Glossary of Terms

Scrapbooking includes many different facets, including genealogy, photography, archival requirements, craft techniques, and paper arts. Use this dictionary as a resource when you run across a word you might be unfamiliar with while exploring and researching scrapbooking. You'll even find some commonly used computer terms since so many of us use our computers and the Internet in our creative scrapping pursuits. Although some words have many meanings, we've focused on how the word is used for scrapbooking. Enjoy!

Acetate
Acidic plastic that causes photographs and documents to deteriorate and fade.
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Acid
Substance that produces hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Acids have a pH of less than 7.0.
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Acidic
Item contains acid or has a pH level lower than 7.0.
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Acid Free
Term describing materials with a pH value of 7.0 or higher. Materials with a pH level of 7.0 are neutral, and those with a pH level greater than 7.0 are alkaline. Acid is produced in paper when the paper and papermaking chemicals in the paper deteriorate or when acid is absorbed from its environment. Over time, acid breaks the paper fibers down causing the paper to deteriorate and become brown and brittle. Look for acid-free papers when scrapbooking.
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Acid Migration
Transfer of acid from one acidic material to another less acidic material, either by direct contact or by absorption. If you don't wash your hands before scrapbooking, any acid or dirt on your hands can migrate to your scrapbooking supplies.
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Acrylic Base
An adhesive base made from acrylic with a pH level ranging from 6.5-8.0. It is usually white in color and dries transparent. Acrylics are important in preservation because of their stability and their resistance to chemical changes over time. Acrylic based glues are acid-free.
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Additive Color Process
A photographic process in which the desired colors are produced by combining appropriate proportions of three primary colors.
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Administrator
The court-appointed person who handles the business of a deceased person's estate, or the affairs of an incompetent person.
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Adhesive
Any substance that allows two or more surfaces to adhere to one another. Look for acid free adhesive for scrapbooking. Adhesive comes in many forms from liquid to dry including tapes, photo corners, dots and squares.
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Alkaline
A term used when something contains alkali or has a pH level of more than 7.0. It is the opposite of acidic. In paper products, an alkaline substance is added to the pulp during the manufacturing process, which gives permanence and durability.
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Altered Art
When an object is incorporated into art; the object is used not for its original function, but rather as an object of art; examples include altered books, stamped dominoes and tag art. In many cases, collage is called altered art.
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Angle of View
The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene (a wider angle of view) than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens.
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Archival
Term used to indicate that a material or product is permanent, durable or chemically stable and that it can therefore be used safely for preservation purposes.
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Archival Quality Ink
Acid free and photo safe. This is the ink to use in memory albums and scrapbooks.
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Archives
A repository containing primarily the retired official records of public or private agencies.
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Assemblage
3-dimensional objects attached to a flat surface; sometimes used in conjunction with collage and montage.
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Auto Focus (AF)
System by which the camera lens automatically focuses the image of a selected part of the picture subject.
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Automatic Camera
A camera with a built-in exposure meter that automatically adjusts the lens opening, shutter speed, or both for proper exposure.
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Background
The part of the scene that appears behind the principal subject of the picture or photo.
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Background Paper
The paper that is the foundation of the scrapbook page; you adhere your photos and embellishments to this paper.
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Backlighting
Light coming from behind the subject, toward the camera lens, so that the subject stands out vividly against the background.Sometimes produces a silhouette effect.
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Back Printing
Information printed on the back of a picture by the photofinisher who may include negative number, date or other information.
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Bequest
Specific property transferred by a will.
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Bible Records
Vital records written in the family record pages of a Bible.
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Backup/Backup Files
Copies of data and program files. Usually the information on a hard drive or disk is stored on a separate disk. If you store any of your journaling, family history, or photographs on your computer it is vital that you create a backup file.
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BBS: Bulletin Board System
Messages or programs can be read and/or posted on the Internet.
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Bone
Tool has a smooth pointed end that helps you score a fold. The side of the bone is used to press down the paper to form a neat, crisp, clean crease. Used in tea bag folding, origami, card making and any other technique that used folds.
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Buffer
Alkaline substance (usually calcium carbonate) that is added to the paper to make it acid free.
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Buffered
Term used in the paper industry designating that an alkaline filler has been added during the papermaking process, which makes the paper acid free. It also increases the smoothness of the paper surface, improves brightness and opacity, and helps prevent ink from feathering.
