Organizing files!!

Having read the replies you have, I do pretty much the same. I am a terrible tidy freak so as soon as I down load (very few freebies these days) I immediately put them in the file where they belong ie: floral, faces etc. Good luck, you will be so pleased with yourself when you are finished.

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by RockyB 15 Feb 2015

I will be sooo pleased! I'm feeling so unorganized right now but have a lot of good ideas thanks to everyone here!

Here is a very good way to organize files and it starts you out with some folders. When I dl a file, I automatically put it in the folder that it belongs in and unzip it then and there. Why wait. I only keep the format that I use and if it is a detailed design, I'll also keep the jpg and color files in the same folder. My purchased files are separate from any freebies that I may collect.

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by RockyB 15 Feb 2015

Thank you for the link, I will check it out. I like the idea of keeping the freebies separate for my purchases also!

wow so many ideas so little time lol. I have pretty much the same: folder name "Alphabets" then a file Site name "Cute" then the name of the font & then inside that file will be the jpegs & the designs in my format & one backup so pes & jef ...the rest I delete. Last week I created new main index folders that say all the A folders & all the B folders so everything that starts with A like Alphabets & so on will be in the A section & so on. I found it took me longer to search going through everything to get to something that started with S or what ever. I too doo the same as Kim & create folders with the designer names Ace Points Anita Goodesign & so on but they are in my reg folders too. having them in more then one place is good as long as you don't over think it lol. Sometimes I forget what a font is called but I know that it came from cute so the jpegs help me a lot! Good luck & remember a little @ a time is better then nothing done @ all. ~hugs &***~

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by RockyB 14 Feb 2015

Thanks, I like that last note :)

I Have over 200gb of designs, which includes freebies ( which I rarely collect these days except from my favourite designers), purchased designs, and my own digitised designs, I agree with the other cuties that you will quickly learn how you like your own filing system, the one thing I always do is download to the same folder then I drag and drop that file to what for me would be the correct folder for that design ( I generally do this about once a week ) I also keep all my designs on external hard drives, this keeps your pc nice and clear and you can move the hard drive from one pc to another, and backup onto dvds every 3 months, I do file mine by designer because I have my favourites - I keep a folder with in the designer to keep all the zip files and I only unzip the pes file I need - I do not unzip any other formats or charts , when I download a zip file if the site does not include its name then I always add a letter code to the end of the file so I know who the designer/site it came from, for example a zip file from embroidery library I would add : EL to the end of the file name
Big hugs from London - Maria x

Thank you all so much! There is so much helpful information everyone has given me and I now have a better idea of how to organize my files. I will try to do a little at a time and hopefully will soon be able to do it as I download or at least once a week!

My system is similar to what you have already heard. What I will tell you is that is no best way to organize. You organize your designs the way it makes sense to you. But do start now. The longer you wait, the harder is and the longer it takes to get everything organized. The only color charts I tend to keep is from Embroidery Library so I am no help to you there. Do back up ALL your designs. I have mine backed up on Thumb Drives, an external drive and Carbonite. We all encourage multiple backups because any one back up can fail so you have 2 others to rely on. And word of warning, you will continue to tweak your files so they are better organized. It is normal. Enjoy your designs, keep collecting and enjoy stitching out those pretty designs.

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by RockyB 13 Feb 2015

I haven't kept color charts either. I agree the sooner the better to get organized and you and all of the other cuties have been very helpful! Thank you!

I also cross-file some of the designs, such as "Hands" where I will have different types like baby hands or parents' hands, but some will be praying hands. I copy the praying hands and put them in my "Religious" folder under the sub-folder "Praying Hands." I do a lot of cross-files because it seems I always look in the wrong place for something and then spend time trying to think where else I could have filed it!

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by RockyB 13 Feb 2015

I like the idea of copying and cross filing. Thanks, that's a really good idea!

Well, so many ways to choose to organize...I do not keep most separated by the site I downloaded from and I do not separate by the year I got them...EXCEPT those sites or designers I purchase a lot of, or have a membership to, or sites I frequent a lot...that said...all of my designs are in :subject" folder categories that mean something to me...Flowers & Leaves, Holidays, Quilts, Children, Animals & Bugs...Floral Alphabets, Monograms, Holiday Alphabets, Children Alphabets, etc., lots of folder choices that you relate to...but then I also keep additional folders for membership sites like Cute..where all Cute designs are contained (as well as filed into their other "subject" folders...or special Designers like Anita Goodesign or Jenny Haskins...they are saved in their designer folder and the "subject folders"...yes, many are saved in more than one place...but sometimes I can't remember the site or the year I acquired the deisgn,,, but I can always remember the "subject" I am looking for...or "designer"....BUT...I always rename the folders to include the site and designer name in the folder name...then I can sort by subject, site, designer, etc...also each of the "subject" folders have sub-category folders...like within the Holidays subject folder there are sub folders for each Holiday...Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter..etc...start now...and keep it updated regularly...I try to "file" all new items once a week...and if I can't get it done once a week...I will try for every two weeks...I have found if I wait for months....it is a major struggle...do the best you can and keep at it....also remember to back up everything in more than one place...external hard drive, additional USB sticks...CD/DVD...outside Cloud...or other....

