Organizing Templates

[Lindsay]

After seeing Rachel's post about the number of SSD products, I wanted to ask for how people organize their templates. My kits and elements are wonderfully organized, but the templates themselves is a mess. Right now I have them all by designer, but once I'm in Cindy's folder, it's crazy and I tend to just open up folders at random. I could totally geek out and try to create a spreadsheet with Set name and # of photos, but thought I would toss it out there to see what others do...

[Lyd]

The biggest help for me on templates is to have the folder image be the preview for the template set. All my Cindy temps are in one folder and just organized alphabetically, but with the folder previews, I can see how many photo spots there are in each template before I open the folder. And, organizing them alphabetically puts the Super Seven sets together, the Double It Up sets together, etc. It's a pretty simple system, but it works for me.

ETA: I guess I should clarify that each template set is in its own folder and then they are all together in the larger Cindy folder. So, when I go into that folder, I see a bunch of other folders that all have previews as their images. Does that makes sense, or am I just rambling now? LOL.

[ripal]

I have mine tagged by the number photos along with few other things:
1 photo
2 photos
3 photos
4 photos
5+ photos (these I can use for a month in preview, week in preview or a side page with one journal page on other side)
Story time (the ones with lots of journal space)
2 - pager

[Leah]

I almost the same as Lydia. All of my SSD templates are from Cindy and she gets her very own folder on my computer. Inside, I keep all the templates in their original folder, along with the preview and any completed page previews that Cindy includes in the file. I have the preview image tagged, so that I can see it before I even click on that folder.

That's about it.

[Leah]

Originally Posted by ripal

I have mine tagged by the number photos along with few other things:
1 photo
2 photos
3 photos
4 photos
5+ photos (these I can use for a month in preview, week in preview or a side page with one journal page on other side)
Story time (the ones with lots of journal space)
2 - pager

Oooh I like this idea too. When going through templates, I already have a number of photos in mind, so this would make it easier!

[Lyd]

Originally Posted by ripal

I have mine tagged by the number photos along with few other things:
1 photo
2 photos
3 photos
4 photos
5+ photos (these I can use for a month in preview, week in preview or a side page with one journal page on other side)
Story time (the ones with lots of journal space)
2 - pager

Yes! That IS a good idea. I just may do that one of these days.

[LenaGardner]

"used" and "unused" LOL

I have a "scraps bin" that are scraps of stuff...alphas, date packs, etc. Templates have their own folder in my scraps bin. They are not organized by store and designer like the rest of my scrap supplies.

Inside my template folder I have 3 subfolders. Used, unused and tools. Tools are like Dani's or Libby's paper clippers. I save my used temps in case I wish to reuse them. When I'm ready to scrap I wander into my unused folder and choose one. My system is simple.

[SweetMelissa]

I put them in the designers folder but I also have a folder called "templates" where I copy the preview of the templates into. So I open my Template folder & see a preview of every template I have. Then I pick the 1 I want and go to the designer's folder & find the template set folder.

[AmberK]

I used aCDSee and the templates stay in their own folders but they are tagged like this:

1-2 photos
3-4 photos
5-6 photos
7-8 photos
9-10 photos
11+ photos
2 pagers

[Kenzi]

I do mine like Lydia, but I also change to color (or highlight) the name of the folder in red when I've used a specific template.

[MamaBee]

yup - I organize by number of photos too... I also have a folder for photoless, themed, double pages, etc. I do have a couple of folders by designers - these are mostly "new to me" templete designers and went a bit nuts at DSD... ... so I haven't used them yet.

[taracotta7]

I have all my templates by designer. BUT within that folder I have them organized by number of pictures.

AND I also have a preview folder of ALL my templates that I can skim through when just trying to find something that inspires me. I know how to find it due to the # of photos and the designer name.

[Lyd]

Originally Posted by Kenzi

I do mine like Lydia, but I also change to color (or highlight) the name of the folder in red when I've used a specific template.

I actually mark them with a color once I've used them too.

[abm234]

I would like to see the templates in the shoppe organized by the number of photos as well. It would be nice to search the shoppe for a 3 photo template, etc. Maybe I should have put this 2 cents in prior to the big makeover! Maybe its not too late?

[ryliesmom]

Mine aren't organized per se, but I have a preview folder that contains the previews for all my kits and templates that I have on my hard drive at the time (i.e. my most used, want to use ones). That way I can just flip through that folder to see which one I want to use.

[Leah]

How do you highlight them with a color??

[mrshobbes]

Hahaha, I have about 150 template packs, and I just tag them in my stash as "layout templates." Haha, no attempt at organizing them whatsoever

[nun69]

I do what Lydia does, but I don't mark them after I use them

[Lyd]

Originally Posted by paperboutique

How do you highlight them with a color??

I'm on a Mac, so to mark it, I just right click on the folder, and then under Label, I can choose a color. Not sure how it would be on a PC, but I'm sure it's similar.

[MandaT]

I have a templates/page LO folder, designers that I frequently get templates from (Janet, Cindy, Freebies, Cookies for Kids, etc) each have their own folder, with sub-folders.

