I need a new "system" for getting layouts printed...

[wvasweetness]

I used to wait until a good sale was happening and order a couple hundreds layouts at a time... but I hate not having my scrapbooks up to date, and don't like spending $200+ each time I order layouts.

So recently I've been uploading layouts at the end of each month to print. But it's STILL causing me some confusion on which layouts have been printed, which haven't, etc, etc.... I'm not sure if I'm just confusing myself, or if myself I just need to adjust the way I'm storing my layouts? :confused:

Right now I save layouts by month, like:
_01January
_02February
_03March
etc.

And then inside of each MONTH folder I have subfolders:
_PSD
_Print
_Web
_CT

These subfolders house the source files, files for print, files for uploading to web, and CT files that are 500 or 600px. At the end of each month I delete the _Web folder (since the LOs have already been uploaded to the web), and once I upload the LOs for print I move those files into an _AlreadyPrinted folder.

Since I sometimes go back and scrap pages for that month, the new LOs (that haven't yet been printed) will go into the _Print folder, and are separate from the _AlreadyPrinted folder.

Am I making any sense here? Am I making this harder than it should be?

This wasn't a big deal 2 years ago when I was scrapping about 30 pages a year, but now that I'm scrapping 20+ per month I need to de-cluster my system. What do you do?

[g8rbeckie]

Great topic! I actually have a system I really love...

I have folders that look like this:

...ARCHIVE PSD
...ARCHIVE PRINT
...ARCHIVE WEB

...PSD
...PRINT
...WEB

Here's my workflow:
1. When I'm finished with a LO, I have an action I created that saves a web version to the WEB file, saves a high quality jpg to the PRINT file (and I save all of my PSDs to the PSD file). My file naming structure is: YYYY MM description (ex: 2009 10 Piper bday)

2. When I'm ready to upload files to be printed, I upload everything in the PRINT folder. As soon as I'm done, I move them all to the ARCHIVE print folder. (that ensures that everything in the print folder is somethign that needs to be printed).

3. Periodically I move my PSD file contents to ARCHIVE PSD and WEB to ARCHIVE WEB. Then I have a process to backup my ARCHIVE folders to my NAS (which has mirrored hard drives so it's nice and safe!)

Hope this helps!! I don't bother with folder structures by year/month for my scrapbook pages sincet he dates are in the file name. (I do have all of my photos stored by year/month though!)

[Nettio]

I have mine set up like this:
In Progress
Saved for Web
To Print
Printed
Finished

This is what's in each one:

In Progress - For my PSD files while I'm still working on the layout. They stay in this folder until I've both posted my layout online and saved a jpg version to print. This should only hold current layouts so I don't organize it any further than that. If I want to see them in date order I just sort them by Date Modified.

Saved for Web - All my websized versions of my layouts. I have this folder broken down by year and again if I want to see them in date order I just sort by Date Modified.

To Print - The full-size jpg versions of my layouts. When it comes time to print these are the layouts I upload. If I've done it right, it should only include the layouts that I've made since the last time I've printed.

Printed - Once I've received my printed my layouts, all the jpg versions from the To Print folder get archived into this folder. I leave these on my computer so that they get backed up to Mozy. This folder is organized by year in two folders at the moment - 2006-2008 and 2009.

Finished - Once I've saved a print ready and web version of my layout and uploaded it, my PSD file gets moved into this folder. Then once I've gotten my printed layouts back, all the layouts in this folder are archived off my computer. I like to keep my PSD files in case I need to resave a new size or use them for templates and what not but they take up way too much space to stay on the computer. Really if something happened to them it would be ok because I know the full size jpg versions are saved on my computer and backed up.

[kscwgirl]

k you people are wayyyyyyyy more organized than I am. LOL

I save the fullsize jpgs in folders per who is in the layout (i.e. Abby, JJ, both kids, other)

I save the web size until it's uploaded, and then I delete it.

Once I print the layout, I alter the file name of the full size jpg and add a P at the end.

[Darcy Baldwin]

I do it this way

MY LAYOUTS (all .tiff go here until they've been printed and then are removed)
FLATS - Permanent flat, full-sized storage.
*(TO BE PRINTED) - I upload the full size jpg immediately and place it
here. As soon as it's been printed, it's moved to the flat file.
WEB - where I keep the webshots for posting


That's it. I have a budget monthly, and I print monthly, so I'm fairly up to date. I just take my photos once I get them and move the flats, delete the .tiffs and I'm done. It's pretty easy and harmless and keeps the workflow down for me.

[Emmy]

Every time I finish a layout I.....

- save the psd to a folder named newlayouts_psdfiles_saveuntilprinted
- save the flattened full size version to a folder named newlayouts_tobeprinted
- save a 2nd copy of the flattened full size version to a folder named layoutarchive_year_month
- save a 3rd copy of the flattenedfull size version to the folder holding the photos that are scrapped in it
- save a web version to my 'to be posted' folder

I am slightly obsessive about saving that flat version all over the place!

[wvasweetness]

I have spent a few minutes here and a few minutes there over the past week or so, and got all of my layouts restructured! Now I can actually tell what I'm looking at... LOL... and know what needs printed and what doesn't!

Thanks for your help girls!! :thumbup:

[neenee]

I so need to work on mine! ;)

[Amber1279]

I have an action I created that saves a web version to the WEB file, saves a high quality jpg to the PRINT file (and I save all of my PSDs to the PSD file). My file naming structure is: YYYY MM description (ex: 2009 10 Piper bday)


Anyway you would share that action? The one I have I don't like.