Customer Reviews

Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist 2

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I ordered DSA2 in spite of some poor reviews and I'm so glad I did. The program allows users to download a bunch of free kits from Daisy Trail so even though it doesn't come loaded with materials and kits, they are easily available. Of course you can buy more but you don't have to. There is also a voucher included that you can spend at DT. With some searching on the internet I've found tons of free kits, materials and embellishments. The program allows you to create your own kits (Digikits) and add to them at a later time. It doesn't cost you an extra dime. The only downfall is spending the time to make your kits. I won't go into all the features as these are listed in the product description. One thing I love about this program is the availability of video tutorials on [...]. DSA2 is loaded with lots of features and to get the most out of it you should spend some time learning how the they work. These tutorial are invaluable. You Tube also has many tutorials. The help button is also useful and is easier to understand than many other program's help features. Also, I found this program very easy to use right out of the box. Of course it took awhile to learn the many features and I'm still learning and exploring. That keeps it from being boring. I'm proud of the scrapbook pages and cards I've made so far. I'm a beginner to scrapbooking and with DSA2 I've created some impressive pages. Although this isn't a slam on DSA2, Serif tends to bombard you with emails trying to sell you their other products. I did get PagePlus X4 and also like it but they do get a little in-your-face on selling programs. For me DSA2 is still a 5 star product. I got more that I was hoping for.

I can't tell you how disappointed I am with this software. I'm a graphic designer and very computer literate. I was hoping for a program with lots of backgrounds, odds and ends, layout designs, etc. to help take out the labor intensive approach of Photoshop. The software comes with so few free backgrounds and accouterments it's pitiful. It's a bait and switch deal. If you want a library of items you can really work with you have to purchase them from the software's company. I didn't buy this software in order to have to buy additional software. Now I'll just have to look for some software with a library full of useful scrapbooking items. I'm not sure if I'm just completely disappointed or truly angry. Probably angry.

I LOVE this program. If you're computer savvy and haven't invested a ton of money into scrapbooking then this is worth buying and getting into. Their tutorials on Youtube are pretty good. I'm able to scan in the few things I already have into my existing Photoshop Elements and create digikits of my own. There are also a ton of free kits online, and the ones for purchase are about 5 bucks! For that I get the same stuff I would have spent 30+ bucks on in the store, and my supplies NEVER run out!!!In the end, you can save a TON of money with this program.
The cost of printing 12x12 books can go from 30 to 70 bucks so save for that, printing 8x8 is about half that. Otherwise, it isn't much to pay to print print 12x12 pages (about a buck a page, discounts for larger orders) and put them into your existing scrapbook or one you bought cheap on sale...
Please note, if you do not already have a photo editor like Elements or Corel, you will want one. The program has a decent one so you can get started, but having something you can REALLY edit, tweak and enhance photos with is a major plus. So look at those programs as well.

I have used Memory Mixer and Photoshop Elements to do scrapbooking. I prefer this program over the other for SCRAPBOOKING for a number of reasons.
1) I can download FREE kits from various sites and create my own kits (Mainly from Summertime Designs). Time consuming in the beginning, but well worth it. In both Memory Mixer and PSE, for each individual element ie. paper, ribbon, etc... You have to go through the process of placing or opening for each thing. Not that big of a deal, but after using Serif, you realize what a time waster it is and frustrating when you want to try different elements.
2) Serif has a work space to put things "to the side" while you decide on placement. I love this feature!
3) It is very user friendly. I had no problem working things out.
4) I do not use it to do any serious photo editing because I am a photographer and I use Photoshop if I want to do any of that. But for my personal/family scrapbooks, it works well without pulling out the big guns of Photoshop.
5) Easy to save and print

Cons:
1) I like the fact that Memory Mixer has multiple template options. As far as drag your photo into the frame and then just pick your own elements. I like that aspect. And PSE also has a scrapbook maker within its program as well. It is not bad.
2) When typing text, I have to mess around a little to make it fit within the parameters that I want. With PSE you create the text box and go at it. The text then stays within that box. Not that big of a deal, but when thinking of Cons, that came up.

Really, I love working in the Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist. I know a lot of people complain about there not being that many elements. But there is so many free digital scrapbooking sites out there, it is not an issue with me. Yes it is a little time consuming at the beginning. But once you have them "created" into this program, its a snap. That really was probably the best selling point for me, being able to add everything that I already have and creating my own kits. It is so much easier to move around things on your page. I have never paid a cent for a scrapbooking kit and probably never will.
Side note:
Some sites for free kits.
[....]
[...]
Overall, a great program. Hope that this helps. I wish someone would have told me some of this when I started Digital Scrapbooking.
These two are just a few of many. But I got most of my stuff from them. Its all FREE.

