Am I Missing Something???

[Calkacky]

I just recently ordered this program and am already thinking there is something I am doing wrong.

In the previous program I was using, there were tons and tons of backgrounds. On here there only seems to be very little. When I go into backgrounds there is about 20 or so on the right side of the screen and each of those 20 has 2+ backgrounds to choose. Is that all there is?

Thanks for any support,
Amy

[srussell]

The majority of the content is on the CD... although there is a link for a content pack that should have been included with your purchase.

[Calkacky]

Thanks for your response. I received this program and then got sidetracked with ACDSee and organizing everything. I thought though that I downloaded the CD. Maybe I will just remove the program and start completely over.

[crops2dawn]

HI Calkacky!! And welcome aboard! I dont think you have to delete anything, just install the content pack! I didnt do that in the beginning either, I just thought when I put the program in that was it, but there is section called the contact pack that you must ALSO download. I think you'll be fine once you do that!

[Calkacky]

Thanks. I did that, but still have very little under backgrounds. Was I supposed to install whatever was sent to me in the e-mail when I first purchased SM?

[crops2dawn]

When you are in SBM and click on the paper( the little piece of paper at the top) it will take you to all sorts of paper! Is that what you are talking about?? If that doesnt help, someone with a greater knowledge will come along and help ya out.

[Calkacky]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I get quite a bit of plain, colored paper. I just don't get many files under the backgrounds category where all the "pretty" decorated papers are. If you go into the backgrounds category, I get only 21 folders. Now, there are some more pages within those 21 folders, but in my opinion, not that many. A previous program I was using had so so much more. From what I am seeing in backgrounds and other categories, this program has very little. Here's another example: I click on the heart for the embellishments folder. A box pops up and on the left hand side of it, there are 29 categories and each category then has some additional stuff in it. There is only 1 letter category and it has only 4 different styles of letters in it. Is that what you have? I'm starting to think I am either crazy or that this program isn't what I thought it was and I spent money I should've saved.

I appreciate any responses and assistance.

Thanks again for your help so far,
Amy

[crops2dawn]

Your not CRAZY!! lol Its worth it, you will find sooo much in here to fill those folders!! Trust me!! I got sooo much I ran out of room on my computer!!! What ya need to do is go into the templates and the embellishment on here and dowload anything you want! and use it. If you need something just holler out and someone will help ya! There is soooo much out there all for the takin! You can type in the search for a certain thing you need and it if there is anything on here it will bring that up! I hope this helped ya out a bit!

[srussell]

BTW, did you check out "What's Included" for the classic Edition?

http://www.scrapbookmax.com/whats-included-classic.php

[Calkacky]

Yeah, you did help me. I do have a bunch of freebies I've collected off the internet and I can use them here. I just thought this program had a whole lot more in it and am finding myself very disappointed that it apparently doesn't. It advertises thousands of pre-designed embellishments, papers and layout templates and I sure the heck don't see anywhere near that much. I also have PSE, but didn't feel ready to step up to that. However, if I am going to have to use mostly my stuff here, I may as well go ahead and switch over to PSE as you can do so much more with it.

I am going to to send an e-mail to the uppers of SM and see if there just is something I am missing. I am still in denial that there isn't more than there is preloaded in their program for $40.00!

Thanks again,
Amy

[crops2dawn]

Amy, I am sorry your disappointed! I have PSE myself and find that I like to do my templates on SBM, its easier to use for me anyway. I use PSE for different photo effects and I am trying to make embellishments with it. But as far as easy goes, it simple to make a layout with SBM. When you dowload templates from here they automatically go into your templates, then you just click the template you want and from there change it the way you want. And yes its easy to use freebies you get from other places too. Just give it a try, you'll find out how easy it is to do, heck if I can do it anybody can! LOL

[Calkacky]

I'm not totally giving up on it yet. It is just a let down when you come from a competitor program to this one and find you now have WAY Less stuff than you did. The main reason I switched from the other program to here was because I wanted to save my layouts in 300 dpi and cannot. It will only let me save them at about 200 dpi. When I called the manufacturer of the program, they told me their program doesn't allow for saving in 300 dpi. Anyway, I really do appreciate your help. It has helped calm my nerves if anything! LOL!

[Granny]

Hello, Calcacky, and welcome to the forum...

Please let me share a thought with you. Although many scrapbooking websites emphasyse the fact that their embellishments are exported at 300dpi, this is mostly a gimmick. Unless you're a professional printer, there is very, very little difference between 300 and 200 dpi. It's practically impossible to tell them apart. So it's really not an important issue for someone that uses scrapbooking software. What is important is that using 200dpi cuts the file size tremendously, so if you want to share your creations with others over the net, or e-mail, 200 dpi is the only way to go.

More and more sites are now switching to 200, and the users are really reaping the benefits. So, please forgive me if this does not apply to your specific needs, but for most users, 200dpi wins hands down.

Just my two cents worth, adjusted for inflation!

Delighted to have you aboard. Don't give up on Max, this forum and the developers more than make up for any difference from your old program. Just give it time.

[Manatee25]

Hey there... just saw this thread and thought I would put in my bit. There is TONS of free things you can download off the sharing sections. For me it is the program I like more than the content. It is SUCH and EASY program to use!! Yet it is completely versatile!!!! I found that for creating a scrapbook it is the best around. Spend an hour or two downloading free stuff and I think you will find your content triples very quickly.... if not more than that. There is new stuff being posted DAILY as well. I think you will find the community to be a big help where the content of the program is concerned. I can understand how you are feeling... when you expect one thing it is hard to not be 'dissapointed' if it isn't what you thought. But seriously... you can get TONS of content and I think you will find the ease of the program is worth ever penny you spent... even if it hadn't come with a stitch of paper in it.

Just my thoughts!
Hope it goes well for ya!
Tina

[*eng*]

Hi.
I understand what you are trying to convey calkaky, there was a lot in a thread with similar comments a while ago, but I think we all agree there is so much more this versatile programme has to offer. You can use anything you download into PSP, Photoshop, PSE and others ib Scrapbook Max. Being a numpty I don't have enough brain cells to use these programmes, but I download a lot of scrapbook 'stuff' into another programme and use it in Srapbook Max as I need it. It keeps SBM from being overloaded and works faster. I agree with Crops, it's such a great programme, simple being the key word. If you are a clever bod then you can do miracles with it.It sounds as though you are as you say about PSE. I'm envious if you can use that. Have you looked on the forums under templates, embellishments and challenges. There is enough especially for SBM in every thread and often more hidden further in the threads. People are so very generous on here, I know of no other site where people share their talent so willingly and freely. I always look but daren't download it all or my lappy would blow up at the very thought of it ! I do hope you'll stick around and explore the forums.There is so much hidden in them you'd never get bored. Oh and pop into Scrapville (Days of Our Scraps ' thread. Don't try and read back or you'll think you need sectioning! There is a lot of nuttiness there, also support and warmth and above all as such a significant part of Scrapbook Max, friendship. I'd like to know of a site that beats this one on that score alone, you'd be very hard pushed to find one.
Tell you what Calkaky, give it a month, have a good poke around and then let us know if you feel any happier with the programme.
We will always try and help out if you have any other queries. I do hope that persuades you to give it a chance. Thank you for sharing your disappointment, and I do hope it lessens soon.