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Calcium Carbonate
Primary filler added in the papermaking process that makes paper acid free.
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Camera Angles
Various positions of the camera (high, medium, or low; and left, right, or straight on) with respect to the subject, each giving a different viewpoint or effect.
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Candid
Un-posed pictures of people, often taken without the subject's knowledge or preparation. These usually appear more natural and relaxed than posed pictures.
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Cardstock
General term for heavier papers commonly used for the covers of catalogs and brochures, and frequently used in scrapbooking as the background paper.
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Carrier
Liquid component that makes the ink flow out of a pen.
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CD-ROM
A device that uses a compact disc (CD), a CD can store large amounts of data- 800 megabytes of information, which would equal more than 200,000 printed pages. Many scrapbookers store copies of their scrapbook pages on a CD.
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Cellulose-Nitrate Negative
A negative film used prior to 1950.
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Census
The counting or listing of inhabitants of a certain region done by a census enumerator commonly on a federal or state basis.
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Chlorophenal Red
Chemical that indicates if the paper is acid free.
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Coated Paper
Paper with a finishing layer on one or both sides of the core sheet.
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Collage
Papers and other embellishments with a theme are combined and glued to a flat surface.
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Colorfast
Pigment or dye that is resistant to environmental exposure, such as light, acid, heat and other atmospheric conditions.
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Computer
Electronic device that can perform high-speed arithmetic and logical operations. The computer is made up of the processor, memory, input/output, disk storage, and software.
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Condensation
Humidity that is trapped and forms a vapor, causing mold, water stains and deterioration of stored valuables such as family documents, photos, and paper memorabilia.
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Compiled Service Record
Military records that have been abstracted from various original documents into one record and filed alphabetically by the soldier's name.
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Conservation
Care and treatment that attempts to stabilize items such as paper documents, photographs, textiles or memorabilia through chemical means or by strengthening items physically, which results in sustaining the items' survival for as long as possible in their original form.
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Copy Negative
A negative made by reproducing a photograph or reproducing artwork.
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Corrugated Paper
Fluted paper between sheets of paper or cardboard or the fluted paper by itself; can add texture to a scrapbook page.
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Cover Paper
A heavier paper that adds some stability to photographs without adding bulk to your scrapbook page.
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Cropping
Altering the boundaries of a finished photograph by trimming or masking the photograph. Cropping can be done manually or digitally.
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Cushion
Piece of foam rubber between the die and the mount.
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Database
A set of interrelated data records stored on a direct access storage device that allows multiple applications to access the data. A large collection of information on a particular subject organized to allow search and retrieval of any one field.
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Deacidification
Alkaline-salt process that raises the pH level in paper. It impregnates the paper with a high alkaline reserve and neutralizes existing acids while preventing the development of future acids.
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Decorative Scissors
The edges of these scissors have a pattern like scalloped, zigzag or deckled and can be used to crop photographs or give a decorative edge to paper.
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Depth of Field
The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject.
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Depth of Focus
The distance range over which the film could be shifted at the film plane inside the camera and still have the subject appear in sharp focus; often misused to mean depth of field.
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Die
Rubber area of a stamp that holds the image, pattern or design.
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Die Cut
A shape or letter cut from paper with a special die cutting machine.
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Digital
Process that uses numerical digits to create a uniform text or graphic on a computer.
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Digital Camera
Camera that creates a photograph in digital form and records on digital memory rather than film.
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Dye Ink
Water-based and solvent-based. Dye ink dries quickly and not to be used with embossing powders.Works well on coated papers and porous surfaces but tends to run or bleed on highly absorbent papers. Dye inks are transparent and will fade over time.
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Embellishment
Decorating the scrapbook page; also the term used for the decorations, which include ribbon, stickers, buttons, 3-D items, and so much more. Embellishments are made of many fun materials like paper, metal, wood, clays, and naturals.
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Embossing
  1. Technique of wet (embossing) using slow drying ink, embossing powder, and heat source to create a raised surface of the stamp image.
  2. Dry (embossing) to produce a raised image by pushing the paper up from the back often done with stencils or brass templates and an embossing tool like a stylus or burnisher, which have a smooth end that will not tear the paper.

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Embossing Ink
Clear or slightly tinted. This ink is used specifically with embossing powders. It has the consistency of pigment ink.
