Hi, I'm a virtual hoarder, and I need help!

[Joana1n]

Tell me it's ok to delete my .psd file once the layout's done. I mean, I *know* it's ok, I have the .jpgs...but I have this terror of deleting the file with all the layers, what if I want to go and change something?! Even though I have a personal resolution not to redo any pages, I'm still all panickey about zapping those layered layout files.

Surely I'm not the only one out there with this problem?

ETA: I'm bad about my .zip files, too...

[breakingbrie]

I'm no help here! I save my .psd files too. I usually burn them after I get a bunch and then delete them. I have on occasion, though, found something I had to go back and fix, that I don't notice right away, so I'm glad I do save them, but they get to be a big space hog, so burning them helps me feel ok about deleting them off the computer. I know if I ever find something I need to fix, I can still go back and do it.

[taracotta7]

I am the same way. I am starting to feel a little spring fever though and feel like cleaning out my PSD file. I think that I am only going to keep the ones that I haven't printed out yet and delete the rest. I haven't got it done yet......I am putting it off because it is causing a little bit of a panic attack!

We can do this!!!! I am sure it won't be the end of the world!

[mummytothree]

I back mine up to DVD once a month before deleting mine. I did have to go back a few years ago and actually use mine but that's because I never printed anything in the beginning and when I started printing I wanted all my pages I had done. Now I print monthly but I still like to have that back up!!!

[Gemma]

I usually wait until I have enough for a disk, then put them on there and delete them from my laptop, then start the process again, lol.

I rarely keep my .zip files though.

[eranslow]

I also keep all my .psd files I need to back them up on something though....

[mummytothree]

Oh I wanted to add but forgot that it's usually senseless to keep zip files because they are very "unstable" and corrupt easily!!!! It's better to just save the kit them selves to DVD or some other back up!!!!

[Darcy Baldwin]

I don't delete my layered layouts until I've printed off the layout. Then I know I'm not going to need it again and delete it. You can always burn them to disc and then delete them off your hard drive.

If you're concerned about space, consider converting your .psd files (if you're running a PS or PSE program) to .tiff files. They are smaller in size and take up less space on your PC than .psd files. They take a tad few seconds longer to save, but totally worth it.

Here's a thread with lots of info:
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...=tiff+settings

While I've never had a zip file corrupt, the common wisdom about zip files is that they aren't stable enough to store for long term. I used to save mine years ago, but got over it and deleted them as soon as I opened and filed away the folder.

[scrapperjade]

I didn't know that about zip files!! I've been saving all mine for years! Do you know how much room I'd free up if I just deleted them!?!? Sigh.

[DawnMarch]

I save the psds to disk and delete them. And for the most part, if you still have the kit, you CAN fix a jpeg. Might take a little longer than if you had the original layers but I will sometimes "patch" a jpeg file with a correction.

[carriesmom]

I don't save zips either. I save my PSDs because inevitably I have typos to be corrected.

[nikkiARNGwife]

I never keep my layered files lol...been doing this 5 years and I've MAYBE had to go back 3-4 times to a layered file...I keep a WIP folder with my 5 most recent layouts in it...if I haven't had to go back to it within a week or so it gets replaced (unless it's a special layout for assignments). I don't keep zip files either..in fact after a few months..most of the things I download get deleted forever...except CT stuff (and even that if it's really old or been retired). The only things I burn to DVDs are my photos and completed flattened layouts. I just can't hog up precious HD space with stuff I'll never use.

[coopert]

I don't save zips at all. But as for the psd's, I haven't deleted any. I think I am going to start backing them up to dvd's once a month, though.

[Heather Roselli]

I keep all of my layered psd files too. We have some big store thingie (dh does that stuff)...so they aren't directly on my laptop hogging up space. I just can't bring myself to delete them.

I do no keep zip files though for that whole unstable reason. Just back up the kits themselves and you'll be better off imo.

[amystoffel]

I've never saved a psd file of a layout! As far as kits, I back them up after I've used them and delete them off my hard drive.

[Joana1n]

Ok, just this post made me hyperventilate a little! You don't keep your kits?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! ;-)

We have a terabyte server that gets backed up to another USB drive every night (or maybe every week, I forget now which it is).

Originally Posted by nikkiARNGwife

I never keep my layered files lol...been doing this 5 years and I've MAYBE had to go back 3-4 times to a layered file...I keep a WIP folder with my 5 most recent layouts in it...if I haven't had to go back to it within a week or so it gets replaced (unless it's a special layout for assignments). I don't keep zip files either..in fact after a few months..most of the things I download get deleted forever...except CT stuff (and even that if it's really old or been retired). The only things I burn to DVDs are my photos and completed flattened layouts. I just can't hog up precious HD space with stuff I'll never use.