I'm actually in the process of pairing down...so we'll see how it turns out in a week or so. lol

[iScrap]

I tag mine by # of photos as well and have them organized by designer only if I have multiple packs by them. Otherwise, I put individual templates in folders labeled "Misc 1 photo", "Misc 2 photo", etc.

[kscwgirl]

I have a template folder and then folders within for designers.. but.. i don't keep the temp in the original folder.. so when I open my cindy folder, i can see all the templates i have of hers.

[JulieB146]

I've got almost all of my templates in a template folder. Within that folder, I think Yin has her own folder, and I've considered sticking some other designers in their own folders, too, but I like to scan through all of them to find what I'm looking for, instead of always having to click on folder-nests.

After I use a template, I put a "#" after the name of the template, so I know I've used it before. Then, I'll know as I scan through the folder, what I've used and what I haven't. I did start labeling/tagging templates with 2-up, 3-up, etc, but got tired of doing that. After all, I can modify a template anyway I like, or use a photo spot for journaling, or delete it, or whatever.

I *have* tagged Albums, though. It was embarrasing to realize I have about 8 template albums that I've barely used as albums. That, I'm going to have to fix. As in, not buying any more templates for a long while.

[jaylensmom]

Originally Posted by ltarbox

I'm on a Mac, so to mark it, I just right click on the folder, and then under Label, I can choose a color. Not sure how it would be on a PC, but I'm sure it's similar.

thank you lydia that is going to be so useful...

[Freckles]

I also tag them in AcDSee by the number of photos.

[Leontine78]

I do it by the number of photos too.
BUT in each of those folders I have a folder called Cindy Schneider and one that says "Others" LOL!!!

I never have to search long for a template.

[Stacey42]

Mine are all in a 'template' folder with subfolders by designer, which is not really working for me any more. I want to tag them by # of photos or move them around & group them by # of photos. I just haven't gotten around to it yet

[pewtertm]

I have a template folder with subfolders for '1 photo', '2 photos', etc. I also have subfolders for 'two pagers', 'stacked backgrounds', 'no photos', etc. The only ones that aren't in that folder are Cindy's...they have a special folder all their own
Each template has the designer's name in the title...I don't keep anything other than the layered file itself. I keep the TIFF if it's available; I'm in the process of converting all of the PSD files to TIFF so that I can just open the folder and see them immediately.

[mummytothree]

I haven't read the response so I am sure some one has already posted this way but I tag mine in ACDSee and I do it by number of photos!!

1 Photo
2 Photo
3 Photo
4 or more photos
Other (photoless, calendar, desktop ect....)
2 Pagers

[dailydwellin]

I just went through yesterday and organized my template folder (it was a mess!) by designer and store collabs.

After reading through this I think my next step will be to tag them in ACDsee by number of photos. I do have the previews tagged as template so I can look through them easily.

[Darcy Baldwin]

I just keep mine organized by # of photos. If the template is for something other than a layout or a special project (Lynnette's state one), I keep it in the general folder.

[maryinaz]

Originally Posted by ripal

I have mine tagged by the number photos along with few other things:
1 photo
2 photos
3 photos
4 photos
5+ photos

I have a Template folder, then subfolders for Cindy, Janet, and Jumpstart designs, then organized like above. The rest of the templates (like freebies and cookies) are also then organized into subfolders like above.

[Lindsay]

I have not gone through and deleted all of the PSE files even though I use TIFF, so on most of my folders it's the PSE file which I see when I View by Large Thumbnails, so I have to open each one to see what is in there.

[TifLyn]

Originally Posted by mamaof3

I put them in the designers folder but I also have a folder called "templates" where I copy the preview of the templates into. So I open my Template folder & see a preview of every template I have. Then I pick the 1 I want and go to the designer's folder & find the template set folder.

That is what I've been telling myself to do for a while now. Glad to know that works. I love having the templates in their original folders and I keep all my scrap stuff by designer pretty much. (a lot of stuff is by store too). But when i want a template, I always find myself saying the same thing... Why don't I hav ethem in their own folder? But again, just the previews in a new template folder has been an idea for a while. Thanks for posting that you do this!
Tif

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by mamaof3

I put them in the designers folder but I also have a folder called "templates" where I copy the preview of the templates into. So I open my Template folder & see a preview of every template I have. Then I pick the 1 I want and go to the designer's folder & find the template set folder.

This is what I do, too. I don't like to organize by # of photos because some templates are so easy to change through simple things like putting photos in paper blocks or replacing a row of small photos with one larger one.

[Freckles]

Originally Posted by rach3975

This is what I do, too. I don't like to organize by # of photos because some templates are so easy to change through simple things like putting photos in paper blocks or replacing a row of small photos with one larger one.

That's why I think tagging them is the easiest: they get to stay in their own folders and I can tag 1 template for multiple amounts of photos. When I see a 3 photo template can easily be adjusted for 4 photos, I tag it both for 3 and 4 photos.