How do you organize?

[JackieP]

I am a new digi scrapper and I just keep buying, buying, buying, and I have a zillion folders, named like "PP259609" and I have no idea what is in that folder (except that I do know it is patterned paper- LOL!) So when I am looking for something in particluar, I have to sit and open up 50 folders before I find the one little element I am looking for. Then I have spent so much time looking that I don't have any time to work on my layout. I have tried renaming the folders, but my computer won't allow it.
Soooo.....my question is... how do you know where everything is?


Jackie

[hawsumb]

I'm also a newbie so I'm sure others will have other advice. Right now I've separated my things primarily into three folders "brushes" "paper" and "elements" I take everything out of the original folders and put them in whichever is the most appropriate. I'm not that concerned about keeping track of who's stuff is who's because I'm not interested in getting published. This way in Adobe Bridge when I open the "papers" folder I can see everything I have at once. I find that it makes it a lot easier to mix-and-match this way. I will definitely be following this thread though to see how others do this.

~ Heather

P.S. I do keep the original zip files backed-up on my EHD. That way nothing gets permanently harmed that I can't just find again there!

[digigrandma]

Hi Jackie and Hi Heather
So glad you are both here at DD! It is a friendly place and there are so many helpful scrappers who frequent this forum.

As you can probably imagine, we all have different ways to organize. I think you would find the following threads helpful to read on this same topic.


http://www.designerdigitals.com/ddms...organize+files

http://www.designerdigitals.com/ddms...light=organize

http://www.designerdigitals.com/ddms...light=organize

[JackieP]

Thanks- those are great threads. I appreciate you finding them for me Merrilee!
I am going to start by organizing by designer, and then subfolders within each designer. I think that is a great idea!
Thanks!

[MIDA78466]

The threads Merr listed are great.

when I used a PC, I purchased ACDSee and loved it.

Since moving to a MAC, I purchased Shoebox and so far am pleased (although, I am still new).

[hulseyfam]

I ordered ACDSee a few weeks ago and it actually just arrived today! I just need to find time to sit down and organize. I've heard wonderful things about it.

[whatnext]

i'm pretty low-tech with organizing. i have a giant external hard drive with folders: Digi Scrap Paper, Digi Masks, Digi Templates, etc. i have folders for elements, like Digi Ribbons and Bows, Digi Bugs, Butterflies and Animals, etc. I keep the original file names within the folders so I know who the designers are. i find, when i'm scrapping, that i look for things based upon what they are and not who made them, so that's how i've organized my stuff. good luck!

[Scrapbird]

I use the organizer in Photoshop Elements and I LOVE it!! There are lots of tutorials on the web that can hep you set it up.

Here's one:
http://www.adobe.com/support/documen...Tutorials/04h/