[cindys732003]

Can't help you either, I always keep my layered files, but once they are burned onto disk, then I delete them. I usually try to proof read my journalling before I get them printed and there are several times I've had to go back and change them (even though I still end up missing stuff (spelling mistakes etc ) LOL. I just can't bring myself to get rid of them permanently though!!

[Stacey42]

I keep the .psd files because I never know what size they will end up being printed and even if I printed it once as a single page for an album, it might later end up being printed in a bound book of a different size. I don't keep the .jpgs, except the websized. I do however copy the .psd files to my EHD and to DVD every 6 months and get them off my hard drive.

I keep the zips for a few months just in case I accidentally delete or alter and mistakenly save something from the kit so I can get the original back. But after 3-4 months I delete the zips. I save the kits to DVD every time I get 4GB worth of new stuff. I'm also a regular stash purger. If it hasn't been used in 6 months it's gone.

[NeverendingJen]

I'm no help, I save all my PSD's on my EHD.

[rochelle789]

Once the page is printed, the psd file is gone forever. Never once have I regretted getting rid of them. The zips are deleted immediately. Once you start deleting, you won't even miss them. I say just go for it.

[nikkiARNGwife]

Originally Posted by Joana1n

Ok, just this post made me hyperventilate a little! You don't keep your kits?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! ;-)

We have a terabyte server that gets backed up to another USB drive every night (or maybe every week, I forget now which it is).

I keep them for a while...but if it's something that I have used at least 2 times...and I know I won't use it again..there's no reason to keep it...I have a hard enough time using all my new stuff...much less going back into my old stuff. I've never had an instance where I deleted something I wished I hadn't.

I'm like this IRL too though...DH jokes that if he's got something he doesn't want me to toss out he better nail it down..b/c I am all about throwing things we don't want/need/use out. lol

[Lizzy257]

Originally Posted by Darcy Baldwin

I don't delete my layered layouts until I've printed off the layout. Then I know I'm not going to need it again and delete it.

This is what I do too

[scrapmommaof3]

Originally Posted by nikkiARNGwife

I keep them for a while...but if it's something that I have used at least 2 times...and I know I won't use it again..there's no reason to keep it...I have a hard enough time using all my new stuff...much less going back into my old stuff. I've never had an instance where I deleted something I wished I hadn't.

I'm like this IRL too though...DH jokes that if he's got something he doesn't want me to toss out he better nail it down..b/c I am all about throwing things we don't want/need/use out. lol

If I was a sugar babe, I would do that too. With so much awesomeness to play with every week, you have no need to save tons of kits forever. (Ignore me, I'm just jealous). LOL!

[Jennilyn]

I save my PSD files until my layouts have been printed, then I delete them.

[tborntreger]

So happy to see this thread and know that I'm not the only person out there struggling w/ the psd issue. I don't keep my zips. I back up to my EHD but I hadn't backed up since 3/29 and my hard drive crashed this week.. ARgh. I typically keep ALL kits I buy and get for CTing...but I don't keep tons of freebies unless they are templates! A few times a year I do try to clean off my hard drive and rid it of anything I know I will NEVER use. I am in general a digi hoarder.

[MandaT]

I think I fall into the hoarder category as well...
I am glad I read this today though, because I've only been backing up the ZIP files to DISC instead of the actual files...so I've spent the last hour or so putting the kits onto disc...they go onto EHD every month as well.
I usually delete the PSD file at the end of the year, as long as its from a printed project.
I also think I will be going through my 'freebie file' as well as most of my non-Sweet Shoppe files & getting rid of a bunch of stuff from my HD since I NEVER go into those files since I started collecting kits from here.

[Gemma]

Originally Posted by nikkiARNGwife

I keep them for a while...but if it's something that I have used at least 2 times...and I know I won't use it again..there's no reason to keep it...I have a hard enough time using all my new stuff...much less going back into my old stuff. I've never had an instance where I deleted something I wished I hadn't.

I'm like this IRL too though...DH jokes that if he's got something he doesn't want me to toss out he better nail it down..b/c I am all about throwing things we don't want/need/use out. lol

Lol, I so wish I was like you, I always think about throwing something out, then think of another use for it. I'm terrible for doing that! Same applies to my scrap kits, I plugged my old EHD in on Saturday and found SSD kits from 2009 that I haven't used, but I couldn't bring myself to delete them, they might come in handy for the portfolio.

[Paula]

I only save my PSD files until I print, then I delete.

