A Couple Tips on Tracking Your Credits
Keeping track of your layout credits can be one of the most frustrating steps in your creative process. When you post your pages in a public forum or gallery (Facebook included) not only is it common courtesy to credit the designers’ whose product(s) you have used, but most designers REQUIRE that you do. When you don’t give credit it can appear that you are claiming the products as your own creations, which could potentially lead to legal problems for you. Piracy, especially when it comes to digital products, is a huge concern and problem. By giving credit you are also helping the designer get additional business. Have you ever seen a page that you just adore, but have no clue what the products are, or how to find them? I know I have, and it can be so frustrating – sometimes I see something that is perfect for a page I have planned and so desperately want it. Without giving credit, another scrapbooker cannot find that product and go get it for themselves.
It took me quite a bit of time to find a process that worked for me. Eventually what it boiled down to was creating a Word document and then whenever I USED another product in the page, immediately putting it into the document. I include a line for the file name, so I can always find it, plus a section for including a preview of the final page (I resize it in Word to 2-inches square). There are a couple other sections as well, and, if needed, I can always change it up again in the future.
You can download my template for tracking credits HERE if you’d like to make use of it yourself. Please feel free to change it around to suit your own needs. Whether you make use of my template, or another method, whatever you do, please keep track of your credits and remember to include them when posting your pages.
Another super simple option, and in many ways easier than my process, is to create a new text layer in your Photoshop document (in other words – a text layer on your layout) and EACH time you add a new product, to type in what you used. I’d suggest at least adding the designer and product names. When you’re ready to save your file and share it, turn off that text layer (all you need to do is click on the little eye icon to turn off a layer). If you’re worried you may forget to turn the layer off, you can also DRAG it under all of your layers, that way your background paper covers it up. Then, when you post your finished page online, all you need to do is copy the text from that layer (make sure you have the text tool open so you’re actually in the text field, and not just on the layer) and then paste it into the information field in the gallery.
So, how do you keep track of your credits?
