Organization

[beckag99]

That is really smart!

Then, I copy/paste every preview image and put it in a "!!!PREVIEWS" folder so I can just scroll through that folder, find the kit I want to use & since every designer puts their name & kit name on the preview image - I can go to the folder and use it. I always used to look at the preview images but I would go through every folder trying to remember which kit had which preview. [some previews I found don't have the designer name // kit name - so I rename that preview to have both in the file name.]

[lorryfach]

I stopped using Picasa since posting my earlier post. I use the stuff built into MacOS now. I haven't used Windows in a LONG time (I was a Linux user before Mac lol) so I don't know if this will help at all, but here's the general idea.

I have a "by designer" folder, and each designer has a folder in it, and all their kits and whatnots are in their folder. The folder icon is the preview for what's in it.

I have a "by store" folder, and e.g. there's a "Ginger Scraps" folder in there, and aliases (I think Windows calls them shortcuts?) to the designers that sell here. This is nice because 1) some sites give extra points or whatever if you use their designers and 2) the designers list is long and if I know what store someone is in, it can be faster to look there. Using aliases is nice because some people sell in multiple stores.

I have Smart Folders (saved searches) for the different kinds of stuff, like kits, templates, alphas, etc. So if I look in the Kits Smart Folder, for example, I can scroll through all the kits. As long as I've set the folder icon to the preview, this is basically like the !!!Previews folder Sica has, except I don't have to copy files anywhere. It's added automatically because it's a Smart Folder and I still only have one copy of it on my hard drive.

If there's anything else I think I might search by, for example if the kit is called Fireworks but I might want to find it when I search "Independence Day", then I add those search terms as Spotlight comments. There are basically tags built-in on MacOS. I don't know what that would be on Windows.

Everything is on my laptop's hard drive until I've organized it (I do like Sica with papers, elements, alpha folders in each kit) and then I move it to the EHD into the proper location.

Also, I label things when I've used them, so I know which kits I've not used yet. The ones I've used are yellow and the unused ones are uncolored.

[velociraptorx]

here is a questionf or you all.
I like making graphics for other people and I know only SOME kits are okay to use for S4O / S4H [don't worry, I follow every designers TOU - as a maker of other things, I completely understand!] Now, here is my question, how do you keep S4O/S4H kits marked? or do you? I just have no idea when a kit is S4O or S4H unless I check the TOU of each one - which is a pain.. some designers put it on their preview; most don't [that I've noticed]

[lorryfach]

I rename the TOUs and previews so they are the first things listed in the folder, and when I'm renaming the TOU I put at the end, like: {TOU CU}.txt

[aevans96]

I rename ALL of my kits by name of kit, Designers name and PUO or S4H. So when I'm working in Picasa and find the right element I right click on it and view it on the hard drive it tells me if I can or can't use it. If not I close the window and continue looking through my stash until something else strikes my fancy.

[velociraptorx]

I rename the TOUs and previews so they are the first things listed in the folder, and when I'm renaming the TOU I put at the end, like: {TOU CU}.txt

That sounds like the perfect thing for me to do. Since I have a folder full of the preview images so I know where to go - I can rename it & put S4O // S4H // PUO at the beginning and they will all be organized by those! AHHH!! Thank you so much. =o) Tons more organization I need to do. Good thing I'm bringing mylaptop with me when we go out of town.. where there is no internet. lol. Give me something to do.

[AWhittleWhimsy]

I totally never thought of using Picasa. That's a great idea. All these ideas are fantastic