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Embossing Powder
A fine-grained substance that will melt when heat is applied to it, the powder when melted leaves a raised design.
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Emigration
The act of moving from one country to another.
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Emulsion
Silver-gelatin image layer of the processed film.
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Encapsulation
A safe process for protecting valuable newspaper articles and other paper documents; this does not include lamination when the item is completely sealed, encapsulation is sealed only on 3 sides. Scrapbook page protectors are examples of encapsulating.
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Enlargement
A photograph that is larger than the negative or slide; blowup.
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Enumeration Order
The sequence in which census entries were recorded; house-to-house.
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Estate
The property held by a person at the time of his or her death.
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Evidence
Facts that indicate whether or not something is true; proof.
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Executor
The person who is named in a will to handle the affairs of an estate after the death of the deviser.
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Existing Light
Strictly speaking, existing light covers all natural lighting from moonlight to sunshine. For photographic purposes, existing light is the light that is already on the scene or project and includes room lamps, fluorescent lamps, spotlights, neon signs, candles, daylight through windows, outdoor scenes at twilight or in moonlight, and scenes artificially illuminated after dark.
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Extract
To copy a record, or portions of a record, verbatim from a body of records.
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Family Group Sheet
A page (often a pre-printed form) listing a family unit: father, mother and children of that union, with the dates and places of birth, death and burial given for each individual, in addition to other information and source documentation.
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Family History or Family Heritage
The study of the genealogy of one's family with emphasis on accumulating information on the events and circumstances of their lives, rather than mere dates, places, and lineage.
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FAQ-Frequently Asked Questions
A list with answers to the most commonly asked questions in an area on-line or web site.
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Fiber Based Paper
Photographic paper used to develop black-and-white photographs. Because of the way it is made, fiber-based paper can have a 200-year life expectancy if taken care of and processed correctly. Formerly, it was the standard type of photographic paper, but today, fiber-based paper is mainly used for fine-art black-and-white prints and is available upon request.
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Film
A photographic emulsion coated on a flexible, transparent base that records images or scenes.
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Film Speed
The sensitivity of a given film to light, indicated by a number such as ISO 200. The higher the number, the more sensitive or faster the film. ISO stands for International Standards Organization.
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Flash
A brief, intense burst of light from a flashbulb or an electronic flash unit, usually used where the lighting on the scene is inadequate for picture taking.
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f-Number
A number that indicates the size of the lens opening on an adjustable camera. The common f-numbers are f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, and f/22. The larger the f-number, the smaller the lens opening. In this series, f/1.4 is the largest lens opening and f/22 is the smallest. Also called f-stops, they work in conjunction with shutter speeds to indicate exposure settings.
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Focal Length
The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount.
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Focus
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.
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Focus Range
The range within which a camera is able to focus on the selected picture subject. For example, 4 feet to infinity.
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Foreground
The area between the camera and the principal subject.
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Formatting
Preparing a disk so the operating system can find the data. A disk is unusable until formatted.
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Front Lighting
Light shining on the side of the subject facing the camera.
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Fugitive Dye
A dye that is not permanent. It will fade when exposed to light, run when water is applied, and will transfer color to other items.
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Genealogical Society
An organization of people associated because of their common interest in the genealogy of the families in an area (county, state, country), or an ethnic or a family group.
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Hand Tinting
Also known as hand coloring. Applying layers of color with oils, dyes, or pigments to the surface of a black-and-white photograph, giving it the appearance of a colored photograph.
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Hardware
Physical parts of a computer: printer, keyboard, monitor, scanner, hard or floppy disk, power supply, memory chips, and modem.
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Head of Household
The term used for the person whose name appears first in the census enumeration of a family or group of people living together; before 1850, the only peoples' names who appear in the census enumeration.
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Heat Gun
Also called a heat tool or embossing gun; blows extremely hot air that will melt embossing powder. Do not use near photos or other delicate materials.
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Heirloom
An object passed down, generally within the family, from generation to generation, often of worth only due to sentimental value.
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Heir
A person designated by a will or by the court to receive the property of the deceased.
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Historical Society
An organization of people associated because of their common interest in the history of an area (county, state, country).
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Humidity
Measurement of the moisture content of air and the enemy of all photos and paper.
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Interleaving
An acid-free sheet that is placed between pages in a scrapbook when no sheet protector is used. The sheet prevents photos from touching another one, which could result in scratching and damage to the emulsion.