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by RockyB 13 Feb 2015

A lot of good advice, thank you. That is a good practice with filing everything once a week, that seems do-able for me. I do have an external hard drive that I use but I think I will also use an USB stick for additional back up.

Mine are broken into 2 folders. One folder is for purchased embroidery designs and one folder is for free embroidery designs. Then I have subfolders alphabetic by design names (animals, butterflies, etc) and folders that are the names of the website the designs came from. I also back my designs up on an external hard drive.

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by RockyB 13 Feb 2015

I started with two folders, one for unzipped files and one for zipped files. Then I got into files paid for and the I was trying to separate things into categories and it was getting out of hand!

I also have large folder called "My Designs". In that folder I have subfolders with topic names such as Animals, flowers, food related, alphabets and etc. When the design is downloaded I will add a name that I would recognize such as " roses" in the flowers folder, "bears" in the animal folder and so forth. I have also been adding the name of the site to the title of the design. This way I don't have to search each site folder for roses. If I want a rose design I go to the rose folder! In other words, I really have folders inside other folders. Think of it as a file drawer with folders. Ex: Main folder: Christmas; subfolders: ornaments, Santa, cards, and etc. The ornament folder could have more subfolders such as FSL, ITH, fabric backed & etc. Good luck.

3 comments

by clawton 13 Feb 2015

PS- I take the time to unzip the designs as I download them !!! I didn't start out doing that and it took me days to go back and unzip them to see what I had.

by RockyB 13 Feb 2015

I have been trying to unzip files but I am starting to download more and it gets harder to do. I was trying to do a folder for unzipped designs so when I have the time, I can unzip them and sort them.

by Leaha 13 Feb 2015

I have a downloads folder that has sub folders with the name of where I got the design and those designs from that place go in there as I acquire them...Cute, ABC, EmbLib., etc. If I don't have time to open them they don't get lost and I know who they are from.

I do something similar as spendlove and keep my collection of singles separated by the year collected and either unzipped or zipped. The unzipped folder contains a number of topic folders: animals, flowers, food, etc. and each of the topic folders also contains a file named "color charts & instructions"). As I download, any already unzipped designs are placed immediately into their appropriately labeled topic folder and the zipped files go into the "zipped" folder for later attention. I also try to remember to rename downloads to include the digitizer's name. I save some color charts--usually only those with a large number of color changes or in DST format which does not reveal true colors. The "color chart" file will also contain any pertinent notes from the digitizer, including copyright information which is of particular importance to those who sell items containing the stitched designs. As for complete sets (alphabets, etc.) that are either purchased or downloaded for free, I maintain a set of folders by digitizer and each complete set of designs is filed in a folder by the set name within the digitizer's folder.

As I unzip, all unnecessary formats are tossed to the trash bin. And, yes, I do make frequent back-ups as well as an annual CD back-up.

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by RockyB 13 Feb 2015

OK, that was a question I also had. Do you keep the other formats just in case you get another machine and it takes another format?

by Leaha 13 Feb 2015

If you keep your zip files you already have the formats at your finger tips should you change machines.

by AuntAnnie 14 Feb 2015

My software converts most formats so there is no reason for me to keep more than one.

Start before you even download the first one! I wish I knew the best way for me when I started. It has taken me about 4 years to work it out and it will take me another 4 to sort them out.
If I were starting from scratch, I would have one folder called Embroidery. Within that, I would have a folder for each site I have designs from. Within each of those folders, I would have more folders for design types. (Flowers animals etc) When downloading, I would rename each file so that it described the design. Numbers are not very helpful when you are looking for something!
I don't bother with colour charts, but they would need the same name as the design. Instruction sheets likewise.
You will get loads of replies to this question and I'm really interested what the others say!

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by RockyB 13 Feb 2015

I haven't saved any color charts either but was wondering if I should be doing that! I already have files downloaded but am trying to get organized with them to make it easier. Thank you for all the help!