Although crafts are regarded as a traditional pastime with a long and treasured history, there are many new generation digital crafts that are opening up crafts to a new group of people.
Some popular forms of digital crafts include:
Digital Scrapbooking
Digital scrapbooking has become increasingly popular over recent years. The accessibility of digital cameras has given scrapbookers a whole new media to work with. Digital scrapbooking follows many of the principles of traditional scrapbooking but using digital images instead of papers and other embellishments. Digital scrapbooking offers scrapbookers a low cost and creative way to create scrapbooks and to share them with others.
Digital Painting and Drawing
There have long been painting and drawing applications for desktop computers. One of the most exciting developments over recent years, however, has been the availability of low cost applications for hand held devices. Drawing and painting applications or apps for devices such as the iPod and iPad have exposed traditional and drawing techniques to the digital generation. These applications offer users the opportunity to create digital works of art and share them immediately with others. Many of the popular drawing and painting applications and programs have sophisticated functionality and replicate many of the processes of producing traditional art.
Digital Stamping
Digital stamping is growing in popularity with many large stamp manufacturers now offering digital images as well as an expanding list of independent designers. Digital stamping differs from traditional rubber stamping because no physical rubber stamp is used. Instead the digital stamp is downloaded from the digital stamp provider and printed. The printed image can then be used in the same way as a traditional rubber stamped image. Digital stamps are typically low cost and are attractive as they are often instantly available. There is no large cost commitment for designers which means that many independent designers are able to reach out to new customers in a way that would traditionally have been cost prohibitive.
Hybrid Crafts
Many traditional and traditional crafts combine to create hybrid crafts. These include paper crafts where some of the project is prepared using a computer and the project is then printed and completed by hand, such as printable greeting cards. There are many online stores now offering printable projects that can be downloaded and printed before finishing by hand. Hybrid crafts also include textile crafts that combine digital printing onto fabric with hand stitching.
While digital crafts are bound to polarize opinion, they offer exciting new opportunities for people who might otherwise not turn their hand to crafting. For some, crafting is all about the 'hands on' nature of working with physical products whereas for others its about the creative process regardless of how it's produced. Digital crafting offers an exciting alternative to traditional crafts for those who wish to embrace it.
Kate Pullen - Kate Pullen is a freelance writer specializing in arts and crafts , and is an accomplished craftsperson. As well as being a designer / ...