I love this program. It is the second Digital scrapbooking program I have owned and I like it so much better than the previous one (Scrapbook Factory Deluxe). SFD was an okay program but very limited in what I could do with it. I finally found what I wanted in DSA and DSA2.

Pros:
1. I got DSA1 for $10 and then upgraded to DSA2 when it came out for $30.
2. The program is written for scrapbooking so it is more intuitive than other graphics programs people use for scrapbooking.
3. Create your own digikits. This should probably be #1 on my list because this is probably one of my favorite parts. I have well over 100 digikits that I have found on the web for free not to mention the free ones you can get from DaisyTrail
4. The tools and accessories are fantastic some of my favorites are Cutout studio, scissors, the effects stencils, shadows.
5. DaisyTrail is the support site for this program and it is very helpful, from answering questions to tutorials to galleries for inspiration.
6. The more I use it the more I love it!
7. Drag and drop frames.
8. Great training tutorials on DaisyTrail and YouTube.
9. You can try out the compact version for free by downloading it from DaisyTrail. This isn't a trial but a free version that you can keep and use as long as you want.
10. My 7 year old daughter can use the program with little help from me. She loves creating her own artwork and scrapbook pages.

Cons:
1. I know others have complained about the lack of content. It is true that this program doesn't boast 1000 plus elements and backgrounds but that's not really why I bought the program and with the free kits on daisyTrail as well as ones I have found online that isn't a problem for me.
2. The program has frozen up on me on rare instances.

I really can't say enough good about this program. I recommend it to everyone I know. My mom, sisters, and aunt all have the program and seem to enjoy it as much as I do. A great Scrapbooking program.

I really like this product. It is worth the cost for the upgrade.
I know that photoshop elements is the standard. I find this product much easier to obtain many of the desired affects. It allows for customization. They offer free kits. The kits available to purchase are well designed and lovely.
You are not locked into buying the kits; you can make your own and upload them. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

I love this software. I found it much easier to use than Photoshop and you don't have to just use their digital elements. You can upload your own photos or any other scrapbooking graphics you already own. It also comes with lots of freebies and I don't think the prices are bad if you do buy some of theirs. Very reasonable and lots of You Tube tutorials as well as a website you can go to for help and more ideas.
I think it's a lot of fun and maybe not perfect, but the best I've found instead of the overwhelming Photoshop programs.

I liked this program when I first purchased it. It is connected with daisytrail.com which offers additional digikits compatible with the software... Or so I thought. In truth the newer digikits being added to the site are NOT compatible with DSA2. This is NOT advertised on their site. I had to dig through the FAQ (after I tried everything else) to discover that three digikits that I purchased were NOT compatible with DSA2 and will only run on the company's other software, CraftArtist, which they claim is an upgrade from DSA2.

Yes, you can download/purchase other digikits and create your own; however, you should be aware that the newer kits (and they're nice) on daisytrail.com will not be available to you.

Other than that, I was having fun with the software.

So, if you just want a program to use with your existing embellishments, backgrounds, etc. you can enjoy this program. You can create your own.

My complaint is more about not knowing that I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the freebies on daisytrail.com or purchase the digikits I want (if I want to purchase rather than find freebies).

CraftArtist supposedly supports DSA2 scrapbooks and digikits and there should be a seamless transfer. The site offers a compact version for free. I just got it today so I have no clue if it's demo and only does a certain amount or not.

I wish I would have known about this before I purchased DSA2. Thankfully, the program wasn't super expensive. It's the principle.

digital scrapbooking program I've ever used. I bought the first one and loved it so much that when the later upgrade came out, I just had to have it. This is the 2nd one I bought and it was for my 16 year old granddaughter who is very excited about using it. There are occasionally a few glitches, but Serif works diligently to fix them as they come up. I find that the program is comparable to Photo Elements and much easier for me to use. I would highly recommend it to anyone who does digital scrapping or photo editing.

I read the reviews on this product, esp the ones comparing it to Scrapbook factory deluxe, and was swayed by them. Soooo, I still like Scrapbook Factory much better due to ease of use and sheer numbers of options available. With the Serif product, you get the bare minimum (almost nothing) and have to keep purchasing more, more, more! That wasn't mentioned anywhere in the reviews ...anywhere. I will use this some, but I will mostly continue using the Scrapbook factory deluxe 5.0.