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Internet
Also referred to as 'the net' or 'Web,' and is a system of computer systems are linked together to transfer information.
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In-law
Person related by marriage or by another legal tie.
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Lamination
Permanent bonding of two layers of plastic film to one or two sides of a flat item. This process is done by applying high heat and pressure (which makes it irreversible) and is not recommended for valuable items. There is also cold lamination where heat isn't needed. Please note that the item within the lamination can still deteriorate.
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LCD Panel
Liquid Crystal Display on cameras that shows such information as remaining exposures, flash status and aspect ratio selected. On a digital camera it can show the image that will be taken.
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Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.
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Lens Shade
A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized to the particular lens.
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Lens Speed
The largest lens opening (smallest f-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.
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Library of Congress
Repository located in Washington, DC, originally created to serve the needs of Congress, now open to the public. A great resource for genealogy.
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Lightfast
Material not affected or faded by sunlight, fluorescent tubes and light bulbs.
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Lignin
Substance that gives plants and trees their strength and rigidity, and also binds wood fibers together. When wood is broken down to make paper, the lignin becomes unstable. Paper that contains large amounts of lignin, such as newsprint, is very acidic and will turn yellow when exposed to light and humidity.
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Lignin Free
To be considered lignin free, paper can contain a maximum of one percent lignin.
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Maiden name
The surname a woman who has married. In genealogy, often the maiden name is lost making it hard to research the roots of that family branch. So whenever possible, note all maiden names within a family.
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Microfiche
Cards made of photographic material containing reduced images of printed material; used with a special reader that illuminates and enlarges the images.
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Microfilm
Rolls of photographic material containing reduced images of printed material; used with a special microfilm reader that illuminates and enlarges the images and allows the spool of microfilm to be rolled forward and rewound onto the spool.
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Migration
Transfer of chemicals to neighboring materials. You want to avoid having acids, oils, and dirt migrate onto your photos and scrapbook pages.
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Mixed Media
An object d'art, which incorporates more than one type of medium.
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Modem
Modulator-Demodulator, device that converts digital data from a computer into analog data that can be transmitted over telephone lines. It can dial and answer a phone call to send or receive the data. Many are now hooked up to the Internet by cable modem.
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Montage
A work made entirely of photographs or incorporating photographs into a collage.
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Mulberry
Paper made from the Sa-tree. This handmade paper has raw fibers so that when the paper is torn or ripped the edge of the paper has a feathery look.
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Mylar D
Uncoated, clear, polyester plastic made by Dupont. It is chemically stable and does not release harmful gases. Mylar D is used in sheet protectors and photograph sleeves and is safe for encapsulation.
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National Archives
The United States repository for documents relating to the history and people of our country.
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Newsgroup
A collection of worldwide 'discussion groups' resources on Internet, like message boards.
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Negative
The developed film that contains a reversed tone image of the original scene.
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Neutral pH
The center reading of 7.0 on the pH scale of 0-14. It is neither acidic nor alkaline.For manufacturers, the acceptable pH neutral range is from 6.5-7.5.
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Non-Bleeding
Ink, dye or paint that does not spread from the original mark on the paper's surface. Non-bleeding depends on both the degree of sizing in the paper and the use of solvents (other than water) in ink.
Non-Migrating
Material and its properties will not transfer or spread to a neighboring item.
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Opaque
Substance or surface that will not allow any light to pass through.
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pH
Measurement of the degree of acidity and alkalinity.On a scale ranging from 0-14, pH 7.0 is neutral, above 7.0 is alkaline (or acid free) and below 7.0 is acidic.
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Permanence
Material's ability to maintain its strength and color over an extended period of time (in some cases, several hundred years) without significant deterioration under normal use and storage conditions.
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Permanent
Materials that are chemically stable. Permanent materials are not prone to deterioration under normal use and proper storage conditions.
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Permanent Inks
Can be water-soluble or solvent-based. This ink dries by evaporation, not by absorption like dye or pigment ink. If used with rubber stamps, the stamp must be cleaned immediately with solvent when using solvent-based permanent inks. These inks are handy for stamping on surfaces other than paper including tile, wood, plastics, metals and other non-porous surfaces.
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Photo Safe
Any material that is chemically stable and can be used on or near a photograph. Even if a pen or ink is photo safe, remember it's best not to write on a photo.
