How do you organize your completed layouts onto your computer or EHD?

[DebraB]

I Use MyMemories software for creating my layouts. At present when I get a layout done for a challenge I Share>export>in a small size for web> and then SAVE to a folder titled Challenges on my laptop.
I have probably 15 various Albums in the MyMemories software with anywhere from 10 to 60 layouts in each one, probably total of 250-300 layouts.

It is time to export all those layouts to my computer and then to an external hard drive. (so I can get a photobook printed). I am assuming I will need to transfer to computer as a 'large size' so they print the best? I want to get the organization started right the first time. Should I have a subfolder in my PHOTOS folder titled COMPLETED LAYOUTS, what other subfolders should I have? my albums are titled 2011, 2012, 2013 etc and some years may only have 1 or 2 layouts in, others 50, some layouts are just artsy that probably will never go in a photobook, others I may use in several different photobooks. some are in 12 x 12 size. Most are in 8 1/2 x 11.

I also use ACDSee for organizing all my digi supplies and have thought about just dumping all the layouts in a Completed Layout folder and using ACDSee to categorize and tag.

any ideas, thoughts, or examples will be appreciated.
Deb

 

[Kristi Martin]

All of my layouts are exported in folders by the year the photos where taken and the name of the layout always starts with the date. For instance I created a layout yesterday from photos I took on Tuesday, so the layout was named 04-18-23 Wellfield Botanic Gardens and saved into my 2023 Layouts folder on my laptop. That folder is from OneDrive so it automatically gets saved in the cloud and then I also save that layout jpg to my phone camera roll which then also gets backed up to Google Photos and Amazon photos. By also exporting my layouts back to my phone camera roll they are then sorted automatically by date just like the photos taken so I can easily scroll through my camera roll and see the photos taken that day as well as the layout created using them.
For me it doesn't matter for what reason I created the layouts as in the long run I want everything organized by the date the photos were taken. However saying that if the layout is created for a creative team that I am on I will also add the initials of the designer to the end of the layout name which helps me easily find them by searching for those initials if I need them for something later.

 

[snickels]

All of my layouts are exported in folders by the year the photos where taken and the name of the layout always starts with the date. For instance I created a layout yesterday from photos I took on Tuesday, so the layout was named 04-18-23 Wellfield Botanic Gardens and saved into my 2023 Layouts folder on my laptop. That folder is from OneDrive so it automatically gets saved in the cloud and then I also save that layout jpg to my phone camera roll which then also gets backed up to Google Photos and Amazon photos. By also exporting my layouts back to my phone camera roll they are then sorted automatically by date just like the photos taken so I can easily scroll through my camera roll and see the photos taken that day as well as the layout created using them.
For me it doesn't matter for what reason I created the layouts as in the long run I want everything organized by the date the photos were taken. However saying that if the layout is created for a creative team that I am on I will also add the initials of the designer to the end of the layout name which helps me easily find them by searching for those initials if I need them for something later.

You're so organized, Kristi! I think I've finally decided that I won't be printing any more pages for my albums so I need some new ways to save and organize my layouts. Love your ideas!

 

[Kristi Martin]

You're so organized, Kristi! I think I've finally decided that I won't be printing any more pages for my albums so I need some new ways to save and organize my layouts. Love your ideas!

Thanks! I also don't print my layouts any more. I've realized if I do the pages/books sit here at home and no one ever looks at them. Instead I have created a shared photo folder on my iPhone and all of my family joined that album and now I share them that way. It makes more sense for me to do it that way because then my family has access to my layouts any time they want to look at them not just when they may come to our house and then don't always want to just sit and take time to go through books. This has saved me a lot of money plus I know may pages are actually being seen more often. I also upload my layouts to Instagram which allows others who have chosen to follow me to see them there.

 

[DebraB]

Thanks! I also don't print my layouts any more. I've realized if I do the pages/books sit here at home and no one ever looks at them. Instead I have created a shared photo folder on my iPhone and all of my family joined that album and now I share them that way. It makes more sense for me to do it that way because then my family has access to my layouts any time they want to look at them not just when they may come to our house and then don't always want to just sit and take time to go through books. This has saved me a lot of money plus I know may pages are actually being seen more often. I also upload my layouts to Instagram which allows others who have chosen to follow me to see them there.

I like that idea. How do your layouts with lots of journaling turn out for being able to read on a phone screen?

 

[Windswept]

I put my 12x12 scrapbook pages in a folder listed by person, place, or things. That way when I am looking for a certain page I might have made I can usually find it easily. I do title them by name of kit or template and designer...but I have tons that the first few years of scrapping I just assigned a title to them and now I have a about 5 folders with just layouts so one day when I have time I want to go thru and try and find the kit and designer. I started printing pages but it got expensive and I really don't have the physical space for books or albums.

 

[Kristi Martin]

I like that idea. How do your layouts with lots of journaling turn out for being able to read on a phone screen?

It's easy to read the journaling when zooming in. My layouts are always created using 300DPI, but reduce them to 1000x1000 when saving so the quality is still great.