[kaylaugh]

I save layered copies and delete zips. I did have a data loss and the layered files were less likely to survive the date recovery process...many of them are toast. The painful part was that I hadn't been saving full size versions...usually just getting a web sized version for posting then 'planning to' catch up on saving fulles and burning to disc when my EHD accident occurred.

I'm really bad about feeling like I may want to adjust the layout later...especially for book printing and margins and stuff. And I have gone back and changed some layouts to 5x7 for a brag book and was thankful those layouts survived. But I need to pick a size/shape/margin and commit to it. Finish my layouts, save at all the sizes I want, then deleting the layered so I don't have to go back..or can't keep fiddling with them....lol!

Kristi

[glumirk]

I save in .tiff (with LZW and ZIP selected) and then I don't worry because they are taking up 1/4 the space of PSDs. I also started deleting the zip files because I realized that I never went to them. It's so easy now to just delete them right after extraction, but that first step was hard. Once I deleted some, it made no more sense to keep them (in my head, anyway). I'm way better at deleting freebies I haven't used in awhile than kits that I bought and paid for. I'm cheap.

[adrianka]

It never occurred to me that I should delete my .psd files or that keeping them defines as hoarding. And I don't plan to get rid of them, either. It has happened I came back to things.

In RL, I get rid of clothes I know I won't wear (like, I was underweight for years and when I managed to gain some weight I got rid of all the clothes as I never planned to go that much down again), or of things I know I won't use, but I never get rid of any creative stuff and have been proven right thousands of times. I can always find ways of using stuff, even if I had no idea of their use when I was buying them. This doesn't help my hoarding habits, but it's true. I look at things as potentially useful, it just takes time be able to discover their true use. That's only true about crafts supplies, though.

I don't keep the .zip files, but then, I never even download them - I extract them online.

[scrapperjade]

Okay, so this thread inspired me to go through ALL my files and delete all my saved zips. OMGoodness - it took me HOURS! Thats what I get for saving every single one of them. But it took my main "Digi Scrap Downloads" folder from 50.1 GB to 27.2 GB!! Holy crap! Now I can buy twice as many kits for half the amount of room, lol!

Next up... old PSD files! AND I even save my new layouts as TIFF's because of that last thread we had on how much room they save... I feel like a new woman! Now if only losing weight were this easy!

[kaylaugh]

Originally Posted by scrapperjade

I feel like a new woman! Now if only losing weight were this easy!

Oh My Freaking Goodness...YES! I totally agree with you on that one!

It's funny, the changes I made in my life to deal with MS and learn to manage stress and everything lead me to decluttering a lot of my physical stuff...we downsized our living space...I had to learn to let go of a lot of baggage...physical as well as emotional. THAT's what started the weight loss for me. Once I was dealing with life in a healthier way, the way I was eating followed suit. It wasn't even an effort! In two years I've lost about 50 lbs. and I'm down from a 22/24 to an 18 for jeans. So while NONE of it is easy, once I started working on letting go of stuff, it became easier to let go of weight too.

Kristi

[joelsgirl]

I back mine up to disk, but I don't delete them off my EHD until they are printed.

[Giseli Freitas]

I do pretty much like nikkiARNGwife does.

Zip files - I delete them once I have extracted the kit to my stash folder.
Kit - Once I organize, use it, pick what I know I'll use again and make a back up copy burning a DVD, I delete them. I only keep in my HD new kit's/not used ones, templates, blocking templates and pack of elements, stitches...
Layered files - I keep them just for the time I take to make a DVD back up of the jpg's.Then, I delete.

[krystalhartley]

Originally Posted by helenvader

It never occurred to me that I should delete my .psd files or that keeping them defines as hoarding. And I don't plan to get rid of them, either. It has happened I came back to things.

This is me. I keep them all--eventually moving them to backup discs. I even have a lot of my layered files for elements and papers that I design for my kits.

I don't keep zip files, and I do eventually delete the layered preview psd for my kits for the shoppe.

Every so often, I go through my "stash" and purge.

[sassynsweet]

Add me to the list...I save the .psd file, a full sized jpeg for printing (which I still haven't gotten around to for the most part ), and the web sized version. Seriously, I need help lol.

[Trixie Scraps]

I save all my PSDs, too.... but I was just reading somewhere else about saving as tiffs like Darcy mentioned... and someone posted a link to some sort of tutorial that explained how to batch process an entire folder's worth of PSDs and turn them into tiffs... now, if I could just find that link... hmm, let me go look for it...

[Jengerbread88]

For some reason, when I try to save as a Tiff, it flattens it. I'm using Corel PSP X2... could that be why?

I've just continued saving them as psp images...