional.  Conversely, the elements in the second layout seem to pop off the page.  They look as if you could reach out and touch them!  This is why shadowing is so important and also so fun.  It is amazing to watch your layout come to life with just the click of a button!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Basics<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

First & foremost, if I\u2019m not using a set of shadow styles made by a designer, I always use the basic Drop Shadows layer style that comes with Photoshop Elements (PSE) as a starting point when creating a shadow \u201cfrom scratch\u201d.  I just pick one of the PSE styles and make adjustments to the setting to fit my needs. If you don’t use PSE, I’m fairly certain that your graphics editor has a similar feature. Just search for tips\/tutorials on the internet specific to whatever package you are using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to start by giving you a brief explanation of the parts of the Drop Shadow Dialog box in PSE. This is a great way to get started learning about shadows!<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"PSE<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Lighting Angle:<\/strong> The angle is based on what direction your light source is coming from.  This will determine the direction the shadow will fall when the Distance is set to anything higher than 0 pixels.  If the Distance is set to 0, the shadow will spread equally around the layer\u2019s contents. The default lighting angle is +120 degrees.  This is what I typically use but you can select the angle as you wish, just keep it consistent for all shadows on your page.  More on the proper lighting angles below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Color Box:<\/strong> Located to the right of the Size is where you can select the color of the shadow. The default color is black (#000000). When creating a shadow style from \u201cscratch\u201d I tend to use a dark grey (#696258) because that is what I learned during one of my first PSE classes on shadows.  Some scrapbookers use the color of the layer underneath and then just darken it considerably.  I find it easier to just stick with a shade of grey. But that doesn\u2019t mean grey always works.  If you have a dark background, you\u2019ll need to adjust the color so it shows up properly on the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> This is how big or small the drop shadow will be on each side of the object.  This determines the \u201cblur\u201d (sharpness or blend) of your shadow edges.  You can play around with this to see how it affects the look of your shadow.  If you bring your size down to zero, the edges will be sharp and hard.  Alternately, increasing the size softens the edges of the shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distance:<\/strong> This determines how far \u201cup\u201d from the page you want your element to appear.  This will vary according to the element.  When shadowing paper, your distance will be a small number. When shadowing a bulkier item like a flower or ribbon, your distance would be a greater number. And again, if the Distance is set to 0, the shadow will spread equally around the layer\u2019s contents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opacity:<\/strong> This is how dark or light your shadow will appear on your layout.  This will vary greatly depending on many things.  For one thing, the type of element you\u2019re shadowing will usually dictate the opacity you will choose.  The paper behind the element you are shadowing will also affect how dark the shadow appears.  The key to opacity is to play with the slider until it looks good to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know\u2026you\u2019re likely thinking, \u201cHow in the world will I know how to adjust those settings?\u201d  I\u2019ll try to give you some help.  Here is a list of the settings I generally use on some common elements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n