browsing templates

[Emmy]

How do you organize your templates so you can easily browse your collection when scrapping? I find that after the initial purchase and possible use - I don't tend to utilize my templates as much as I'd like because browsing through all of them is a bit too daunting. Ideas? No ACDsee please LOL.

[Darcy Baldwin]

I have them set up in their own folder and just look through to see one that pleases me. I know many set up folders for the # of photos on the template, so that may help you cut down a bit on just browsing - if you need 3 photos, then go to the 3 photo templates.

I also am very delete happy with templates. If I keep looking and keep not choosing certain styles or one that's been there forever, I get rid of it.

[MissKim]

I just have mine in a folder, too. I do clean out the folder pretty often and move templates to a more permanent storage (can't delete anything!) as I get tired of them, but I find it pretty easy to browse and find what I want. I do love that in Vista I can make my thumbnails extra large!

[Emmy]

so you take them out of the designer folders and just put them all in one big folder? You do this with the PSD and the preview? Or are you viewing PSD files via PSE? (I tend to browse my scrap stuff through explorer so I can't see what PSD files look like - I have to have the JPG preview there too)

I am having trouble imagining them all in one folder - I have so many. But possibly you two clean out more frequently than I do. I probably have every single one I've ever purchased....

[Darcy Baldwin]

Yep - I just put them all in one big folder (properly named) and safe them as .tiffs I never have problems seeing them in explorer at all.

[Emmy]

I just checked and I can view tiffs in explorer as well, I just can't view psd files. I guess I could change them....:blink:

[Darcy Baldwin]

<<<HUGE advcoate of converting them to .tiff. They save so much space, they are more easily viewable, and there is no loss of quality, ever (it's how I save layouts til printed, too.)

[Stacey42]

I keep all the .jpg previews loose in my main template folder & browse that with Windows Picture viewer, then when I find what I want I go to the appropriate subfolder (mine are grouped by designer, plus one for SSD cookies) and get the .psd file.

[lovely1m]

I just have a template folder with 2 more folders in it, 1 for used and 1 for unused templates.

[mummytothree]

WEll I have ACDSee now but when I didn't I seperated them into 6 different folders:

1 photos
2 photos
3 photos
4 or more photos
2-pagers
Other (non photo templates).

When I went to scrap a picture or event I almost always knew how many "photo places" I would need so then I only had to browse through that folder....much easier then browsing all my templates.

As for using them over and over...well SSD has helped me their...after participating in the spin a lift challegnes I've been know to spin a templater several times for a totally different look!!!

BTW for any one that might be reading this that uses ACDSee that is how I still "organize" my templates but now i don't need seperate folders I just use a tag for each of those catagories!!!

[ditzyscrap]

I don't have a good method at all, lol...

BUT I did want to say that if you Google it, you can find a tool for Windows that lets you see PSD thumbs. You can't see the large view in "filmstrip" mode, but you can see the little 100x100 thumbs. I don't have it installed on my new computer but did have it before.

[Emmy]

thanks Bree! (Btw your new 365 pack rocked - picked it up yesterday and already used it.)

I think the crux of my issue is that I can't view psd files in explorer and so I have to keep both the preview and the psd in a folder and then it gets confusing dumping them all into one BIG folder cause they don't "stay together" well (files names I assume). I am going to check into the download Bree mentioned and if that doesn't fly for me, I'm going to convert to tiff.

I do like the idea of sorting into folders by # of pictures on the template, I might have to consider that. I had this epiphany yesterday that I just really need to use templates more LOL.

[pewtertm]

I don't have a good method at all, lol...

BUT I did want to say that if you Google it, you can find a tool for Windows that lets you see PSD thumbs. You can't see the large view in "filmstrip" mode, but you can see the little 100x100 thumbs. I don't have it installed on my new computer but did have it before.

I had a free PSD viewer on my XP desktop and it helped SO much. Bummer that it won't work in Vista...anybody know if there is a free one out there that works with Vista?

[Emmy]

For anyone else that might be interested: Link (http://www.josh.biz/tech/6-view_psd_thumbnails.html) to fix for the viewing PSD files in windows thing.

This took me less than 2 minutes to download and install - I didn't have to restart my machine and I can now view my psd's in explorer. woo hoo!

ETA: Stacy, I'm on XP so no idea if this links in vista...

[Kim Mauch]

I have all of my templates converted to tiff, so I can dump the jpg files and also save space.

I keep almost all of my templates in one folder. But my special (i.e. favorite templates: cookies, sya's templates) have their own folder so I can find them easily.

Glad the psd converting is working for you. I wish I had known that even existed!