How do you have your digi designs sorted? Pointers?

[Ragdolly]

Hello all!

I was just wonder how other people have their files sorted?

I have simply left everything in kits, but doing the speed scraps lately and being asked to use different fasteners etc, has made me wonder if it might be easier if I sorted by type. Or maybe even have them saved twice, once in kits, and once in a "type" section?

Any thoughts or pointers would be very helpful! I currently have all my stuff on my back-up harddrive (the laptop harddrive died) so if I'm going to sort them differently, now is the time to do it, as I move everything back on.

Thanks in advance!!

Rae

[Valleygirl]

I sort them by kits. And I use the search function to search for staples etc

But my system is a mess. I have not divided by store or anything, just kits, and old kits (that I don't like or use anymore) and One folder for each CT team.

[vicki23]

I have mine by store, purchased, CT , a file each for wordart, templates, date stamps & basics which is where I have the things I use a lot like stitches & staples.
I have only recently learnt about the search function...but forget to use it...but I think you need to rename your files to things like "red button" or something more specific.

[skyezak]

You do Vicki as some designers don't name their elements like 'staple' but rather 'element1', etc so you won't find a staple if it isn't named that.'

Rae, I use ACDSee and you can tag all your kits as you download them so you tag each individual item then you can find each item, you'd also tag the full kit by say the designer's name, tag the preview so you can look quickly at all your previews or kits by a particular designer or by a particular theme, etc. How detailed you tag is up to you. There are other software programs out there that allow you to tag like Adobe Bridge which Wilma uses (I have no idea how that works). I know PSE comes with the Organiser part so you can use that to catalogue your goodies and quickly search for things. Once you start cataloguing/tagging, you need to keep at it otherwise your searches will become useless. I started a while back and haven't kept up with it so now I have no idea out of 300gb what's tagged and what's not! Given you've only just started digi scrapping, start now and you should be right!

ACDSee has just come out with version 12 I think and not sure if they offer a 30 day free trial or not. Not sure if anyone else uses ACDSee, but I took a quick course over at Jessica Sprague's site and it helped me understand the program better plus the lady that runs the class at Jessica's site has a great blog that gives you tips and such for the program. All Jessica's courses are 20% off at the moment and I couldn't recommend her site enough for helping me learn enough about digi scrapping. She's grown so much more since I first took a class there and you can always go back to the class forum to find out info about the class too.

[Ragdolly]

You ladies are awesome! I didn't even think to check for a search or tag function. I've had a look, and I can just tag each element by a keyword (or several), and that will make life so much easier.

I forgot to meantion I do already sort by designer, otherwise I would be lost as soon as I had more than a couple of kits, and I am terrible at remembering designers for credits otherwise.

Sharon, that site looks amazing! If i don't like the tag function on my program (I'm using the Creative Memories program) I'll swtich to that one and do the course. It's such a good idea, having the courses!

Thank you SO MUCH! You have been a huge help! Now I have to think about how specific to be in my tags... should I just do "buttons" or do you think I'll need to tag in colour groups?

[skyezak]

That's where it gets tricky Rae. I tend to just do buttons rather than red buttons but if you have time, do it when you're tagging. But remember that in PS, you can recolour items pretty easily.

Re online classes....Jessica's are pretty cheap because she gets so many people into her classes. She originally started by offering tutorials on her blog but once she started online classes, it took off and now she sells her tutorials and some classes you do live and others you do at your own pace. I've done loads of online classes in all sorts of things but without what I learnt in Jessica's, I wouldn't be here doing this. Pene (aka rtoose) is one of my real life buddies and she too did all of Jessica's classes. You start with the beginners and do them in order but there's all sorts of topics covered there now like photo editing, using Illustrator, organisation (aka ACDSee) and hybrid classes, so you can do them in your home in your own time and you get to access the class, the videos, the forum etc forever plus Jessica gives you lots of freebies, coupons to digi stores and knowledge of what to do and where to go in digiland. I learnt 90% of what I know through her so I can't recommend her highly enough. There's lots of other places to check out classes - Renee Pearson is another who now has an online class site so you could check her out too.

[marianne]

@ Sharon, I just adore your enthusiasm!

Rae ... would it scare you if I told you that I remember most of what's in all the kits I have? I know .... it's an odd talent but yes, the search function is wonderful, I just use Vista's. I then have my shop folders, and CT folders (yes, I CT as well, I know, mad as a hatter!) and I keep it in the kit files, I hate when it's all over the place

[Zeb]

I have a large file where are joined together all my kits put alphabetically designers, and a file “preview” or I alphabetically arrange also then the name of the kit all the statement, when I seek something, I look at the preview,

I have front, to arrange by elements: ribbon, button, attach…
but I really did not like

On the other hand as regards my Cu, all is by group: button, ribbon… But kept well in its document, with its tou…

[marianne]

Zeb, that's a very clever way to organise the CU stuff!

[vicki23]

I also have my CU stuff sorted like Zeb too, but I keep all the TOU's & previews in another folder.