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Pigment
Dry, powdery agent that possesses color. A pigment will not adhere to a surface, so a binder is required to unite the pigment to paper. A pigment does not dissolve in liquid and does not fade when exposed to light.
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Pigment Ink
A slow drying opaque ink excellent for embossing; fade resistant and will not fade if embossed.
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Plasticizer
Unsafe (in scrapbooking) softening agent added in the manufacturing of plastics to make them flexible.
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Polyester
Clear, uncoated, strong plastic used in preservation procedures. Polyester is used in making folders, book jackets and sheet protectors and used for encapsulation.
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Polyethylene
Chemically stable, but naturally slippery plastic with little tendency to cling. It is normally manufactured without anti-block and slip agents. Polyethylene is used primarily in the manufacturing of photographic sleeves and poly bags.
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Polypropylene
Clear and pliable, a stable plastic used in the manufacturing of photographic sleeves.
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Poly-Vinyl Acetate (PVA)
Plastic with properties that cause photographs and documents to deteriorate and fade; avoid any PVA in your scrapbooking.
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Poly-Vinyl Chloride (PVC)
Unstable plastic, generally called vinyl or Naugahyde that may exude oily plasticizers or emit corrosive and acidic hydrogen-chloride gas. It is easily identified by its strong plastic odor. Avoid all sheet protectors, binders, photo enclosures, corners or any other product made from vinyl with your photographs, negatives and memorabilia.
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Preservation
The act of stabilizing an item from deterioration by using the correct methods.
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Positioner
Acrylic or wood tool that is used to place a stamped image in a particular position on your project.
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Quilling
Coiling and shaping very thin, lightweight paper strips into designs or accents.
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Resin-Coated Paper (RC)
Photographic paper with a water-resistant backing that absorbs less moisture than fiber-based photos thus reducing processing time.
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Retouching
Altering a print or negative after development by use of dyes or pencils to alter tones of highlights, shadows, and other details, or to remove blemishes.
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Reunion
An organized gathering of people descended from a common ancestor, bearing the same surname, or bound together by some common tie.
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Reversible
Preservation process or treatment that can be undone without changing the object to return it to its original state.
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Scanned Image
Image that has been processed by a computer scanner to create a digital file of the image.
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Scanner
Digital equipment that can capture the image of whatever is placed on its scanning bed. Scanned items can be imported into a computer system as a file.
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Scoring
To compress paper along a line so paper will fold more easily.
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Sepia
Brownish color produced on photographs in the photographic process or by natural aging.
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Sizing
Coating applied to a surface that increases water resistance, eliminates abrasiveness and fuzz while improving bonding strength.
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Slipcase
Open-ended box that holds a binder. It serves to put your album or photos in dark storage protecting the contents from dust and light.
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Software
Programs, languages, or routines that control the operations of a computer. Often stored on disks or loaded into the computer's hard drive.
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Solvent
Any substance that dissolves another substance to form or create a solution.
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Spotting
Retouching a processed print with a pencil or brush (with watercolors or dyes) to eliminate spots left by dust or scratches on the negative.
Subtractive Color Process
Photographic process in which all but the desired colors are removed by passing the light through subtractive filters.
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Surname
Last name; usually the same as the surname of the father.
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Template
Guide or stencil that allows you to make a shaped mat, box, bag, card or other folded item by tracing or scoring the paper through the template; also used to crop photos.
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Text Paper
General term for lightweight papers. Text paper is an uncoated printing paper of unusually high quality available in a wide range of finishes and colors.
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Transparent
Clear or see-through.
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Translucent
Semitransparent, light can be seen through material.
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Transparency
Also referred to as a slide. A positive photographic image on a clear base film that has to be viewed on a light table or in a slide projector.
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Tripod
A three-legged supporting stand used to hold the camera steady. Especially useful when using slow shutter speeds and/or telephoto lenses.
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Unbuffered
During the papermaking process, the buffering step is eliminated. If a buffer or alkaline compound is added during the papermaking process, the paper is acid free. When interleaving photographic materials, an unbuffered paper is preferred. An unbuffered sheet is vulnerable to migrating, atmospheric acids, and pollutants.
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Vellum
Stiff, translucent paper available in clear, colored, printed or embossed; gives a delicate, arty look to scrapbook pages.
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Water Soluble
Substance that dissolves in water.
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Zoom Lens
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.
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